Connection #42

Carla Rojas Tamayo

42. Carla Rojas Tamayo

Peru, Lima, 25 years old, religion: evangelist
Gift received: March 30, 2008

Carla is a bundle of great energy. She works as a theater teacher for children, organizes theater workshops, helps children in poorer regions with initiating creative activities, works for the Canadian university Windsor promoting their study programmes, and trains twice a week for folk dances. The way she walks through life shows pure self-confidence. Carla is highly intelligent and creative, and dreams of changing the world in many ways. She loves travelling and does so for many years purely by hitch-hiking. Her love for adventure is endless, and her dreams go far to Asia and Australia. Carla lives and works for realising her dream of travelling, but before she would go to enjoy her journey she would always assure that her mom and brother are well of. Carla is exceptional in many ways, and a big inspiration to us. Her sense of hospitality is touching, especially the way she includes her guests into the daily life of her family.

Gift: Artistic, self-made frame

Artistic, self-made frame

Gift given: April 06, 2008

A loving word, a sincere hug, a selfless stroke, something that makes us feel apreciated and loved are necessary when our soul demands affection.

When, without wanting, we let us wrap around by the cold of vanity, we forget our friends. Especially in such moments people get concerned about us, but their advises feel like a burden since we do not value their reasons.

Once we realize the dark scenery which reigns our surroundings we crave for the presence of this inexhaustible beings, because there is no emotion leaving us more empty than this one.

Loneliness makes us small, destroys our last piece of hope, and irritates us; it has happened to me some time that I prefered to be dead to being alone.

However, in this loneliness I discovered a personal solitude and this state taught me to discover my weaknesses and virtuousness which I denied to accept. Loneliness made me stronger and taught me to value what I before disparaged.

This change does not come in a day or a month, it takes years; and is accompanied by lots of pain. But the reward is triple gratifying, because now that you have learned to value yourself, unconcious or conciously you cause the same effect among others; a group of 5 friends multiplies and though hard to believe your life converts into an example to follow.

A million downfalls wait for you, fight warrior!

How we met Carla Rojas Tamayo

We met Carla in December 2007 in Juan Pablos place in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We all are members of CouchSurfing.com and HospitalityClub.org, and at the same time hitch-hikers. Carla invited us then to stay with her in Lima, which we finally did in March 2008.