By Natz Vieira
July has arrived, bringing my time as Explorer Studio’s interim Guide to a close. Looking back on these past months, I realize that what stays with me most are not the big milestones, but the quiet, everyday changes that unfolded so gradually they were almost impossible to notice while they were happening.
When I first stepped into Explorer, I thought my role would be to accompany Paz and Matilda. Looking back now, I realize this journey was also filled with people who quietly accompanied me.
Every day, I found a team that was ready to support, encourage, and share. Rosi was always there to answer my questions and guide me through processes that were new to me. Charo helped me adjust something as ordinary—but important—as Bernardo’s 1:00 p.m. walk when my schedule changed. Before going on leave, Yass shared her recommendations and routines with me, and throughout these months she always responded generously whenever I reached out with a question. Gianni’s familiar “How’s it going?” often became an invitation to pause, reflect, or simply share how the day was unfolding. And Inés trusted me with this opportunity and continued to support me every step of the way.
Because of all of them, I was able to move through this experience with confidence and peace of mind.
But it was Paz and Matilda who reminded me of something I had forgotten: the most meaningful changes often happen so gradually that they are easy to miss while they are taking place.
For months, I had the privilege of watching them grow. At the time, many of those moments felt small. Only when I pause and look back do I realize just how much can change in such a short time.
Matilda now moves through Tinkuy with a confidence that wasn't there just a few months ago. She first began connecting with Spark through play. Later, she spent time watching Taekwondo sessions from the sidelines, cheering on one of the teams during the obstacle circuits. Then came Braulio’s invitation to join the closing game, which she accepted with excitement.
Little by little, more changes followed. She started staying for some launches, became a regular participant in the cooking Quest, joined Spark during music, and one day quietly left Explorer’s “small table” to sit at the “big table” and share snack time with the older Pumas.
None of these moments seemed extraordinary on their own. Together, though, they tell the story of a transition that unfolded naturally, at her own pace.
The same was true for Paz.
When I first spent time in Explorer last year, I was simply observing Yass. At that point, Paz was just beginning to take her first steps.
Today, she walks confidently, climbs the playground structures on her own, follows the snack routine—from washing her hands to preparing the table and cleaning her bowl afterward—joins us on our walks to the park while respecting our shared agreements, and has begun saying her first words.
When you witness these changes every day, it is easy to become accustomed to them. Sometimes all it takes is a moment of pause to see them with fresh eyes.
That may be the greatest lesson Explorer has given me: learning to notice.
To notice that growth rarely announces itself through dramatic moments. Instead, it quietly takes shape through everyday routines, repeated attempts, growing confidence, and time.
Perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts of accompanying young children: learning to trust that each child has their own rhythm, and discovering that when they are surrounded by safety, time to explore, and the freedom to keep trying, growth finds its own way.
I came to Explorer believing my role was to accompany the growth of two Pumas. I leave realizing that they were quietly accompanying mine as well.
I also want to thank Arturo, Gracia, Daniel, and Gaby for trusting me to share these months with their Pumas. It has been a true privilege to accompany a small part of their journey.
If there is one thing I will carry with me from this experience, it is the ability to pause and marvel at the quiet, everyday changes that, simply because they happen so gradually, are so easy to overlook.