In November 2020 Germany began the second strict lockdown. We were able to only see one or two people at a time, only two households. I began my studies in San Francisco, but never actually made it there because of Covid. So I had to study online all night in Germany. After a few weeks I felt how much my eyes hurt and my concentration suffers from sitting in front of the screen by night for so many hours. Because of this and my birthday on the 14th of November I decided to take my first step into adulthood and independence and leave Germany.
For the first time in my life, I flew alone to my birth country Costa Rica without my mum. A 12-hour flight into freedom and maturity. I remember sitting in the plane, watching the movie Ad Astra with Brat Pit and crying because of its touching message. Brad Pitt is searching for his father in the furthest reaches of the solar system and spends weeks and weeks alone in a spaceship in order to find him. His mission: to save planet earth and discover what brought the solar storms out of control in the universe. A beautiful and crazy story… One of these were you really get inspired to make a change on the world.
So I am sitting there in this plane, alone, thinking that I am finally on my own when a soft hand touches my shoulder “Lila, bist du es?”, she said in German. The girl making sure that it was me is Sandra. She lived in my house in Puerto Viejo for a few months and had a major injury in the hospital beginnings of march last year. She had to be taken back in the plane to Germany and was in the hospital for several weeks. I never expected her being there in the plane with me.
In a plane that is marked by fear of covid, masks and scared faces we began to scream out of joy. So unexpected, so unreal, so radom to meet her there in this plane. Just another beautiful coincidence of life. And to make it even more crazy. Do you know where she was sitting? Right behind me. Just one seat.
So of course we asked the people next to her to change seats with us and we continued to talk all night long. We drank sparkling wine, chattered and laughed about our experiences with love and everything that happened. She told me that she is now finally making a move to get all her legal documents done to become a child doctor in Costa Rica. But not just any type of child doctor… She is an emergency doctor for all babies that are new borns and have problems. She basically saves a life since the first time this new soul comes to earth.
I am extremely inspired by her and love to learn from her. We decided to live together in my flat in Puerto Viejo. Eventhough she spent most time with her crush, we went surfing a lot, painted the walls in my house and went partying. Luckily, she left one day before I noticed that I have covid. I am so excited and thrilled to see where our friendship goes.