How time passes..

It's amazing how time goes by, changing things, changing people, changing even places. Time can not be seen or touched. As said by the dictionary it is "The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole." But that doesn't really explain what time is. For me, time is a way that people explain how things happen, but that is not the point of this essay. 

My grand-parents made a house near the beach in 1996. They called it "JTO" because of the acronyms of "I will never forget you" in spanish. They chose this name because when they were young my grandfather dedicated this song to my grandmother. 

For the next ten years, every little vacation or long weekend we had, we went there. It was like a my second home. I remember that every time that my parents said that we were going to Obero, this is the name of the little town "JTO" is located, I felt extremely happy. I don't know why I liked that much to go there, but I just did.

The place has a square-shaped pool that is not very deep, because no one in my family is very tall. Beside the pool there is a one-level house with four bedrooms, one for each family, one kitchen, and one living room. In front of the pool there is also a ranch that is where we spent almost all the time we are there. There is a big backyard, that we use to make fires or play some games, surrounding the ranch, the house, and the square-shaped pool. There is also many types of trees, because my grandmother loves fruits, so there is a tree of avocados, two of lemons, one of papayas, three of cauliflower cashew, and many more. 

"JTO" is located in a condominium called "Santa Sofia del Mar", but there are not many habited houses. So when we go there we are almost the only ones. That makes "JTO" a very peaceful and quiet place. There are no paved streets, or lampposts, or even TV signal. When we go there we disconnect ourselves from the external world. 

I remember that when I was little and I was in Obero, it in a very big place, with many things to do and explore. I spent almost all my time in the pool. Since I woke up around seven or eight, till seven or eight in the night, when it was time for dinner. Yes, I got out of there for lunch or bathroom. Only for that. I LOVED the pool. It was the best place in the world for me, I could be whatever I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do. Well, if it didn't include drowning of course.   My mother bothered me saying that with time I would become a mermaid or a fish. 

The only thing I didn't like about Obero was the nights. There was a heat that I couldn't stand, too many mosquitoes, and stuff like that. I just didn't like the nights, but when the sun came out the next day everything changed. For me Obero was the place where I wished I could live.

With time we started going less and less until one year we went only four times. I don't know why that happened, maybe more homework, more job, more responsibilities or just less TIME. No one in my family liked that, but we couldn't do anything. My family tried to go more, but it was just impossible. With time we became used to it and we only went for Easter Week and New Year. It is very sad because my little sister and my cousins never enjoyed the amazing feeling that I got there, but that is just how life is. 

The last time I went there EVERYTHING was changed. Not physically, because it was still desolated, but the way I saw it. This time I saw the place smaller even though it is not small. I went in the pool twice a day for less than ten minutes. I hated the feeling of being wet after the pool and that I couldn't sit on the chairs because they would get wet. Other reason I didn't enjoyed it that much was that sometimes the water was too cold. Of course it has always been this way, but before I didn't feel it. Now the nights were not that bad. Yes, there is the same amount of mosquitoes, and yes, the heat is the same, but that didn't matter, it was okay to me this time. 

I guess Obero will never be the same as before, and I will not get the same enthusiasm every time I go there, but it's a place that has so much meaning to my family and me that I just will not change it. I hope that when I grow up and have my own kids, I could find a place and make it that special to them, because it was amazing to have a place that I could be completely happy without worrying a thing. 

It's amazing how time passes..