Home (?)

Well here I am. At home. Sitting in front of the Christmas tree. Listening to Christmas music. Watching it snow outside. How is it that such everyday, familiar things can seem so surreal? How is it that home can seem so familiar and yet so... not like home anymore.

As evidenced by the few confusing sentences above, I'm having a hard time understanding even my own feelings about being back Stateside. I'm happy to be here. To see my family, my friends. To be a part of the Christmas season. And to witness the snowfall. Before, all of this would have been all I needed to be happy in life. Now, I feel as if I'm missing something. My first morning back at home I woke up with a start, feeling as though something was wrong and knowing that everything was different.

The only thing I can compare the feeling to is breaking up with your boyfriend (on fairly good terms) or losing a loved one, and although those are completely sad and morbid examples, they make sense (to me anyway). Things have changed. I have to come to accept that so I can be happy in my new situation. Some days I'll have to grieve over what I no longer have, but other days (and I hope these days outnumber the grieving ones) I'll be able to blissfully remember what I had there and the amazing memories that were created... and those things will never leave me.

In answer to the question, "Will you go back?" : of course I will. I now have unbelievable family and friends in Córdoba and the city will always be like my second home. I'm already planning how my next adventures could take me back there at some point. My experiences in Argentina have been the highlight of my LIFE so far and it's going to be hard to live up to that much wonderfulness again... but I can certainly try ;) So once again, I've got to choose to be positive, to keep looking forward, to never give up on even my most outlandish dreams, and to find a way to make the most of life no matter where I am, and I'm sure true happiness will be soon to follow.

It's All in Your Head

Three weeks from today I will be on a plane on my way home from the adventure of a lifetime.

I have three more weeks to keep livin' the dream.

Three weeks to finish traveling this amazing country.

I have three more weeks.

No matter how I say it, it doesn't get any less surreal. It's funny, before coming here I couldn't imagine what my life here in Argentina would be like... now I can't imagine what my life would be like without it. It's quite the experience to watch your most far-off dreams be converted into your clearest reality.

Today, I leave for Buenos Aires with mi mejor amiga here in Argentina, and from there we will be taking a flight down to the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia. For the next 18 days after that we will be making our way back up north by bus (and possibly plane), stopping by some of the major cities, trekking across glaciers and mountains, going penguin/whale/sea lion/dolphin watching and drinking tea in welsh tea houses. Then, arriving in Córdoba once again I will have approximately 24 more hours with my family here until my flight home.

Luckily, at this point, I'm not completely adverse to going home. Actually, I'm excited! Usually it's not the thought of being at home that gets me down, it's the thought of NOT being in Argentina.... if that makes any sense haha. Either way, I'm along for the ride on this rollercoaster of emotions and experiences, so I've decided I'm just going to enjoy whatever comes my way. If I've learned anything while here it's that you're only as happy as you choose to be, no matter the situation. So I'm going to choose to be ecstatic for my trip through Patagonia instead of being sad about how little time I have left here. Instead of focusing on the fact that I won't see my Argentine family everyday anymore, I'm choosing to be thankful about being able to see and talk to them on Skype, because many of the host families here don't have wifi or even internet at home. Rather than get depressed about not seeing the friends that I met here on a daily basis anymore, I've decided to look forward to making the road trips to visit them.

So, I've made my choices. I'm going to enjoy and be thankful for what I have while I have it. I think this way I'll better handle the changes that are coming my way. This way I can be sure when I say: "reverse culture shock ain't got nothin' on me" ; )

My Argentine Bucket List

First of all let me just say, time is an extremely complicated thing. On the one hand, I think about having been here for four months already and I can't believe it's all flown by so fast. On the other hand, I can't imagine a time when I didn't know Córdoba, Argentina and feel like I've been here for much, much longer. That being said, with exactly six weeks left abroad I feel extremely excited to be home and catch up on everything I've been missing, but also an utter (and admittedly premature) fear of the depression I will experience upon leaving. I think these feelings are a good indicator of my newly acquired double life... My heart officially belongs in two places at once.

But on a lighter, logical, and less emotional note: being my usual planning-self, I've put together a "bucket list" of a few of the things I want to do/accomplish before I leave (gulp) this beautiful country called Argentina. What can I say? To-do lists help me deal.

