Salt Flats and Finals

It feels to me that just yesterday I was anticipating this trip. I was organizing my clothes and assessing my financial situation. I was dreaming about the completely different world I was about to find myself in. I said in one of my early posts that I was afraid of how fast time would fly, and of course that's exactly what happened. I am down to having a little over a month left with this amazing city, and I'm determined to make the most of it.

Here's what I've been up to lately:
I went up to Northern Argentina for a couple days and experienced a whole new environment of amazing landscapes. Mountains and Salt Flats might not seem like that big of a deal, but it was the absolute contrast to the city that astonished me. When we got out of the bus to admire the beautiful rock formations, it was as if we were the only people left in the world. There were few cars that passed us; the buzzing of traffic and swarms of people were replaced by a soft silence and a lot of self-awareness. I could have sat up on the mountain, with the rays of warm sunshine and fresh air all day just enjoying the lack of movement and desperate hurry of the city. The pictures don't do it justice but I think you can get an idea of what I experienced.

I am finished with classes, which in the United States would mean that I would have a week of finals coming up and then school would be finished for the summertime. Argentinians do it a bit differently here, as with most things. My four exams, two of which are simply written papers that need to be turned in, are scattered through the month of July: 2nd, 10th, 14th, and 21st, and then my flight is scheduled to make it's way back to the motherland on July 29th. It makes it a little bit more stressful for me because I am terrible at managing my time here. It feels like I have a lifetime before having to take finals, which only exacerbates my incredible procrastination habits.

As quickly as four months flew by, my friends and I are trying to see as much more as we can in what little time we have left. Museums, restaurants, bars, neighborhoods, parks, everything. Last night we went to Puerto Madero to visit an art museum, "Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat" which housed original works by Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali. We also drank mate while walking along the Ecological Reserve (another nice little break from the city) with a stop to enjoy some delicious and much needed Choripan. 

Puerto Madero at nighttime is absolutely breathtaking, and it made me stop a think about a lot of things. I contemplated how sure a person can be of which direction they want their lives to take. Before this trip, I was convinced I was a small-town girl for life. I've grown up in towns that range from 200 people to 10,000 people and those places are where I feel most at home. I hated going to Chicago, and I would stress out about driving in cities like Peoria, Illinois. I considered that if I never would have left my comfort zone, I never would have fallen in love with the city. How a short walk or a bus ride can take you from one world and place you into another. How you could live here your whole life and still not experience everything the city has to offer. There has been times where I have felt lonely and out of place here, but having interactions with the Porteños reassures me that one can never truly be alone here. Yesterday, for example, this lady walks up behind me while waiting at the bus stop, and says (in Spanish) something about how there were a lot of people waiting in line for bus 128, in which I responded (in Spanish) or bus 127 because it's the same stop. I exuded happiness from my pores simply by making small talk to this stranger in a language that was not my own. 

For the first few months of living here, I would always get a little offended when an Argentine would ask me where I'm from seconds after opening my mouth to speak Spanish. Obviously I have a accent, but I've come to realize that isn't a bad thing, and have embraced the opportunity for carrying on conversations with the locals.

She of course asked me where I was from after my first response, and I proudly told her, "Soy de los estados unidos." And just like that, I was talking about the differences between Argentine Spanish and speaking Spanish at home without being self-conscious or worried about saying things incorrectly. She even complimented me on how well I was speaking with her. I can't even count on my hands how many times that has happened lately (especially with the trip to Salta) and every single time the kindness and curiosity of the people here surprises and captivates me. 

