For one Argentian man, there really ain’t no mountain high enough.

After the coronavirus pandemic halted international travel, Juan Manuel Ballestero set sail on a three-month-long high seas journey to his see his 90-year-old father, proving not even a novel virus could keep him from his dad.

Ballestero set out to see his father after his home country of Argentina canceled all international passenger flights in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

According to The New York Times, Ballestero had been on the Portugal island of Porto Santo when Argentina canceled international passenger flights. Still determined to see his father, Ballestero decided to set out on an 85-day sailing voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. All on his own.

“I didn’t want to stay like a coward on an island where there were no cases,” Juan Manuel said in an interview with The New York Times. “I wanted to do everything possible to return home. The most important thing for me was to be with my family.”

Ballestero is a veteran sailor and fisherman who has been a lover of water since he was 3 years old.

Still his family expressed that they were nervous about his decision to go his journey alone.

“The uncertainty of not knowing where he was for 50-some days was very rough, but we had no doubt this was going to turn out well,” his father, Carlos Alberto Ballestero said in an interview with The New York Times.

He also documented the trip all while on Instagram.

Though Ballestero made the trip home safe and sound, he did run into a few issues along the way.

Ballestero said that on April 12 authorities in Cape Verde barred him from docking his sailboat so that he could replenish his food supply and refuel his boat. At the time, Ballestero was eating only canned tuna, fruit, and rice. Because of Cape Verde’s denial, he was forced to continue forward with less fuel and rely on winds. What’s more, towards the end of his trip, Ballestero hit choppy waters and was forced to add an additional 10 days to his trip while in Vitória, Brazil.

Despite the complications, Ballestero said he never considered giving up. “I wasn’t afraid, but I did have a lot of uncertainty,” he explained. “It was very strange to sail in the middle of a pandemic with humanity teetering around me… There was no going back.”

Ballestero arrived on June 17 in Mar del Plata.

“Entering my port where my father had his sailboat, where he taught me so many things and where I learned how to sail and where all this originated, gave me the taste of a mission accomplished,” he shared before revealing that he had to take a test for COVID-19 before he could see his family. Fortunately, after 72 hours of waiting for his results, he found out that he was COVID-19-free and able to enter Argentina.

Despite his long trip, Ballestero said that he’s eager to hit the waters again soon.

“What I lived is a dream. But I have a strong desire to keep on sailing.”

Notice any needed corrections? Please email us at corrections@wearemitu.com

Growing up in Latino households, the dynamic between parents and their kids is pretty straightforward. They rule the house and what they say goes. While they could be a little strict at times, they show love in other ways such as making homecooked meals, fixing anything that needs fixing and sacrificing a lot for a better life.

In a new video by Mitu, the relationship between fathers and sons is spotlighted as one where discussions about love and sensitivity can be difficult.

In most Latino households, the machismo mentality is very present, and breaking down that wall of emotions is almost impossible to do. Dad’s will undoubtedly say that they do love their children, but they have a difficult time saying the actual words.

In three generations of fathers and sons, each dad admits that they just don’t say “I love you.”

It could be the language barrier or a cultural difference, but hearing “I love you” from a parent to their child is the best thing to help a relationship grow in a nurturing way.

One of the most touching parts of their stories is when the sons tell their fathers how much their love means to them.

Each son spoke so eloquently and told them that they admire their hard work, and everything they sacrificed for them, and how they understand that all they do is to help their families, and others.

A beautiful portion of the video (and you will cry so grab some tissue) is when Sergio Garcia tells his dad Manuel Garcia that he has taught him so much throughout his life.

Sergio says that his dad taught about having a good work ethic, that he knows how much he did for their family, and how to be humble and respectful.

Check out the full video here.

Notice any needed corrections? Please email us at corrections@wearemitu.com