#1 Visit international chains like Walmart and McDonald's. Somehow I've managed to avoid these establishments throughout my time here so far, but I feel it is necessary to see what these places are like and note the differences between here and back home.

#2 Ride the public bus system in a complete circuit around the city. I ride the N5 colectivo everyday to and from the same places within my barrio or towards downtown but I have yet to see where the bus goes beyond that. I plan on taking a few of the buses that stray from the main roads and doing my own personal city tour.

#3 Take sunset pictures. The bus I take everyday passes along the edge of a hill that opens up to a picture perfect view of a valley and the sunset on the Sierras mountains beyond, and every time I wish I had the time (and my camera) to just get off and snap a few pictures. One of these days I'm gonna do it.

#4 Take the time to go to Carlos Paz, a city about 30 minutes from Córdoba that is said to be a quaint and beautiful town nestled in the Sierras that many cordobeses retreat to during the unbearably hot days of summer. It would be a crime to spend 5 months in Córdoba and not make a day trip to see this little city.

#5 Get through, with as little stress and anxiety as possible, the two midterms, two finals and one standardized test that I will be taking in the span of less than two weeks. Let me tell you, social psychology and the theory of teaching are not easy classes in any language.

#6 See Harry Potter on the big screen, in Spanish, in Argentina, a whole day earlier than it premieres in the States... 'nuf said.

#7 Get to know the last section of Argentina I have yet to visit: Patagonia. This will be a 2-3 week trip in which I will hopefully be flying down to the southernmost city in the world (Ushaia) and slowly working my way back up through the country in colectivo, stopping to see national parks, glaciers, penguins, whales, and about 6 or more major cities. Everyone says southern Argentina has some the most breathtaking and beautiful landscapes in the entire country... we'll see, this country has already exceeded my expectations as far as beautiful landscapes go and its hard to believe there will be something better. However, I think I'm willing to be proved wrong ; )

So overall, I'd say I've got a pretty busy schedule up and til departing time. That could be a good or bad thing... who knows, it all just depends on which world my head is in at the time.

Note to Self

Che, amigos! I'm back! And I've got some important things to note (for my own sake and for any of you that would care to know) about my last weekend trip to the provinces of Salta and Jujuy (pronounced hu-hu-ie) in northern Argentina. They are as follows:

#1: Sometimes living life on the edge requires literally living on the edge.
I can't even count how many times this past weekend I felt like I was going to fall off the edge of a cliff. We spent half our time up north traveling in minibus around sharp mountain curves and climbing up rocky mountain trails that dropped off to nothingness on one (or both) sides. Talk about a rush. You would need at least 12 waivers signed in the States to do the trekking that we did this weekend. But the views we saw after getting to the top of those mountains made the possible near death experiences we went through to get there totally worth it : )

#2: Cabin does not always = rustic.
They told us we would be staying in cabins this weekend. I don't know about you, but when I think cabin I think bare wood walls and ceilings, bunk bed cots, and... well that's about it. This trip proved to me that they can be oh so much more. The "cabins" we stayed in came complete with 2 twins beds (including comforter, pillows, and head board), a day bed with a trundle, a wood burning fireplace, our own kitchenette and bathroom, hot running water, a TV, and our own personal patio. Ridiculous. Not even my house in Córdoba turns out hot water immediately when I turn on the tap. I was in heaven.

#3: Put sunscreen on back of knees.

The first day of our trip we traveled to las Salinas Grandes, the huge salt flats of Jujuy, and although the wind was blowing and made it feel cooler, I came to realize later that the sun is strong and reflects off the white ground, providing me, and most of my trip-mates, with slightly awkward tans. It didn't matter that I hadn't put a drop of lotion on the rest of my legs... only the backs of my knees ended up burnt to a crisp. But getting to taste salt straight from the ground and watch people jump over pools of water so full of salt it looked frozen made the sunburns totally worth it.

#4: Learn more about indigenous cultures.

This trip was filled with visits to ancient ruins, strolling through open air markets, and looking through booths filled with native art pieces, clothing and jewelry. The landscapes of northern Argentina may be similar to those of the western United States but it's the culture that makes the area so distinctive and beautiful. I've officially fallen in love with native Argentine culture, and I wish I could have spent more time there witnessing it first hand.

#5: Mate really can be shared anywhere.

