Listening Across Distance

English | Español | 繁體中文 | 简体中文 | Tiếng Việt

In a box, among other objects I brought from Peru, I keep a pair of black wireless headphones. I bought them about six years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I cannot remember the last time I used them. I could throw them away or give them to someone, since they have been replaced by a newer pair, but I do not. I keep them because they traveled with me from Lima and contain part of the life I left behind.

My relationship with headphones began much earlier. I still remember my first pair: white, with an excessively long cord and worn from constant use. They were not expensive or special, but they meant a lot to me. Growing up in Lima, headphones became one of the gifts I often asked for at Christmas or on my birthday. My parents knew—and still know—that music made me happy

Music accompanied me through the loud, crowded Lima where I grew up. It was with me between classes, later at work, and always on the buses that carried me across the city. I spent hours looking out the window while a song transformed the journey and gave rhythm to my thoughts. Sometimes the traffic and noise disappeared. The city kept moving outside, but through my headphones, I could be somewhere else. Sometimes I escaped the world around me; other times, I escaped myself.

When I migrated, these headphones were among the first things I packed. They accompanied me on a journey of more than 25 hours through flights, airports, and unfamiliar cities. At the time, they were simply practical, but their meaning changed.

Today, I rarely use public transportation, and I own headphones with better sound. Still, this old pair remains with me. It holds memories of Lima, my family, my journeys, and the different versions of myself who listened through them. They are proof that that life existed.

Manuel Marquina

M.M. grew up in Lima, Peru, and moved to Santa Rosa in 2023. He works in communications and community organizing, and much of his work is rooted in storytelling, culture, and helping immigrant communities feel seen and connected.