from Lesley Melega, Assistant Vice President & Counsel
Dear Stella,
As I write this on your first birthday, I have many wishes for you. You’ve changed my life in so many wonderful ways and made me happier than I ever could have imagined. I truly hope that you find the things in your life that bring you great happiness and add excitement to your life.
Every day, I see your natural curiosity and your sense of adventure and exploration that grows with each passing day. I hope that you find a love for travel, a love for other cultures, and that you someday have the opportunity to study and live abroad.
"I hope that you find a love for travel, a love for other cultures, and that you someday have the opportunity to study and live abroad."
When I was 26, I was given the opportunity to live in Dublin. There are so many beautiful moments about that experience that I carry with me and think about every day. I remember meeting a musician in Barcelona who sang, “Sweet Home Chicago”. I remember looking up at the Sistine Chapel for the first time. I remember meeting friends in hostels that I would later bump into in other countries. And I remember the friends that I lived with in Dublin.
I remember the homesickness and the sadness when I couldn’t reach my parents or when I ran out of Skype credit (one day I’ll tell you about this outdated technology). And I remember the time I called them long distance because I was so excited about my adventure that day.
But what I remember most about this time in my life is how much more confident I became. It made me more accepting of other people and other cultures, and it strengthened my own sense of adventure and exploration.
These are the among the things I want most for you in life. No matter what path you take, I will always support you and encourage you to explore other cultures, other languages, and other countries and to find the beauty in every day moments.
Carpe Diem, my dear Stella. You won’t regret it.
Love, Mom
Read more Letters from IES Abroad Moms.