Of course I already knew that people here bring all the ingredients to make mate (that's the mate cup, straw, yerba, sugar, hot water thermos and usually something else sweet to snack on) to all sorts of different places around town. What I didn't realize is that Argentines are willing to take it anywhere... that is, on the bus, to the top of a mountain, in the midst of ancient Incan ruins... anywhere. You name a place where Argentines can go and I will bet you they've taken their mate there and sat down to drink a few and pass it around. 

#6: There really are still people in the world that live without internet, cars, or electricity.
On Sunday we drove 47 km in 3 hours on an extremely bumpy dirt road and finally arrived at the small town of Iruya, which is located on the side of a mountain. While there, our guide informed us that the road we drove in on is the only access that exists into that town and when it rains and the river floods the city is completely cut off from civilization. What's more, there are other cities farther off than Iruya that can only be accessed by traveling 2 more hours on foot and as such, have very little access to the technology that the majority of us are so accustomed to. It's hard to picture anyone living with so little contact with the outside world, especially nowadays, in a country such as Argentina that has cities very similar to large cities in the States. When the internet goes out in my house I have a mini-break down and feel completely cut off from the world. Now I realize that I have no idea what being "cut off from the world" really means.

#7: Altitude sickness is REAL. And leaves from the cocaine plant (which are perfectly legal here and provide no weird side effects) actually work to combat that sickness.

The first day I followed our tour guide's recommendation, tried the leaves, and felt perfectly fine despite traveling up a 13,000 foot mountain and back. The second day I neglected to use them and spent the whole night feeling sick to my stomach every time I would so much as roll over in bed. Talk about vertigo. Not fun.

#8: It's true, llamas do spit.

One morning, we woke up to a front lawn full of grazing llamas. Apparently someone let them out of their pasture that morning and let them roam free around the cabins. Many of us got up close and personal experiences with these llamas and let me tell you, they don't particularly like it when you invade their personal space, and spitting is definitely a defense mechanism from what I can tell.

#9: Buy a hammock.

I spent our third afternoon in Jujuy napping on a hammock in the sun outside our cabin. I'm now convinced that if I had one of these things in my life back in the States I would be an immensely more relaxed person.

#10: Spend more time around babbling brooks and waterfalls.

During this trip we spent a morning trekking through a gorge alongside a small river and ended up at the beautiful Garganta del Diablo (distinct from the waterfall of the same name in Iguazu). Once again, I believe if I could do this kind of thing more in my everyday life I would be a much happier person.

#11: Neither a toilet nor toilet paper constitute a usable bathroom.
I distinctly remember being completely disgusted and terrified when my family had to stop on the side of the road to "take care of business" on vacation years ago. Now I can confidently say that I have overcome that fear, and what's more, I've come to a point of acceptance. Between the boliches, the long highways without gas stations, and even the public restrooms on campus, I've learned to be thankful that I even have a toilet. And toilet paper is just an added luxury.

#12: Possibly most importantly, though, this weekend taught me how much I love my home, and my home away from home.
Since I've gotten back I've spent long hours talking, laughing, and reminiscing with my real family (via Skype) and my host family here in Córdoba and I've come to realize that I really don't know what I'd do without them. Traveling is an adventure. It provides you with unbelievable experiences that you'll never forget. But, eventually I'll always need to come home to relax, collect my thoughts, and remind myself of what really matters in my life. And in my case, home is in two different places at the moment. I guess that means all the more people/places to set my clock right again. Lucky? Yeah I think I am : )

Better, better... awesome!

As my semester here continues to rush past me, I've managed to hold on to some pretty precious moments here in Argentina. One of those unforgettable moments took place over this past weekend. After much planning and schedule changing, a group of five friends and I managed to get on an omnibus and stick out 22 hours of travel to finally arrive at our long awaited destination: Puerto Iguazú in the province of Misiones.

We arrived late Saturday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to find that our hostel was more like a hotel, no in-room bathrooms but with a pool, hammocks, and an outdoor grill, kitchen, and eating area. After getting settled in we decided to walk the 12 blocks or so to the Tres Fronteras, the border between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina which is separated by the rivers Igauzú and Paraná (see photo). After that, some of our group decided to take a guided excursion into the jungle; but knowing that the next day would be a long one at the Falls, and not feeling all too adventuresome, I decided to spend the afternoon perusing the local shops with a friend, relaxing by the pool, drinking mate and reading a good book. That night we went to the local supermercado, bought some spaghetti, tomato sauce, bread and chicken and made our very own feast on the patio of our hostel. Sound wonderful and relaxing yet? ... well it gets better.


