Nicolas Ferrer Valdes

Nicolás Ferrer Valdés

"I'm not lost. I'm exploring an alternative route that no one asked me to explore."

Origin: Santiago, Chile.

Zodiac sign: Pisces.

Personality: sensitive, curious, ironic, imaginative, proud, absent-minded, and affectionate.

Past: a well-to-do family that lost its economic stability and had to move several times.

Biggest fear: becoming a burden to the people he loves.

Biggest wish: to have a stable home where I don't have to worry about the next move.

Special item: an old jacket of his father's and an orange cat keyring.

Absurd fact: he talks to stray cats as if they were old friends and gets offended if they ignore him.

Unexpected talent: detecting mood changes and remembering insignificant details that others forget.

Empathetic, but selective. He notices when someone is uncomfortable, sad, or forcing a smile. He doesn't always know what to say, so sometimes he just sits next to that person and shares his fries.

Imaginative to a worrying degree. He can invent a whole story about a stranger he saw on the bus. If he hears a strange noise at night, he'll first imagine an international conspiracy and then remember it was probably the refrigerator.

He's chaotic with his belongings. He loses pencils, forgets where he left his backpack, and finds coins in the pockets of pants he hasn't worn in months. Yet, he remembers conversations from three years ago with unsettling precision.

Sly and proud. If he doesn't like a meal, his face betrays him before he even opens his mouth. He tries to be polite, but he has the subtlety of an orange cat watching a glass fall from the table.

Affectionate in his own way. He doesn't always express affection verbally. He might annoy you for twenty minutes and then save the last piece of chocolate for you without admitting he did it for you.

He has a rich inner world. Sometimes he stares out the window for so long that the teachers think he isn't listening. Then he answers the question correctly and goes back to gazing at a pigeon as if he has just discovered a philosophical mystery.

Their story: from affluent neighborhoods to starting from scratch

Nicolás was born into a family that lived comfortably for years in an affluent area of ​​Santiago. He grew up in a spacious house, accustomed to having his own room, family vacations, and parents who could solve practically any problem with money.

Her father owned a small, seemingly thriving business, and her mother worked managing properties. But a string of bad decisions, debts, and failed ventures ultimately shattered the family's financial stability.

First they moved to a smaller house. Then, to another neighborhood. Later, to an even cheaper rental.

Each move meant saying goodbye to friends, changing schools, and learning to pretend that everything was okay.

Currently, Nicolás lives with his parents in a modest house in a working-class neighborhood of Santiago. He doesn't deny his past, but he's uncomfortable talking about it because he feels people might treat him differently.

The curious thing is that he never lost his privileged child manners, but developed the tricks of someone who has had to adapt to everything.

He still says "how ordinary" when something seems absurd to him, but now he can sit in a ditch eating a sopaipilla with the same naturalness with which he used to have a snack in an elegant cafe.