meet me at the bridge
Allo, allo! My name is Andrea Alonso, and this newsletter is my own personal slice of the internet to be (and share) many things. A little bit about me: I'm a first-gen, Midwest-raised Latina (Cuban/Puerto Rican/Costa Rican mezcla) who’s always been curious about our inherent liminality and the amorphous nature of holding space in this world. Like so many first-gen kids, the concept of “ni de aquí, ni de allá” (not from here, not from there) permeated my sense of being for a lot of my life. Wavering in this undefined state of in-betweenness (especially in Nebraska, a state where — as you can imagine — Latinidad was…not part of the cultural fabric) often morphed into complete disorientation. I could see myself on this invisible bridge connecting two identities, but I couldn’t quite find my footing.
So, from one side to the other I’d go, crossing over again and again, but never able to stay put for too long. I’d always wind up back in the middle of that metaphorical bridge, taking in the view from an outsider’s perspective. It took me many years to understand that this bride — this liminal space — was not just a connector between two disparate places, it was a place in and of itself. Rich in perspective and being-ness and identity all of its own.
lim·i·nal /ˈlimənəl/ adjective
occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.
"I was in the liminal space between past and present"
relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.
From there, I came to realize that we’re all made up of countless bridges — some chapters of life represented as big and unshakeable truss bridges, others no more than a flimsy and haphazardly designed rope bridge getting us through (and trust, whichever one you find yourself on now, it will get you through). Each one serves a purpose to connect our past selves to a newer version of ourselves as we venture into unexplored inner and outer landscapes. Ever-changing, ever flowing, moving, grooving, dancing our way into new shapes and new viewpoints.
This newsletter is my way of documenting and cataloguing my findings as I map out my way across this wild, uncertain topography. It’ll be a liminal space through and through, so I can’t tell you exactly what to expect. It’ll change as much as I do. Over time it’ll be filled with musings, photo essays, poems, playlists, podcasts, collective oracle card readings and interesting souvenirs I pick up along the way. But ultimately, I hope it’ll be a place that will leave you with a lil pebble of curiosity, a timely meeting on the same bridge or a lush lookout point to somewhere totally new.
Thanks for being here. ✨
liminally yours,
Andrea
