It had been three years since junior Ash La Rosa Grillo had seen her family in Spain. Over the summer, she visited them for a month.
Since the passing of her grandfather in 2020, Grillo’s family trips to Spain stopped completely. It was only over the past summer that Grillo ultimately decided to visit them.
“Seeing them was surreal,” Grillo said. “I have a hard time keeping in contact with them so when I saw them, it felt like I was meeting more family even though they were the same people. Being with them for so long really allowed me to understand them and get to know them better.”
Being in a new country without her immediate family for a month was a new experience for Grillo. She often found herself walking the trails or visiting local parks around the area. She fondly remembers biking the dirt roads with her uncle, and hanging out with her younger cousins.
“[My aunt] was super excited to see me,” Grillo said. “Even before I crossed the line at the airport she was so excited. She had her friend recording her reaction when she saw me. It was a very happy, uplifting experience.”
