There was heavy rainfall taking over town when I decided to leave my friend’s place. The only option left, I thought to myself, was to get a ride home. The first driver I was assigned was going to take 7 minutes to arrive, but he later canceled for maybe noticing the short route to my apartment. The service immediately assigned me to a different driver. Now it was going to take 14 minutes to arrive. I was already getting annoyed, but when I looked closely at the driver’s information, one thing stood out — it was a woman.
Her name was Giovana — one with a light spirit, Latin roots and a love for her island, the Dominican Republic. Gio, as she liked to be called, moved to the U.S. in 1986, but every year she finds herself revisiting the place she loves the most — her home country. She already has tickets bought, ready to fly back in September. The only thing stopping her is the time until then.
Gio picked me up on a rainy Monday night, a day after Easter. The moment I walked in, her warmth and tranquility embraced me like it was a relative’s car. When I asked about her weekend, she described it as filled with blessings. Gio had just turned 61 on Saturday and then spent the whole day on Sunday with her family to celebrate the holy day. She joked about becoming older by the number, but the soul and spirit remain as young as a child.
The moment Gio steps into her home country, she feels a pure sense of happiness. The beautiful beaches, the river which runs near her house, the people and the culture all make the Dominican Republic a place like no other. In the U.S., she said, money is the only thing that people think and worry about. Back home, living is the biggest privilege. She works part-time, and the rest of the time she enjoys getting her nails done every once in a while and spending time with her family as much as she can.
I wish the drive was longer so then I would have gotten to know more about Gio’s story. It was just a 10-minute ride — delayed a bit only by the heavy rainfall on a cold night. Once we got to the final destination, she cared for my safety and advised me to always be careful whenever I'm in the city. Gio cared for her passengers as if they were long-time friends, sharing jokes, tips on the safest places to live and, most especially, giving them the opportunity to learn about her life. The trip was short, and while I wished it lasted longer, it had the impact it was meant to have.
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