Friends and family keep asking if I'm ready to come home, and a lot of people are even surprised that I'm enjoying myself here. I am worried my lack of eagerness to return offends people because obviously I miss those I love. I just feel so incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity, and I'm not ready to give it up just yet. We never know what life will bring, and while I've gotten a taste of the travel bug and want to see absolutely everything, frequent world exploration may end up not being my reality. It's true that this semester has brought anxiety, stress, homesickness, worry, and other negative feelings, but it has also been the best time I've ever had in my life. There is a list a mile long of reasons why I miss the US and everyone who is there, but the fact is that in 34 days, I will inevitably be back there, so for now, I'm going to aprovechar as much as I can <3 

Observations of the Argentine Variety

In exactly two months I will be on a plane headed back to the United States. It has been exhausting, to say the least, going through just about every emotion imaginable. And just like my adviser predicted, right when you adjust and feel truly comfortable is when you will have to pack up and change scenery once more. Obviously, I am ecstatic to see each and every member of my family and all of my friends, but nothing beats the feeling of overcoming an obstacle that you once thought was impossible to overcome. Some of these difficulties were due to the immense differences in cultures that (for the most part) I have grown accustomed to, and now love.
In an effort to capture the differences of the worlds I'm stuck between, here's a list of some things I've observed here, the good and the bad.

1. Each block has restaurants, hair salons, shopping, and something to do or see.
2. I either walk or use public transportation to reach every destination.
3. In the city, things are generally more expensive because there is more to do than in a small town. But in broader sense, things are cheaper in Argentina when you're a tourist. 
4. Argentinos don't eat much for breakfast or lunch, but they will eat a large dinner much later at night.
5. It doesn't rain often, but when it does, the whole city shuts down.
6. University office hours don't exist.
7. Classes are MUCH longer, but take place fewer times per week.
8. Everyone has a dog despite the fact that there aren't many living spaces with lawns, which explains why there is always dog poop to watch out for on sidewalks.
9. There is an incredible amount of personal contact.
10. Each neighborhood and street can be a completely different world.
11. Nightclubs are more of a young persons way of going out as opposed to bars; they party until 7AM...something I have not gotten used to.
12. People can openly consume alcohol in the streets.
13. Many of the movies at the theater are in English with Spanish subtitles.
14. The people can drink a little bit of beer or wine during la siesta-before they return to their workday.
15. Everyone takes their time with everything...besides driving their vehicles. Ain't nobody got time for slow drivers or pedestrians crossing the street.
16. Being carded to consume alcohol isn't really a thing here, probably because the drinking age is 18 as opposed to 21.
17. To arrive late to anything here is common (expected) without consequences. 
18. Online shopping and receiving packages is nonexistent because it can be extremely expensive. 
19. Everyone drinks mate, all of the time. 
20. It's expensive to buy clothes here, and the quality is lower.
21. All of the younger women wear shoes with a VERY large sole.
22. The Latin American way of pronunciation and dialect in general is different.
23. The seemingly whole other language of Porteño Lunfardo.
24. Having $100 Argentine pesos as opposed to $100 American dollars.
25. There are very few "people of color" or ethnic products in the stores here. I had to learn that the hard way.
26. Many babies are simply carried in the mother's arms on transportation. I've seen very few strollers or carriers.
1. Also, women openly breast feeding while using public transportation is very common.
27. The seasons are opposite and here it seems as if there is not as harsh of a fluctuation of the seasons like at home. Right now the "winter" is more of a "delicate fall."
28. There is so much amazing street art because graffiti is legal.
29. People drink their soda with straws in the bottles here.
30. On duty police vehicles always have their lights on, and use their sirens to indicate pulling someone over.
31. The napkins often resemble a love child between tissue paper and tracing paper.
32. If you are out to eat with someone, you separate your bill on your own, no exceptions. 
33. Instead of a wide array of salad dressings, oil and vinegar is used everywhere. Which is great because I used to hate oil and vinegar and now I love it!
34. Malbec, all the time.
35. Everyone is amazingly helpful and kind, especially strangers. 
36. The main goal is to enjoy life! Or as they say, "Work to live not live to work."
37. Naps are an essential part of one's day. How else would these people stay out until the wee hours of the morning?!
38. All of the very best food (choripan, fried empanadas, etc.) come from food trucks.

