Iguazu!....Bless You

Before I went on the trip to the waterfalls of Iguazú, I was feeling awfully "homesick." It wasn't that I was missing my "home" but I was missing all the people in my life that make me feel at home. I was suffering from a bit of culture shock and I was longing for all the things that made sense to me. Some days I feel empowered and alive tackling challenges that come with studying in a Spanish-speaking country. There are also those unavoidable days of feeling defeated and unqualified to navigate in a world without my support system.

The cure, apparently, was traveling on a bus for numerous hours, with strangers from all over the world who like drinking as much as I do. I was able to meet so many amazing people from a multitude of different places, and I realized that as long as I have people around me with whom I can laugh with, make memories with, and have fun with...I am home.
Viola, homesickness cured. Ever since I got to witness one of the natural wonders of the world with people who have already left an impression on my heart, I can't help but feel like the luckiest human in the world. I can't describe how beautiful the waterfalls are, so here are some pictures instead (which still do not do them justice):

In the morning it was cloudy and a bit chilly, which was nice when we were doing a lot of walking so it wasn't as hot. And then while we were journeying to "La Garganta de Diablo" The Devil's Throat the sun came out as well as this wonderful rainbow.

The rest of the trip was spent reading by the pool, and riding on the bus back home. As I came back I realized that venturing out of the city for 5 days had actually made me miss the sound of traffic honking aggressively outside my window and the hustle and bustle of people on the streets. This place has become my home, and I couldn't wait to return to it although I had an amazing time. 

Which leads me to the realization that there is no one "home." Home is where you can make deep connections with the people and your surroundings. I realized that while everyone back home is extremely important to me, I will only get to cultivate relationships here for four more months. 

This past weekend, I went to a fiesta called PM Open Air, located in Punta Currasco. They played electronic music and there were so many people dancing! While it was fun, we got tired out very fast, went to a late dinner, and I went home and went to bed "early" around midnight. Then on Sunday, I went to La Feria de los Mataderos. There were so many people selling all kinda of items, and most importantly, there was so much food! I tried choripan for the first time (sasauge with chimichurri sauce on bread)...I also ate churros, vacipan, and icecream. It was undoubtedly a fantastic day of feasting. 

Yesterday, there was a transportation strike and all the buses and subways were not functioning. So after I missed the only class I looked forward to going to, I went on a picnic with my German friend, Jessi. It was a perfect day to sit on a blanket and eat tapas. 

Other than that, this week I only had class until Wednesday, because Thursday and Friday is a holiday, Semana Santa or Easter. Many people are going to a trip to Mendoza, but I'm going to explore other things in the city that I haven't gotten to yet...in addition to doing my homework. This was a hard financial decision to make due to the fact that many of Argentina's wines are produced in Mendoza and there will be tastings, of which I am the biggest fan.