What’s so great about the city anyway?

For 5 months I have been traveling to the interior (country) every weekend to work with the PRECE communities in Pentecoste, Ombreira, Cerota, Cipó, Boa Vista ad Providencia. Every weekend I have loved my time with the students and communities but have sighed a deep breath of relief when boarding the bus and heading back to city. It wasn’t because I didn’t like being in the country or spending time with the people. It was because I knew that I would be heading back to the bustling streets, the music on the square until 2 a.m., the restaurants with every imaginable dish of seafood, and the lights that never dim. I might have my roots in the country, but it is the constant motion of the big city that gives me energy.

So, I could never really understand why (except for their commitment to PRECE and improving their communities- kind of a big deal!) the university students chose to return to their communities in the interior… until recently.

Since I have been spending an extended period of time in the community of Boa Vista I have begun to see the beauty that they see every day and that pulls them back to their community. The tranquility of hearing nothing but farm animals at night provides a sense of peace and security. The millions (billions!) of stars that shine bright here could never been seen through the light pollution in Fortaleza. The ability to walk down the dirt roads and know the name of each person you pass gives a strong feeling of community and solidarity.

Here, in the country there might not be running water, or functioning internet or cell phones, or paved roads or access to all the luxuries the city provides, but there is something compelling here. It is the ability to breathe clean air, to see for miles and miles without your view being obstructed by apartments or factories, the freedom to ride on the back of a moto for hours without once stopping for a stop sign, and the sense of peace that you and your family can rest safely in your home at night. There is a beauty to the rawness of the country.

I may have forsaken all of my country roots for the big city, but I am glad that once again, thousands of miles from Wabash, IN, I have re-discovered the peace, beauty, simplicity and truth that only the country-side can provide.