I'm sure there are more and I will add them as they come to mind. <3

Happy Anniversay, Buenos Aires!

Today is my three month anniversary of being in Argentina. I arrived 90 days ago, scared, anxious, and absolutely clueless. It's funny to me because I was reading through my older posts about being here, and although I can remember exactly how I felt, I no longer can relate. Obviously, I'm not fluent, but I don't get nervous about trying to communicate in Spanish anymore. About 95% of my conversations that I have are successfully spoken and understood, and (whether they are genuine or not) I have been getting compliments about my accent.

I have done a lot since my last post, and while I don't want to downplay ANYTHING I've done, I'll try and touch a little bit on everything:

At the beginning of May, we had two girls join us from North Carolina, who have accompanied us for many adventures. They are leaving in a week or so and I just wanted to add that I've had a blast with them and I hope we stay in touch!

We began the beautiful Sunday afternoon at La Fería del Mataderos to partake in some delicious food. It was my first time having fried empanadas, and I fell in love instantly. Accompanied by a cup of sweet red wine, it was the perfect combination, but it wasn't enough. Next I had a gyro and the inevitable and irresistible choripan. At the end of our time at this market, I'm happy to say I even made a few material purchases (which is unlike me). I have been wanting to get a pair of crazy colored pants since I got here, and that's exactly what I did. I also bought a Quilmes wall hanger, and some ankle bracelets. No buyers remorse here!

This week is La Semana de Mayo which is the week of May celebrating May 25th,  the day the Revolution took place in 1810. Along with not having class and many people not having work, there are festivities happening in La Plaza de Mayo outside La Casa Rosada. Yesterday we went and there were a ton of people drinking beer and eating good food, and jammin' out to the rock band that was playing. After we enjoyed this little concert, we started making our way to the intended restaurant "Des Nivel" in San Telmo, and found this amazing drum show on the way. 

When we reached our destination, it turned out that Des Nivel had moved and turned into "Don Ernesto." The food and wine was amazing all the same. We tried locro for the first time, which is a thick stew; a national dish of Argentina. Unfortunately none of us really cared for it.

The night was ended with some drinks at "The Cycle Bar."

Saturday was spent in Colonia, Uruguay. As students, we are here on visas that are only good for 90 days, and in order to renew our visas to extend throughout our time here, we had to leave the country and re-enter. The easiest way is by taking the hour-long ferry ride over to Uruguay. This city is the polar opposite of Buenos Aires. It's one of the oldest towns in Uruguay with a population of around 27,000 people. The day was spent looking around shops, eating, and drinking medio y medio a mixture of white wine and champagne. 

The day was a tad bit chilly and it seemed that the only people around were those who were touring the city, but the trip made me nostalgic for my hometown. The traffic was minimal and it was very peaceful. Here are some highlight pictures: 

I have been diligently working on my studies, and bracing myself for my departure from this amazing world. My time left will consist of studying for finals, the four day trip to Northern Argentina, and fitting in the things that I want to accomplish before I leave. 

Onto more exciting news: in a few days my adviser and her students are coming to Buenos Aires and I wanted to give a bit of advice. It is getting colder here and I would suggest jackets, longer pants (not shorts), and scarves. The weather fluctuates a bit so dress in layers. I would advise against flip flops or sandals and suggest a closed toed shoe of some kind. I usually wear my canvas shoes when there is going to be a lot of walking. Spending money is going to depend on how much you want to do and buy. An average meal costs about $100 pesos, extra if you want drinks and dessert. You can get souvenirs pretty cheap here, but that also depends on the authenticity, etc. My friend just bought a really nice leather belt for $200 pesos (about $23 US dollars). I advise focusing more on the experience than the material items, however.

Some restaurants that I've been to that I like are:

Abasto Grille, Cafe Tortoni, Don Ignacio, Las Violetas, Don Ernesto, Cumaná, Miranda (not just because of the beautiful name).

If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask and I'll see you all in a few days! 