The next day we got up around 9, ate bread, dulce de leche, facturas (pastries) and fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast (yes, they prepared all this for us at the hostel), and left to catch a bus to el Parque Nacional Iguazú. The morning started with drizzling rain and overcast skies, but after about an hour in the park everything had cleared up and we were presented with the perfect weather. In this national park I spent just about the most beautiful, breath-taking, awe-inspiring seven hours of my life.

I was expecting the South American version of Niagra Falls, but what I got was SO much better... think Niagra x 10, with dozens of waterfalls at every turn. Add to that perfect blue skies, green plants and vibrantly red soil and it pretty much blows your socks off. If you can't manage to see my pictures on facebook you should google pictures of this place... then you should book your flight because the best pictures out there just can't do this place justice. Oh and we saved the best for last... before leaving the park we took a speedboat ride into the waterfalls. The boat edged up nice and slow for everyone to take pictures and just take it all in, then they quickly warned us to put our cameras away and they hit the gas. Let me tell you... there is nothing like being hammered by a waterfall not one, not two, but three times! And although we were completely and totally drenched afterwards it was completely and totally worth it.

That night we came back to the hostel, made more pasta (with homemade chorizo tomato cream sauce :) and spent another relaxing night in-house. In the morning, we went out to do a little more shopping in the small downtown area and headed to the bus station at 12:30 to spend another 22 hour bus ride back to Córdoba.

Besides this amazing weekend (or more like vacation) in Iguazú here's a few other novedades with regards to my life here:

1) I took my first two midterms last week in Culture and Social Psychology. I've already got back my psychology grade and I passed with flying colors which means I probably won't have to take the final ...studying does pay off :)

2) The homesickness is increasingly slowly and ironically correlating with my overall love of being here. The best way to explain this feeling is that I would like all my friends, family and favorite things (i.e.- OSU football, Schneider's donuts, and complete wardrobe) to come here so that I can continue living the life here in Argentina without having to miss anything.

3) I've started volunteering at a local colegio (grades k-12) and working with 5-7th graders on their English. Not only is English hard enough to teach as it is, but trying to think in both languages at the same time (basically deciding what language will come out of my mouth next) is even harder. But, I love working with these kids and we seem to share an unspoken, mutual respect for each other as we are both struggling to learn a foreign language.

4) And finally, perhaps my biggest news flash is that I've decided to change my return flight. But, before any of you start hyperventilating you should know that I've only extended it a little over two weeks. I will now be returning on December 14th rather than Novermber 28th. After looking over my schedule I decided I just wouldn't have time to do all the long-distance traveling I want to do it I leave immediately after finals... thus the flight change. So I'll be missing Thanksgiving, but I'll be home in plenty of time for Christmas (especially seeing as I'm getting a fair amount of my Christmas shopping out of the way here ;)

That's it for now everybody. ¡Hasta luego!

The 5 Stages of Waiting... for the Colectivo

These 5 stages are a very real part of my everyday life here in Argentina, so I thought I would share them with you all. They represent my own theorizing and do not come from any professional study and/or outside source. Ironically enough, thinking of these 5 stages helped me to occupy my time while waiting for the bus one day... They are as follows:

Stage 1:
Optimism- the subject has a fresh hope that the bus will come quickly today (despite past experience) and waits patiently by the designated stop.

Stage 2:
Anxiousness- the subject begins to lose faith that the bus will come faster today than any other day, but continues to hold out hope that it will come in good time. Subject may begin to pace the curb and try to distract his or herself by thinking about other pressing matters, admiring the scenery or counting the number of compact cars that pass by.

Stage 3:
Disillusionment- the subject is now in the beginning stages of frustration. All pacing has stopped and (s)he is now staring determinedly at the horizon where the bus is bound to appear, mentally willingly it to come quicker. At this point the subject may be disillusioned into thinking any passing taxi or car of similar color or size is in fact the coming colectivo and may be prone to premature excitement at the sound of a passing truck, having hopes that it may be the sound of the bus roaring down the street.

