Between 1979 to 1982 Sonia Rosaura and her family lived in Cucuta, Colombia. On April 25, 1980, Sonia Rosaura, her parents, and sisters arrived in New York City. During the next 10 years they often move between 3 of 5 buroughs, settling in Staten Island before finally moving out of state. In 1991, Sonia Rosaura and her immediate family settled roots in Orlando Florida where they live to this day. On April 30th, 2004, Sonia Rosaura will have completed her College education and like her ancestors may move once again to new locations.

Roughly 25 years ago in what was then a small mountain town called Cúcuta with an average populace of 6,000 families (or 28,000 individuals), a little girl named Sonia Rosaura was born. According to many family members the birth was unlike an known ordinary process. Sonia was originally assumed to be a boy; three sonograms later it was still a boy. Fast forward a few months to January 1979-the doctors had scheduled the due date to be some time during the week of January 16th however little Sonia Rosaura felt it was time to come out into the world-her mother, plagued with labor pains for three weeks made the trip to the hospital. Mind you, the hospital at that time was stationed on the other side of the mountain, roughly a 30 minute drive from the house, on the Venezuelan border. Sonia's birth was about to become a circus.

In the dark early hours of the night, on route, the cab broke down twice: once for an overheated engine and the second with a flat tire. In the end, thanks to a local farmer and his three mules, Sonia Rosaura's mother, paternal-uncle and aunt rode to the hospital while her paternal-grandmother stayed behind fixing the car with the taxi driver.

On Monday morning, January 6th, at 6:42 am, roughly 10 days early, Sonia Rosaura was "officially" born in the hospital. (Note: "Officially" is the key word because you can not have a birth certificate for "officially" being born in a taxi cab).

Fast forward a few years when Sonia Rosaura, her parents, and two sisters at the time (there are now five sisters) decide to leave the homeland and move to the United States where other family members live. For many years they roam back and forth along the east coast like nomads, staying in no one place for more than a 3 year span.

Sonia Rosaura and here family could be considered nomads thanks to their Native American and Gypsy ancestry (just to name a few of the family's international ancestral roots). Finally, after setting partial roots in Kissimmee, Florida, Sonia Rosaura entered the University of Central Florida where for the past few years she has pursued her education and is expected soon to complete her degree as a Technical writer in April of 2004. What future plans lay ahead for her are unknown for there is much to do, many places to visit, lots to know, and a very small pocket book to afford them all. Perhaps for the time being Sonia Rosaura will work close to home, continue her education, and live champagne dreams on a beer budget until she can pick up the reigns of her ancestors and travel from place to place exploring as she was meant to.

 

 
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