April 11 2025: Just a random though - that went down memory lane to core memories

I really love surprises. A thought that crossed my head as I did my morning thanks, and talked to my invisible friends, the universe and myself.. Asking for a surprise. 

This thought took me back to my childhood. I loved any day that called for a surprise present. I didn't have the tooth fairy, it was a little mouse in my case, which excited me more than a fairy for some reason. I loved animals. So I looked forward to losing my teeth 😂. Small pain to pay. Or my birthday.. Or any other holiday that accounted for a surprise. 

This became a game for me. Because I'm not sure to this day what I love the most, if the surprise in itself or the hunt to find the hidden surprise. My mom and I had a ritual, in which she would hide my present somewhere in the house and I would start searching a couple of weeks in advance. I'm smiling as I'm writing this. That's how happy these memories make me. And to make it more interesting… my mom would hide a few fake surprises along the way..😂😂😂… to make me believe I have found it already. And I would ask… is this one???

I have already mentioned that we were poor (by first world definitions)... so … my surprises werent much. 

Sometimes it was just a pair of flip flops that I needed. For some reason I still have those in my memory. Sometimes it would be something awesome like coloring pencils and books, a pair of shoes or a backpack, or a door for my bedroom (That's harder to miss),  along the way, the fake presents would be chocolate candies and things like that.

Then, there is the reverse surprise, and is when I have to give a present to somebody. When I get so invested and I'm in love with my awesome surprise… it's sooooo hard for me to hold this information. I just want to say it the second I buy it!!! And it becomes torture for me to wait for the specific day. It's just painful. I can't wait that long and many times I end up giving the surprise before the birthday… sometimes weeks before. I used to love to give meaningful things… within my range of possibility. I remember, I used to give knives to my dad. He and I share a love for knives I think. In his case, a kitchen knife. I always joke that if my dad wouldn't end up as a politician, he might have been a chef… and/or a countryside agriculture person. He loved the farm and plants and animals as much as I do too. 

Then there were the kind of surprises my dad would give me. A phone call and tell me .. get ready… pack your backs for 3 days. Put on mountain clothes, or beach clothes… I will pick you up in 20 min. And I could be anywhere from going to another province by car, or boat… or a helicopter..we could end up in a yacht, climbing up mountains… Or a work trip that would be a discovery vacation trip for me. Well… it was all work for him if I'm being honest. But that was my quality time with my dad. Hanging out with him at work. It could be a fishing trip. All this amongst the many meetings and long walks with important people from my country… and business talks… and i'm just there.. Hanging out… doing my own stuff. 

I remember him working on the dolphinarium. That was one of my favorites. He had to go there many times. It's a place in the middle of the sea so we need to take a speed boat. And he is in there having all the meetings. Discussing prices, comparing to other establishments in the other provinces and the world that he had visited. Discussing the show, the restaurant and the food. I have some recollection of all that being talked about. I was like in primary school. So we get to experience the show. We are the test subject. Imagine that!!! One of the big sources of income in my country was tourism, so this was important. My province was also big in tourism and this dolphinarium was one of the best in the country. Or it was gonna be. And there we went many, many times until the project was completed. I remember jumping into the dolphin enclosure when nobody was looking. This was one of the terrors of my mom (and with reason), me going off and doing something stupid and/or reckless. I didn't have much common sense. I was very reckless… and I prefer to say I'm sorry after the fact, than ask for permission. 

Dolphins were not so friendly without the trainers… they caught me quite fast… they only hit me a bit in my ribs. I must say.. I was mostly bones.. at this age. 😂

So my dad was also a source of surprises.. And adventures. My mom was a source of surprises and adventure and fun and imagination and wander too. So… surprises are something I love. 

I think… in stagnant and boring times in my life… I might be thankful for even bad surprises 😅. Not sure if that's healthy. But I know I hate stagnation, lack of movement, lack of progress…. And growth and challenge… 

Maybe this seeps in somehow in who I am in life. I know if there are two ways to arrive somewhere.. I will take the long one, or the challenging one. 

Anyways… This was a thought I had this morning. I guess it is a core memory too….

It doesn't matter the big or small surprise… as long as it is a surprise.