Stage 4:
Rage- the subject is now fully enraged, having waited approximately 30-45 mins for the (insert expletives here) colectivo. The subject begins to curse the bus system and its fully incompetent and ineffective leaders. NOTE: depending on the individual, the subject may choose to leave the stop at this point, returning home on foot or taking a taxi.

Stage 5:
Acceptance- the subject has moved into a state of resignation, finally choosing to take out and listen to his/her ipod or other music playing device and realizing all too late that (s)he should have done this over 45 mins ago. The subject has now come to accept his/her fate as a patron the public transportation system.  NOTE: in some cases this stage may never be reached; however, if achieved, the subject may be able to pass the previous stages in similar, future situations.

In my own personal diagnosis, I believe myself to have reached (and mostly successfully obtained) the final stage of Waiting. I hope this list will help any and all future subjects of the public transportation system to understand their emotions and thus reach (and possibly even maintain) the final stage of Acceptance on a daily basis.

And one final thought: We may suffer individually on our own personal curbs, but let us remember that we are never truly alone in our frustrations with the public bus system. Thank you, and may you all have a wait-free day.

Un Cuento sobre Mendoza

As not much new is going on in my everyday life here recently, I thought I might give you an account of my adventures this past weekend in Mendoza, Argentina. For those of you who don't know and/or won't "wikipedia" it... Mendoza is situated at the foot of the Andes Mountains (on the Argentine/Chilean border) and is known for its wineries, extreme sports, picturesque landscapes and quaint, quiet city streets. For a more detailed look at my experience there, read on...

We arrived in Mendoza Friday morning and after moving our things into our hostel we did a little boutique shopping nearby until 2pm when we started our vineyard/wine tour. We visited one large, commercial winery called Bodega López and one other, smaller winery that makes only organic wines. While there we got to taste test 4 different types of wine, 2 red, 1 white, and one champagne. For those interested, one of the best known wines made in Argentina and the most popular here is called Malbec and it's made at Bodega López. That night we went to another hostel nearby and ate an asado (¡riquísimo!) and stuck around for a bit after when the 3rd floor of the hostel turned into a dance floor.

Some of us got home around 1am (others didn't go to bed til after 3) and were soon awakened at 8am by the leaders of "Tour of the Andes" pounding on our door. But don't let me get ahead of myself... background info: the activities package we signed up for when we checked-in to the hostel included a 2-night stay at the hostel, the tour of the wineries, the asado, AND a guided tour to the mountains. We planned on talking to the front desk to schedule the tour for Sunday when we knew everything else would be closed. Unfortunately, no one took the initiative to talk to this person (nor did we have a schedule of times for the tour)... needless to say, we woke up to these tour guides telling us to get our behinds out of bed and out the door in DOS MINUTOS or they would leave us and keep our money.

Luckily, the tour was really fun and beautiful and we got to nap a bit in the bus on the way to the mountains. We stopped at a few scenic points along the way, including some ancient Incan ruins, shopped a bit at some Indian, artsy stands (I finally bought a mate, see photo =) and ate a homecooked lunch in a cabin at the foot of a mountain. We would have loved to see the tallest mountain in the Occidental hemisphere, Aconagua, but the weather was so gloomy (it was cloudy and snowing/hailing as we drove higher up) we weren't able to see too far.


That night we came back to the hostel, got some much needed sleep, went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner (which was actually quite tasty), came back to the hostel around 12am and went to sleep again soon after. 


On Sunday we woke up, checked out by 10am and wandered around the entire city until we found something that was open... the shopping mall (seriously, almost everything here is closed on Sundays). While there we stopped by the movie theater and saw New York I Love You (a really weird/interesting/artsy/indie movie that I don't particularly recommend unless, of course, you're into that kind of stuff...) and of course, being a group of girls as it were, we did a little window shopping =)


Around 7pm we went back to the hostel where I promptly fell asleep on the couch in the commons area (where I'm fairly sure pictures worthy of blackmail were taken... thanks guys) and we left for the omnibus terminal around 8pm. Our bus left at 9pm that night and got into Córdoba around 8am Monday morning. Luckily, I slept fairly well in my "semicama" (which is more like a airplane seat/recliner) and since I didn't have any classes to go to the rest of the day on Monday I got to sleep again when I got home. Side note: If you can't tell, I've grown accustomed to getting sleep whenever it happens to be convenient, quite a feat for someone such as myself haha.

