A few weeks ago I was in the middle of a trip when I got a text from one of my best friends that read “Manuel and I just broke up. The trip is off”. She was supposed to travel to Houston the following week, to meet him for the first time after they had just gotten back together after a first break up. “If you need to talk I’m available”. I wasn’t available actually, I was finishing a 5 miles bike ride; but when she called, I stopped at a park and answer the phone. It isn’t for me to share the details of the causes, but she sounded devastated. “I’m upset with myself because I had to make major arrangements to meet him, but I was also looking forward to the trip itself. I know that I shouldn’t go, but I’m tempted to “. Been there, done that I thought, so I told her “Listen, if you don’t feel the strength to stop yourself from going and you need distraction; think of a place, let’s make a trip ourselves”.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I genuinely thought she was going to end up going to Houston, but she didn’t. She called the day after I’d just gotten back from Chicago and said “We’re going to Oaxaca on Tuesday”. “Tuesday?” I thought, “that’s in two days”. I hadn’t unpack yet, I was tired and had multiple things waiting for me at work. Then, I remembered myself three summers ago when I had gotten into a huge fight with my ex. He had just left and I was an emotional mess. I had called one of my best friends sobbing and told her “We just got into a terrible fight. There’s probably not going back from this; I think It’s over. I can’t be at my apartment now”. She, who had picked up the phone at the first try, said “Meet me at my apartment”. I had gotten there and she had just hug me, without questions. “I can’t stop replaying every single detail in my mind” I said and she had gone above and beyond to keep myself distracted for the rest of my day. She had been containment when I needed it the most.
That night I concluded that “sometimes you need to have containment, sometimes you need to be containment” and so, I purchased the airplane ticket and two (rushed) days later, we arrived in Oaxaca.
Unapologetic Thoughts 