My Place In The World

Hola, hola, hola!

This past Friday, the city of Mendoza celebrated “World Malbec Day” which carries a lot of importance for Mendocinians. Malbec is one of their most prized possessions and a big part of the reason why Mendoza has the title of International Capital of Wine. It has brought success to the country of Argentina and given it international recognition, so there’s a lot of pride in its celebration. However, most people don’t know that Malbec isn’t actually native to Argentina. 

Malbec originated over 2,000 years ago in France and quickly gained fame before it was nearly completely wiped out by a plague in the 19th century. Even before its extinction, Malbec had a difficult time thriving in France due to its poor resistance to frost and harsh temperatures. So, it was soon after introduced in Argentina by a French agronomist who realized that the high-altitude and sunny climate of Mendoza suited the grape much better, causing the production of the wine to be much softer, fruitier, and more robust. Because of this success, Malbec became the most planted variety in Argentina, and helped the country gain international recognition for its quality of wines. Malbec, although not originally from Argentina, has changed the country of Argentina for the better and made a large impact on its culture and communities. 

The culture of Malbec in Mendoza celebrates the importance of foreigners in Argentina. Malbec was born in France, but it found its place in the world in Mendoza. It proves that something born in another country can thrive better in a new place, and it can create lasting impact in the community around it. This is exactly my hope for my time here. I’ve learned that where you’re born doesn’t define the conditions where you can thrive. Sometimes it takes leaving your home country to discover a better place to grow and find success. My goal is to plant myself here to not only grow personally, but to create a lasting impact in the communities that I am in. Even though I wasn’t born here, Mendoza has helped me find my place and my purpose in this world.

The past couple of weeks have been full of reminders of this as well: working extra over a long-weekend to host local entrepreneurs in a pop-up market that equal parts supported their business and provided a place for the people of Mendoza to shop locally and economically through affordable prices, attending an event held by the Mayor of Mendoza in partnership with an ex Nashville Metro Council Member to cultivate the relationship between the two cities despite their differences, and celebrating Easter in a completely new culture but surrounded by friends that have become more like family. My time here in Mendoza has shown me that this world is a lot smaller than we realize and more connected than we think. Every day I’m more and more thankful for this opportunity to live in a new culture and be able to grow and thrive in a new place, despite being a foreigner.

With love, Sarah