So there you have it... my entire weekend summed up in one blog entry. I hope you enjoyed it and, as always, thanks for reading =)

La Belleza que es... ¡Comida Argentina!

Those who have been reading this blog or spent even one skype date talking to me know that I am obsessed with the food here in Argentina. And for this reason, I've decided to devote this blog entry to my food experiences here in this beautiful country. All of the following "platos," save the last two, were made from scratch and with all fresh ingredients by my host mamá, Graciela. So feast your eyes on the dishes I've tasted this past week! (And forgive my poor photography skills... I'm no food network photo expert)

Torta de naranja (orange cake)
Suitable for breakfast, snacks, or as
a dessert after lunch or dinner

Desayuno (Breakfast):
Pan casero, torta, cafe con leche, dulce de leche y manteca
Homeade bread, cake, coffee with milk, dulce de leche, and butter

Asado: Carne, papas con mayonesa, tomates frescos y pan
"Cookout": Beef, potatoes with mayonnaise, fresh tomatoes and bread

Carne con cebolla, pureé de papa y pan
Beef with grilled onions, mashed potatoes and bread

Sandwich de jamón, pollo, huevo, queso y lechuga
Sandwich with ham, chicken, egg, cheese and lettuce

Milanesa, arroz con mayonesa, pureé de manzana y lechuga
Breaded pork, rice with mayonnaise, homeade applesauce and lettuce

Espaguetis de espinaca con pollo
Spinach spaghetti with chicken

Arroz con pollo y queso
Rice with chicken and cheese

Ñoquis con pollo y salsa
Gnoches with chicken and salsa

Pan de carne (con mustaza, ketchup y queso), papas con cebolla, tomates, y porotos
Meatloaf (with mustard, ketchup and cheese), potatoes with onion, fresh tomatoes
and white beans

Helado: dulce de leche granizado y mascarpone con frutos de bosque
Ice cream: dulce de leche with choclate chips and mascarpone (an italian "cheese") with wildberries

Cupcake de vanilla con dulce de leche y chocolate
No translation needed :)

Buenos Aires and other fun stuff

It's really amazing how much a person can manage to fit into their schedule in two short weeks... here's a summary in as few words as possible (to the best of my ability ;)

1) I said goodbye to some amazing friends from the intensive language course... I can't believe our month together flew by so quickly. I never could have imagined how close you can get to people in only four weeks time. My life here in Córdoba just won't be the same without you all...

El Teatro Libertador, Córdoba

2) I went to el Teatro Libertador, a beautiful, old fashioned theater in the heart of Córdoba (see photos in facebook), to see a mass orchestra and choir made up of teenagers from all across Argentina (in honor of the bicentennial of the country). They performed everything from the national anthem, which is absolutely beautiful by the way... you should listen to it, to a number of different classical and contemporary pieces.

3) I've helped two different family members here with their English, one for a test, the other for a job interview, and let me tell you... I am so glad English is my first language because it is hard.

4) I had my last tango class last Monday :( I actually had a really good time learning it and will really miss taking classes.

5) I've eaten more awesome food and am seriously considering devoting a whole blog entry to Argentinian food sometime... it is that good.

6) I took my final exam for the intensive language course. Bad news: it consisted of two full pages of writing, various grammar sections, a full page of reading and a five minute oral exam. Good news: I passed the exam and the course with flying colors (that means a got a 10... out of 10, aka A+ :)

La Casa Rosada en la Plaza de Mayo,
Buenos Aires

7) I packed my bags and spent ten hours in an omnibus en route a Buenos Aires. While there I visited the Plaza de Mayo, la Casa Rosada (think White House but pink), el Cabildo, la Catedral Metropolitana, La Boca (an artsy, beautiful and very poor district of BsAs), el Jardín Japonés, la Recoleta Cemetary (resting place of Eva Perón and Raúl Alfonsín), and saw a "milonga" (tango show) in a ritzy theater on the main street of BsAs, "9 de julio". After another ten hour bus ride back to Córdoba and arriving at 7:30 AM Monday morning I was pretty tired for class that day... but it was all very worth it. Check out more pics on facebook!

8) After much deliberation I chose my classes for the semester and now for the next 15 weeks I will be taking an Argentinian popular culture class, a prep class for the DELE exam (if I take the test at the end I will have an official, internationally recognized diploma in Spanish), a social psychology class and a teaching class (these last two classes are taught in Spanish with native Argentinian students and will for sure be a challenge)

I am still super happy to be here and am even considering staying for two extra weeks depending on how much traveling I can get in before the end of the semester and how homesick I am in four months... we'll see and I'll keep you posted. Gracias por leer! Chau locos!

