Lorena

“Las mujeres somos mágicas porque podemos aprender a sentir por el otro. We, women, are magic beings because we can learn to feel through the others.”

— Lorena Mazzola

Lorena is a loving mother and partner, a skilled surfer, and the owner of a handmade accessory business. Her positive mindset and adventurous soul have been irrevocably shaped by her time spent in nature, the community of people she surrounds herself with, and the adversities she faced as a young mother. Having begun her journey into motherhood as a single parent, she was faced with hardship as opportunities were stripped from her and her responsibilities only grew. Despite this, she was able to ride the wave of uncertainty with unshakable hope and create new opportunities for herself. This experience taught her the importance of keeping valuable people around her who will guide, strengthen, and support her through anything. Meet Lorena. This is her story.

K: Please introduce yourself!

M: Hola! Me llamo Lorena Mazzola, tengo 35 años y vivo en Tenerife, en las Islas Canarias. Soy peruana de nacimiento pero con corazón isleño. Junto con Sergio Villalba hacemos crecer a nuestros dos pecesillos, Liam e Indar, rodeados de naturaleza, mar y mucho amor.

¡Hola! My name is Lorena Mazzola, I’m 35 and I live in Tenerife, Canary Islands. I’m peruvian with an islander heart. Along with Sergio Villalba we are raising our two little fish, Liam and Indar, surrounded by nature and tons of love.

K: Describe yourself in your own words

M: Soñadora empedernida, no suelo pensar mucho las cosas antes de hacerlas, a tal punto que puedo ser imprudente. Positiva porque una temeraria siempre debe ver cosas buenas en sus decisiones.

I’m a helpless dreamer, I rarely think before reacting to the point that I can be pretty reckless. I’m positive because a reckless personal must see the good part in her decisions.

K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

M: Me adapto a lo que venga y cuando ese algo me encanta voy a por ello sin dudarlo.

I adapt myself to whatever life provides with, and if I like it I go all-in.

K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that has defined you or made you stronger?

M: Tengo muchas historias, pero la que me ha hecho más fuerte y entiendo por fuerte la forma de aprender a adaptarme a la vida, es la historia que viví hace unos años junto con mi primera maternidad como madre soltera. Mi madre siempre me dijo que podía hacer lo que quisiera junto a mis hijos, que me los debía poner a la espalda y llevarlos a todos lados. Decirlo suena más bonito que hacerlo, nunca imaginé que ésa mochila podía llegar a ser tan pesada como liviana, ni que por el camino se me cerrarían muchas puertas pero que debía aprender a abrir otras. Ser madre soltera fue duro, frustrante y agotador, pero me enseñó a valorar las cosas que realmente importan en la vida, a las personas a las que realmente debes sonreír y tener a tu lado, me enseñó que el tiempo pone todo en su lugar y tarde o temprano vez la luz.

I could tell many stories, but the one that certainly made me a stronger person, and by “stronger” I understand the capability to readapt myself to life changes, is the fact of becoming a single mother 9 years ago. When I was just a kid, my mum would always tell me that regardless of I wanted to do, I should always bring my children along. “You must put them on your back and take them everywhere you go”. Just saying it sounds more romantic than it actually is. I never imagined such a backpack could be as heavy as it is light. On the way many doors where shut, so I had to learn how to open new ones. Being a single mother was tough, frustrating and exhausting, but I taught me how to give value to the truly important things in life, to the people you really must keep by your side. It taught me that time puts everything at its place, and sooner or later you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

M: Regálate tiempo para cuidarte y quererte. Engánchate a un deporte y no lo dejes ir, es lo que te enseñará de alguna manera a enfrentarte a la vida. Rodéate de gente que te inspire.

Give yourself the present of looking after and loving yourself. Embrace a sport that you like and surround yourself with people that inspires you.

K: What does being a woman mean to you?

M: Ufff la respuesta puede ser muy amplia pero voy a intentar resumirla. Para mi ser mujer es darse cuenta de lo complejo que puede ser la vida, que detrás de cualquier ser hay una madre, que siente y quiere como tú y que eso debería unirnos como sociedad y nunca separarnos. Las mujeres somos mágicas porque podemos aprender a sentir por el otro.

The answer can be broad, but I´ll try to sum it up. For me, being a woman is being aware of how complex life can be, that behind a human being there’s always a mother that feels and loves like you, and that’s something that should keep us together as a society. We, women, are magic beings because we can learn to feel through the others.

K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?

M: A lo largo de mi vida he tenido el placer de conocer a mujeres que me han inspirado de diferentes maneras, creativas, artistas, soñadoras, luchadoras, guerreras, aventureras, deportistas, y una larga lista; todas me han influido, todas son mis amigas y mis madres, son mi ejemplo de cada día. Las personas que eliges en tu camino son las que llenan los pasos de tu vida. A ellas les diría que sin su presencia, yo no sería quien soy.

Over my life I’ve had the pleasure to meet women who have inspired me in many ways; creative women, artists, dreamers, fighters, warriors, adventurers, sportive, and so on; All of them influenced me equally, all of them are my friends and even my “mother”, they guide me everyday. The people that you choose along the way are the ones that set the pace of your own life. To be honest, I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for them.

Janae

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