CAMBIO DE AIRELiterary tourism: Fictionon real stagesChapter 1 – The tripI was invited to a business trip as part of the press. I wasgoing to bring the cover story, but, instead, I brought what itis today the story of my life. I had to cover the Assumption ofthe Virgen fest, a religious event that takes place every 15thof August in Casabindo, in the north of the province of Jujuy,where hundreds of followers go year after year.I still couldn´t understand why I had been sent for sucha fest. I didn´t believe in any kind of god and even less inany virgin, which turned this experience into a journalistchallenge, where, for some hours, I would try to understandor share the faith that gathers so many people in this place.I took the night flight, with the usual handbag, whichaccompanies me with either summer or winter clothesdepending on the destination. Trips have always been thefunny part of the job for me, the journalistic opportunityto visit places and discover landscapes, people, cultures,exotic food. I was lucky enough to know and learn (awonderful gift for a curious and restless soul like mine)in exchange for telling my experience in a good report andbringing some photos to illustrate.As soon as I arrived at the airport of San Salvador de Jujuy,I saw a man with moustaches holding a sign with my name;he was waiting for me to take me to the hotel. “We are alsowaiting for another person”, he told me. I thought that Iwas the only one who had been invited, therefore I wassurprised but not troubled. I am used to sharing my tripswith colleagues, perfect strangers who I can live with forsome days, solely united by the passion that our professiongenerates: journalism, the news, the desire to see, feel, try,experiment.We were waiting for more than 20 minutes, which was quitestrange since the journalist we were waiting for had traveledon my same flight. Suddenly he appeared with a blue coatand an exaggerated suitcase, emanating perfume, at aslow pace and with a lost look, in an attitude that seemedirritating to me, disrespectful to us, the two fools who werewaiting, and to our time.I rolled my eyes and accidentally sighed. It is one of mydefects: I cannot conceal my feelings, I cannot fake whathappens to me in certain situations. And since I am Aries,a have a sixth sense to feel idiots, just a look is enough todetect those people I should get away from. The first badimpressions invade me as if they were a sickening smellthat reaches my nose and nauseates me.“Hi, how are doing? I´m Pedro”. And who cares! Why don´tyou tell me when you are going to apologize, or explainwhere the hell you had been. I could guess that you weregoing to make your apology after such a cheap introduction.You had already introduced yourself very badly with thatimpolite attitude.“Ready, we are all”, our driver said. All, which meant youand I and a whole world of distance between us.You were about to lift my suitcase to help me put it in thetrunk but I abruptly stopped you. “I can do it”, I told you whileI placed my luggage. “Besides, you´ll need your energyto raise your little big suitcase, weren´t you told that it isa 4-day trip?”, I ironically asked him. I said that withoutthinking. It was another defect of mine, my tongue wastied to my thoughts, without any filter, without stopoversthat make me think for two minutes that it would me moreconvenient to be quiet in some cases. Your eyes were wideopen in astonishment, you leaned backwards and smiled.“Well, it seems that we travel with a gossip journalist, veryacid and conflict lover”, you cheerfully said. The driverlaughed in an inappropriate way. (Mind your driving, willyou?)As it was expected, you sat down on the passenger seat,as a copilot. You turned down, searched my look and witha relaxed smile you said “we leave you the back seat so youcan be more comfortable”. More comfortable. As if you knewsomething about what it is convenient for me, about what Iprefer. “What an irritating guy!”, I thought. I did not answerback. I rested my head on the car window, I looked for somestars with which I could entertain myself and stayed silencethroughout the trip to the hotel.I was invited to abusiness trip as partof the press. I wasgoing to bring thecover story, but,instead, I broughtwhat it is today thestory of my life.#28
CAMBIO DE AIRE*Marina es periodista, escritora y directora de la revista Cambio de Aire,aunque su trabajo principal es ser mamá full time de Lola y Charo. Ensu blog BienVivida canaliza su pasión por las letras e invita a un viajeprofundo por las emociones, en relatos de ficción… ¡y no tanto!\\ Marina is a journalist, writer and the director of the magazine Cambiode Aire, although her main job is to be a full time mum of Lola and Charo.In her blog BienVivida, she directs her passion for writing and invites to adeep trip around emotions, fiction stories…and not so fiction!Leé la historia completa en FBK @bienvividaRead the whole story on FBK @bienvivida#29
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