SC-S29/W5 – Nostalgia Of The Little Me: A Place Filled With Childhood Memories

We are in week 5, opening that box of feelings that were stored in my heart. It's like feeling again, on a larger scale, the world of my childhood now that I am an adult. When I saw this challenge, I was transported to one of the places my mother took us in my childhood, and several decades have passed since then.

	Playing on the seesaw

What is your most favorite place from childhood?

Every Sunday, my mum took my siblings and me to different places. It was a routine after leaving church. One Sunday it was the square, another Sunday it was the aeronautical museum, and my favourite was the zoo. At that time, there was a huge elephant, Pancho the mischievous monkey, a giraffe, and a pony that the younger children could ride.

When I went to the zoo and walked around seeing all the animals, I forgot for a moment about all the hardships we faced. What's more, I always discovered something different, no matter how many times I had been there. The zoo was closed for a long time, during which many animals died. After it reopened to the public, I went back to visit it right away. I reconnected with that little girl who loved it when my mum said, "Today we're going to the zoo."

	Arriving at the zoo of delights

¿Dónde estaba ubicado este lugar y por qué era especial para ti?

The Zoo of Delights is located in the city of Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela. It touches a very sensitive chord from my childhood. The first thing that comes to mind is Lucky the elephant, who lived for about 50 years. In her honour, there is an elaborate sculpture made of tecin material. At that time, there was no cost.

	Sculpture of Lucky the elephant made from recycled materials

What kind of activities or memories are connected to this place?

At the zoo, one of the activities we did was a tour to learn about all the species. There is a lot of diversity, and this is amazing to me. There was a petting farm where you could touch the goats, sheep, and pony. They also had a park where we played after the tour, as well as climbing on the giant rocks that are there until it was time to go back.

	Recreating my childhood riding on the rocks

Who was usually with you there, and which memory from this place is the most precious to you?and what deeper meaning does it carry in your life today?

At that time, there were 12 of us siblings, and we were like a football team, with my mum as the coach, ha ha ha. She used to tell us stories, although it was only once with my grandmother, about animals, especially Pancho the monkey, who marked her childhood, but in her day, not mine. We didn't have cameras or phones, so she has kept everything, many emotions and feelings, in her memory.

Nowadays, going back to the zoo means that I am in digital disconnection mode. I dedicate myself solely to capturing images, forgetting about social media and the internet, and enjoying the scenery. I see the work and love that the keepers have for the species, and I feel empathy. Memories of my childhood also come flooding back, and I feel gratitude for how much I have evolved.

	With my daughter at the zoo, just like my mum used to do with me.

How does this place still influence your emotions or life today?

The memory of the zoo continues to play a role in my life, even though I no longer live so close by. I am grown up now and have responsibilities, but the zoo continues to be like a compass that guides my emotions. It is there, with some renovations, but with the same trees that identify it.

I feel a healthy nostalgia, the kind that is restored when I see my children in the same place, enjoying themselves. It is like reliving my childhood, and although time is never lost, that capacity for wonder at new things remains.

I don't go to the zoo just to see the animals. Simply, as long as it exists, there is a part of my childhood stored within those facilities. Things can deteriorate, as happened with the zoo, which led to it being closed for many years, but it was restored. I feel that there is always hope.