By ilakes2015
When you start thinking about your future, every single decision you take becomes the most important one. Because everything you decide, every step that you take is going to change and determine the next one. Even if this is true, sometimes we cannot prevent or have power over other situations that may interfere in our way, in the road we are visualizing and walking by.
If there is something I learned from life until now is that most of the events, accomplishes or failures, happen for a reason. Most of the time is not something we understand in the short-term future but eventually we do.
This time I’m not writing for myself, I’m writing for him. This time I’m looking into the past, into the now and into the future. This time my brother Uriel is moving out from his house in the US, where he has been studying and working for the last 6 years. When he was 17 years old he won a full scholarship to go to Yale for his undergraduate program. After 4 years of receiving an education of excellence and having the chance to work in 3 different continents, he decided to move from New Heaven to Washington DC. His fantastic life as a student had come to an end when he joined a company he liked in the city that he loved.
After almost 7 years of living in Argentina as a only child, destiny reunited me with my brother in the capital of the US, the capital of the world. My decision of doing the exchange program at GW was made a month before I found out he was moving so it was really destiny what made us coincide. I’ve been in this country for 2 months. Two months were I did not only learn how to be a typical American college student but also how to move around in this beautiful city. Uri took me to his favorite places in DC, to the places where he feels relax and the reasons why he can call Washington his home. He shared with me his friends, his music, his roommates, his favorite type of food, his colleagues, his studio and his life. He shared somehow who he is now. To do that we decided to use our time together to enrich our bond so in the last two months we ended up doing a bunch of different things. From museums, to new restaurants, cooking classes (of course he taught me, he is an amazing chef) and fantastic shopping afternoons, the relationship I have with my brother has never been better. We get along really well; we still know each other preferences and laugh as loud as we always did. Our bonds are not only because we share the same blood, we have a connection that not a lot of people share. Is not only the fact that the first time I walked I was trying to reach his arms, it is also the fact that I still do.
Buying boxes, selling furniture, donating cloth and organizing suitcases. The last weekend I helped Uri move out. I don’t know if you moved recently or if you remember how was to move out but I can assure you that packing 6 years of your life in two days is even more chaotic than it sounds. Saying “goodbye” to things is not that easy, you have memories that make you remember moments that take you to places and people you like and even a birthday card can take you 10 minutes to pack. I also realized that is doesn’t matter how many times you move, you never really learn how to do it less stressful. Today I have his life and mine in my apartment. Yes, my roommates hate me but all the suitcases would be gone soon. How strange sounds to say that all your life can fit in a few boxes don’t you think? But if you really think about it, all the relevant things in your life can fit in a smaller box call heart. That sounds less stressful. I now understand why Uri is a citizen of the world. 
Every new decision, not matter good or bad has both things: pros and cons. My brother is leaving the US but he is coming home for a few months. This time is time to go back where everything started so lets celebrate for the good moments, for the new beginnings and for all the things yet to come.