Don’t cry for me Argentina – Fredrico stopped crying…

I am Fredrico G; I am 39 and from Argentina. I cried every day for the first year I was here. Yes, I am a ‘Human of Mallorca’ now, but I wasn’t at first. I was a Civil Servant in Argentina and that was my work for 15 years before I came to Mallorca. My brother had left the country and settled on this island to run a burger bar. He often asked me to join him, but I always said no.

My life in Argentina was settled. I had my work and my gym, and I worked out every day. I love sport and played in many places. Argentina is my country, and I love it. The vibe and the smell is in my blood.

It all changed when I experienced for myself the undercurrent of violence, which up to then had never touched me. On the day it did – I was out of there. We only get one chance at life, and I loved living. I got on a plane, and I have been here now for two years.

I cried for sure, but I got on with living. I work in a hotel in Palma during the season and in cafes and bars in the winter. I need to work and earn money to have a good life here and help my family back home.

After 12 months I stopped crying. I see the sunshine now and the great opportunities on this island. There are many here from Argentina and we support each other when we get homesick for our country.

Will I ever return? I don’t know. Right now, I am so very happy to be a ‘Human of Mallorca’. Whatever happens in the future I will always be grateful to this island which helped me dry my tears.