22/07/2026 12:18 - Sociales
According to a report by Infobae, 18 friends who have known each other since they were three, four, and five years old in a school in Mar del Plata managed to reunite on the beaches of Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Some have maintained their bond since 1990, adding up to more than 35 years of friendship. They traveled from different parts of the world to celebrate their 40th birthdays together.
Organizing the trip took approximately a year and a half of planning. Coordinating 18 women with professional and family responsibilities was no easy feat, but they finally agreed to travel from August 9 to August 16.
In an incredible gesture of solidarity, the group decided that no one would be left out for financial reasons. Together, they raised the necessary funds to pay for the trip of one member who couldn't afford the expenses, giving her an unforgettable surprise.
Mariana Ballestrin, who currently lives in Sydney, Australia, had hinted that she wouldn't be able to attend. However, she unexpectedly showed up at Buenos Aires' Aeroparque airport just as the group was about to board their flight.
The surprise was doubly exciting: besides traveling from the other side of the world, Mariana arrived 4 months pregnant with a highly anticipated baby that moved all her friends to tears.
Although most of the group grew up in Mar del Plata (a major coastal city in Argentina), life took them to settle in various parts of the planet. Currently, they live distributed among:
The Brazilian city was chosen because it offers beaches, a vacation climate, and is an accessible destination from their different points of origin. Although the weather didn't fully cooperate with cool days and rain, nothing overshadowed the main objective: to feel like teenagers again and share time together.
The days included walks, excursions to Sugarloaf Mountain, visits to the historic center, and long after-dinner conversations. One of the organizers, Clara Varela, came up with the idea of choosing different colored caps as a symbol of belonging and strategically organized the room distribution to ensure perfect coexistence.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
