Casa Malaki

Familia

TThis is where I found myself trying to normalize my new life —

if that’s even possible.

I once heard the phrase,

“It’s all relative.”

It makes sense now.

Normal isn’t a single shape — it’s a spectrum.

It fits each of us like a weapon of different calibers.

Sometimes replaying history —

reenacting old traditions, revisiting familiar routines —

can make you feel warm, safe, even nostalgic.

I felt that as I sat there, surrounded by my cousins.

Still, part of me felt unsteady —

as if I was standing on shifting ground.

I kept whispering to myself,

“Just accept it. This is how things are for now. Sit back. Let life unfold.”

Don’t overthink. Don’t analyze.

It’s too new to control — so just feel.

I asked myself quietly:

Are you having fun?

Are you feeling joy?

Because that, at least, is within my control —

something I can shift moment by moment.

So I leaned in.

I let the laughter take over.

The house — Casa Malaki — held us in its arms.

A five-bedroom home that could host twenty souls.

Beds everywhere.

A palapa and an infinity pool that glowed under the night sky.

The water reflected the moonlight; the air carried our laughter.

Everyone found their rhythm, their comfort, their peace.

We just sat, talked, swam, and existed — together.

I had a really good time.

And maybe, just maybe, that is normal.

When life feels uncertain, can you allow joy to return simply by letting things unfold on their own?