Answered Prayers

Three weeks into my life here in Argentina and I can now say with certainty that what I've come to find here is a string of answered prayers. Before flying south I worried (or maybe it would be more accurate to say my parents really worried ; ) about many things, including what my host family would be like, how I (and my temperamental stomach) would react to the changes in food and schedule, and what kind of people I would meet here. But God has proved his faithfulness 200 times over by taking those hopes and fears and turning them into unbelievable blessings.

My host family is perfect. I had hoped for a family with kids and parents that would talk to me and take care of my basic needs. What I got was so much better: a big family with kids of all ages, parents who love and care about me tremendously (even from day one when I had only just met them), all surrounded by a perfect, Spanish-style house and filled with amazing Argentinian food : )

Before coming I loaded up my bag with all the pills I was sure I would need to calm my ridiculously temperamental stomach in this new environment where bread and red meat thrive and dinner is served at 10PM or later. Amazingly though, I haven't had to take one pill... not even one. Now that's a true miracle in my book.

I also had myself prepared to meet a group of people here who had only come to "live it up" every single night with no care in the world for learning or traveling or culture outside the various clubs and bars around town. Once again, my actual experiences have more than exceeded my expectations. Not only have I met people who don't look to get into a drunken stupor every night, I've become friends with some pretty down to earth, spiritual, awesome people who care about learning, traveling, and culture (and they manage to have a pretty amazing time while they're at it).

This past week I've visited a 350 year old jesuit "estancia" (see photo), gone to my first "boliche" (dance club), learned how to make "pastelitos" (amazing little deep-fried desserts, see photo), danced like a "gaucho" (a type of Argentinian cowboy), and become an expert (haha, well maybe not yet) at the tango.


It's funny how things work out... You think you know exactly what you want, exactly how things are going to turn out. But then God always seems to take those hopes and fears and dreams and turn them into something different, something even better than you could have ever imagined for yourself.

And I thank GOD for that.

A Lesson on Love

Today marks two full weeks that I've spent south of the equator and I would officially classify myself out of the "honeymoon period". Not that things aren't going beautifully down here (Argentina and I are still in a very happy relationship : ) ... I've just come to realize some of the realities of living in a foreign country such as this one. But this is only healthy, as no relationship can survive long when one or more of those persons involved is ignorant or deceived about the character of the other.

So, a few of the truths I've come to find, in no particular order: 1) public transit is both a wonderful privilege and a royal pain 2) hot/sanitary water is not a requirement in all places 3) graffiti, it's what the cool kids do (everywhere) 4) there really is nothing like that fresh out of the dryer scent/feeling (seriously, I would be one of those happy women in the dryer sheet commercials if I had a dryer right now) 5) study abroad includes both being abroad AND studying (LOTS of it) 6) I take back what I said to some of you before, winters down here are REAL, temps have been below freezing every night 7) Big families/little brothers = BIG noise (forget quiet time) 8) Want a dog? Come adopt one from Córdoba, they're cute, (mostly) sweet, and there are an abundance of them roaming the streets.

But like I said before, in a real, happy relationship (like the one between Argentina and I) knowing the other's imperfections only strengthens the love. This is partially because there are also so many things to love about this place. For example: 1) Good food = LOVE (and mi mamá makes lots of it) 2) there is a lot of schoolwork but there are also a lot of fun and interesting people to endure it with you and distract you from it 3) Cold weather and a lack of warm clothes in my suitcases = lots of shopping for boots, scarfs and coats : ) 4) 400 year old buildings and huge plazas make a city not only a tourist attraction but absolutely beautiful 5) with a big family there's always someone to talk to (and help you with your Spanish ; ) 6) Spanish is SO much more melodic when spoken by native córdobeses (jjja jjjo estoy acá) 7) Clothes and food are ridiculous cheap here (1 slab of meat, rice, bread, a side and a drink: 16 pesos/4 dollars, 1 knee-length, stylish, wool overcoat: 150 pesos/38 dollars) 8) Sunsets over mountains in the clear night air are breathtaking.


Thus is my life here in Argentina and I wouldn't have it any other way. Chau for now!

