When we were on the whale watching boat they were playing Maná.

For those of you unfamiliar with them, they’re a Mexican pop/rock/reggae/ska group that are probably the most successful Latin American group of all time.

They were massive when I lived in Venezuela and are part of the soundtrack of my youth in South America.

There’s something about Latin music, no matter the genre, that awakens emotions in me like no other type of music. I feel alive in a different way. Perhaps it simply reminds me of a time in my life where I was young and carefree. But connecting to that feeling really lifted my spirit to a place I rarely go anymore. 

As the day progressed and the music changed to many of the old familiar merengue songs we would have heard years ago, I glanced at my mother and saw that she too, was also experiencing the same elevation of emotions. We both danced with big grins on our faces, recalling another life, another time

It was good.