If someone were to ask me, “Who is your best friend?” I would not be able to answer. There are so many factors that go into the phrase “best friend” that make things so much more complicated. Do they mean my best friend in the world, Sitka, or Sweden? I have no idea. Because it’s such a problematic word, I choose to only use it when I’m talking about one out of many of my “best friends.” Today, I’m using this word to describe Mariana Santos, who is one of the biggest phenomenons in my life.
Mariana is a girl from Brazil who just happened to choose to go on exchange the same year as me, with the same organization, to the same country, and same district in Sweden. If that doesn’t sound like fate, nothing does. What amazes me is that she is someone whom I never would’ve even imagined as being my best friend. Before exchange, we led completely opposite lives. While she was avoiding the sun and embracing the AC growing up, I was unaware of what an AC even was and would spend every second we had sun basking in it. While she was singing and dancing to Brazilian music, I was singing along to country songs. What I’m trying to say is that we couldn’t have had more differences between us when were growing up. What’s crazy is that that didn’t prevent us from becoming two very similar people.
When I first met Mariana, I had been in Sweden for a few days and we were at the welcome party. I don’t actually remember meeting her, but to be honest, those first few days were a blur. What I do remember was at our language camp when I slowly became friends with this bright ball of happiness and energy: Mariana. She naturally drew everyone towards her with such positivity and kindness. Over the months, we’ve become closer friends as we navigate the trials and joys of exchange.
One of my favorite memories was on our canoeing trip in the fall where all of us were singing songs while drifting along the river until we arrived at our campsite. The morning after camping I was showing Mariana yoga and while the leader was assigning chores for everyone, he looked at us, laughed, and assigned us to continue doing yoga. We then spent the next five minutes wobbling one-legged and and trying poses that were obviously way out of our skill zone. Another more recent event was when I invited Mariana over for an afternoon before she would leave to Germany for several days. We wanted to bake something and I was feeling particularly homesick for American foods at the time so I suggested banana bread. It was Mariana’s first time trying it and we ate the entire loaf over the course of one movie; both regretting it dearly at the end.
It’s times like these where our similarities come out. We both have a very intense love-hate relationship with fika. We both like to shop at second hand stores and find hidden treasures. We both have an obsession with Fjällräven Backpacks. We both chose to go on exchange in Sweden. Last but not least we both love doing new and exciting things together.
I never thought that in less than a year two people could become such close friends. I try not to think about it, but in less than two months I’m going to go back to Alaska, and even earlier than that, I am going to have to say goodbye to Mariana who goes home three weeks before me. What scares me even more is the uncertainty of when we’ll be able to see each other again. When I think about my other exchange student friends, visiting each other doesn't seem so impossible when they live in Canada or the US, but for Mariana and me it’s different. I live in Alaska, on top of the world, and Mariana is on the opposite pole. All I know is that we will see each other again. No matter how long it takes or how much flights cost, I will see her again. Heck, I’d swim to Brazil if it meant visiting my best friend.
Words of the Week
Best Friend- Bästa vän
Banana- Banan
Bread- Bröd