Dreams Come True

...there is no other way to describe this new country that I've entered into, especially with so few words. Argentina is everything I dreamed it would be, with a few unexpected realities thrown in too. My host family is unbelievably warm and loving, as is their home, where many extended family members gather to talk, eat and enjoy each other's company. I arrived yesterday around 3PM, I think... my internal clock is very confused since my family eats on a very different schedule than what I am used to, and since it is winter the sun sets around 7:30. After being awake for a full day and a half it is a good thing today is Argentina's Independence Day and I didn't have to wake up early or go anywhere quickly.

I now have two younger brothers, Sebastián (known as Seba) and Nicolás (Nico), and two older sisters, Gabriela (Gabi) and Verónica. Gabi and Verónica are married and have moved out of the house but they visit often with their husbands, Fernando (Fer) and Jorge. Verónica has two children of her own, a girl who is five (Valentina) and a baby boy. I say all this now because I know I will refer to them later and I don't want confuse everyone... jaja.

Anyway, I've spent most of my time around the house so far except for one short trip to the panadería (a bakery) and to "shopping". That is the name of Córoba's mall and everyone calls it that (i.e. Querés ir a shopping?) I've also been doing a lot of eating. Today I woke up very late and had a breakfast of café con leche and tartas de manzana (like apple pastries). At 3PM we had lunch. I don't remember what the exact name of the dish we had but it was similar to enchiladas made with crepe-like wraps served with spinach, corn and cheese inside. At 6 we drank mate (a type of loose tea) and ate more tartas de manzana. Dinner is served around 9 or 9:30.

So far I've really loved everything about my stay here and I have to continually pinch myself (figuratively speaking) to remind myself that I'm actually here, in this foreign country, with these people I have known for not much more than 24 hours. It actually surprises me when I think about that because I already feel so comfortable here, like I've always lived in this house and been a part of this family (and not spoken a word of English all day long :).

Forgive my awkward sentences... speaking and thinking Spanish all day has actually made it difficult to speak and write in English (which actually makes me very happy). That's probably enough for now... I could go on for hours but I'll save the rest for another post. Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers! I can already tell they are working :)

¡Hasta luego!

Es la hora (It's time!)

So the day has finally arrived and from what I can tell my stomach knows it more than my head. It's funny how that works... in my head I'm not nervous or worried at all but my stomach is acting like I'm about to jump off a cliff without a harness. This internal design seems like a pretty smart move on the Creator's part, at least I can think straight even while the rest of me is freaking out.

Anyway, my bags are packed (pray that they are under the 50 lb weight limit) and so far I feel as though I've done a pretty thorough job of it. Oh, and in case any of you were wondering (I know some of you put in a request), there's no room left in my bags for anyone else to come with me. Sorry guys. I've never flown on my own before so add that to the list of new experiences.

I leave at 4PM today, arrive in Dallas, TX this evening, and leave for Santiago later tonight. Luckily the longest leg of my flight (9.5 hrs approx) is over night. I will arrive in Córdoba, Argentina at 12:25 their time, which is EST + 1hr.

Thank you so much to everyone for your prayers and wishes for safe travels. Words can't express how grateful I am for your support and encouragement.

Hoy: USA Mañana: Argentina

Let's do this.

Getting There is Half the Fun

Departure: Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 4:00 PM EST


Months, even years, of planning and I am finally 8 DAYS out from what most people tell me will be one of the greatest experiences of my entire life. Excited? YES! Nervous? Not yet... maybe something's wrong with me, or maybe I'm just not close enough to it yet, but I'd prefer to think of it as God's peace. I just KNOW this is where I'm supposed to be going and what I'm supposed to be doing. The path has been laid out before me... I just have to follow it.


I've always said that getting there is half the fun and I still believe that. Although packing (I could take my dog and my younger sister with me in my massive bags) and getting things in order (i.e.- money, phone situation, vaccinations, last minute emails/phone calls) are a little overwhelming, I find the whole process exhilarating because I know all of it will soon lead me to the experience of a lifetime.


As of now I resolve to update this blog at least once a month (if not more often) as I want to make sure to keep track of and remember my experiences as much as you want to hear about them. Once again... I can't wait to make this amazing journey! And stepping onto that plane will only be the first (exciting) leg! 


"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." ~Deuteronomy 31:8