Mate and Me Time

I'm curious as to what exactly is the formula for balancing loneliness. Sometimes, you just need your space; you need time for yourself and your thoughts once in awhile. But how much time does one actually need on their own? 

These past few days have been incredibly bitter-sweet. The majority of people who I have grown accustomed to spending my time with are enjoying their Semana Santa in Mendoza. I made the decision to stay home, relax, and enjoy spending time in the city. The main objective was to complete a large chunk of my school assignments, but those were unfortunately passed up for some QT with Netflix. 

When I wasn't distracting myself from my responsibilities with Grey's Anatomy, I was trying mate for the first time with my friend Alexis. We went to this restaurant, Cumaná, in the barrio (neighborhood) of Recoleta (which I would like to visit again). Primarily, I fell in love with the atmosphere, and then I fell in love with the mate tradition. Now, you have to remember that this was two norteamericanas trying mate, so I'm assuming that we didn't do everything how an Argentine would, but I felt lucky just to get to have the experience. 

There is a pot of hot water, and one mate gourd which is passed back and forth. There is etiquette, but I'm not really aware of what it is yet. All I know is that I really like the drink itself. It has a very dominating earthy flavor, but I enjoyed learning about and sharing the tradition.

Saturday night, Alexis and I went out again to the barrio of Palermo. We met at Plazo Serrano and when we arrived it was filled with vendors selling clothes and other items. We walked around the area for awhile scoping out our options when we settled on a simple restaurant, Mole Bar, with festive Marilyn Monroe decorations. Afterwards, ice cream at Freddo-of course. 

While I had a great time, I couldn't help but feel like I kind of wasted my break "relaxing." I realize that there is so much time for me to go and see everything that I want to here in Buenos Aires, but at the same time, I don't want to waste a single second. So today I woke up and ventured to Café Tortoni for lunch. 

After waiting in a line for about 20 minutes to get in, I realized that while Café Tortoni was a bit of a tourist destination, there was a reason: it was beautiful and definitely worth it. After I was seated at my table for one, I received my food 5 minutes after I ordered it, no exaggeration. Everyone around me was taking pictures and meeting their friends for lunch. I enjoyed my time eating, drinking my café helado-capuchino (iced coffee cappuccino) and accomplishing some writing. After some small talk with the waiter I decided it was time to go for a walk on this gorgeous day. I ended up going back to San Telmo and walked for miles looking at amazing hand-crafted items. I also found this separate fair where everything was made out of recycled materials. 

Loneliness is really a funny thing because even though I was by myself today, it's hard to be alone in this city. I was sitting at the table at Café Tortoni without friends or family to keep me company, yet I engaged in conversation with the waiter about where I'm from and the fact that his sister lives in New York left me with a feeling of comfort. And although I don't know any of the people who were dancing and clapping in the streets of San Telmo, I couldn't help but feel apart of something as I joined in. 

And just like that, I was no longer alone.

Happy Easter, everyone. 

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. 

Which Would You Rather Ride: Roller coaster or Elevator?

When my adviser told me this experience was going to be like a roller coaster, of course I didn't believe her. I thought that it would be like an elevator that only has the capability of going up. Plus, I am a strong, independent woman who can tackle any obstacle! As it turns out, even Wonder Woman has bad days.

Although I have fully recovered from my sickness and feel healthy as ever, my first day of classes wasn't as successful as I had hoped. 

My first class started at 8:30 AM and I even made it there early. The class was called Cognition, Thoughts, and Language and despite the fact I wasn't 100% sure what it was about (they don't have easily accessible class descriptions) I figured that it was Psychology and I would like it. And I would have...if the class hadn't started two weeks earlier. On the plus side, I really liked the professor. She had a lot of energy and was easy to understand, even if I didn't understand the material in the context of the class because I hadn't had the previous week's background information. Minor setback, no big deal. I will just drop it and either keep four classes or add another class. 

One thing that's very different from classes back home and is having one class for three hours once a week. The longest classes I'm used to at Monmouth is 75 minutes. However, so far the time seems to go by fast. 

My next class, which I have with a few of my friends and I'm very excited about, is advanced Spanish. It is just going to be nice to get back into the swing of learning grammar, vocabulary, etc. Plus it's the only class I will have with other foreign exchange students who are more or less in the same boat as me. This class is only an hour and a half, twice a week. I really liked the professor, and I think that the material and projects will be fun and interesting. 

My last class of the day, The Evolution of Society, went less swimmingly. This class is from 7:00 PM-10:00 PM, and I have it with all other Argentine students. At the start of the class, I was feeling confident and was taking notes religiously...when he was writing on the board. After he was finished explaining the timeline, he sat down and was speaking so fast he would be two sentences ahead by the time I finally figured out what he previously said. As the minutes wore on, I got more and more anxious...the kid sitting next to me wasn't even taking notes! I could feel my face burn from embarrassment. After our break things seemed to be looking up and he seemed to be repeating things more and speaking more slowly...for about 5 minutes. I'm sad to say this kind of ruined my St.Patrick's Day, so I came home and mowed down on some North American junk food and watched Modern Family. 

On a brighter note, I woke up this morning optimistic for my noon class today: Society and Culture, and I went on a run. So now I'm feeling energized and uplifted. Last night was just a speed bump, that I will confidently and successfully get over. I will start recording the lessons and studying extra hard outside of class. This experience wasn't supposed to be easy, and roller coasters are more fun to ride than elevators, anyways.

Last Saturday, Rachel and I went to a fair that doubled as a horse race. There were food stands with dishes from Brazil and Chile:

After that we decided to go see a movie and we ended up watching Taken 3. I'm not sure if that was a good choice or not but the fact that it was in English with Spanish subtitles seemed to be comforting. 

On Sunday, we went with BAIS (Buenos Aires International Students) to a trip to Perú Beach. We didn't get to swim but laying in the sun making friends definitely makes up for it. Also, we discovered Clericot which tastes exactly like summer. It's a fruit mix added to a white wine of some sort. I may be addicted:

After that we took a stroll through Belgrano, where China Town is. We didn't spend much time there but I definitely want to go back:

On Monday, we took a trip to Teatro Colón, a theater house for opera that absolutely takes your breath away with its elegance:

And this weekend...the waterfalls of Iguazú!!! I absolutely cannot wait. I will be gone from Friday night until Wednesday morning, but I will definitely post all the pictures and information after I've rested and had class for that day. 

-Besos de Buenos Aires

There's No Place I'd Rather Be

Well it seems that I have jinxed myself. In a letter I wrote: I’m not expecting to have any bad days here.

Today was my first “bad” day in the two weeks and two days that I’ve been here. Although I am extremely sick, and the electricity and water don’t seem to want to function, I can’t help but think that things can always be worse. Fortunately, my laptop was charged for the first time in its whole life, and so instead of sitting in complete silence and darkness, I was able to play music on my iTunes playlist as well as write this blog. Ironically, the song “Rather Be” just came on…

“We’re a thousand miles from comfort…” TRUE. But still, things could be worse.

It’s Friday, I’m hygiene deficient, the stickiness of the heat is making me extremely lethargic and yet I’m still pretty happy with life. Class starts on Monday, and I couldn’t be happier. I may complain about schoolwork, or having to go to work back home but the truth is I love having a full schedule. When I wake up with the mindset of “Oh, I don’t have anything to do today…” I feel anxious. I need these things to occupy my time so that when it comes to the weekend, I can appreciate that time more.

I hope everyone back home is enjoying the nice spring weather! I see a lot of smiling faces over social media due to the climate turn around, and that makes me happy as well. Although I appreciate the summer weather here, I will be completely satisfied when it gets a little bit cooler out.

Overall, I’m going to spend this weekend being a pariah so I can hopefully get better for school and the Iguazú waterfall trip coming up next weekend! So send good vibes my way por favor.