There's No Place I'd Rather Be

On this last night of my ISA program in Buenos Aires, I have so many emotions. While this is not my last night in Buenos Aires, it is my last night with my host mom, Matilde. I still feel sad. I have come to love this apartment and this city so much. This music video "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit, expresses exactly how I feel about this city. The song talks about the feeling of total contentment that comes with being in exactly the right place at the right time. It's a kind of love mixed with happiness and the knowledge that no where else would be better right now.

I don't own the music, the song, or anything related to this video. 

Things You Will Find in Buenos Aires

This post is a collection of things I have noticed during the past almost 4 months in Buenos Aires.  Hopefully my parents and brother will read it and take note of the differences between Rockville, Atlanta, and Buenos Aires and maybe be less shocked when they visit.  The most important thing to remember is that we are in a different country with a different culture.  We are on the complete opposite side of the world, if that helps.  Of course they do things differently here; and that is ok.  It's not bad.  It's not good.  It's just different.  (I was told this numerous times when I first arrived in March and I had to constantly remind myself of it)

1. Buenos Aires is a very big city.  It is loud, dirty, and filled with people.  It is also incredibly sophisticated.  Kind of like New York City.
2. There are no convenience stores (except for the few Walmarts).  If you want vegetables, you go to the vegetable stand.  If you want meat/cheese, you go to the meat store.  If you want pharmacy things, you go there.  
3. There are small cafes and stores everywhere.  It's adorable.  
4. But really, the cafes and bakeries are EVERYWHERE.  This should encourage you to eat plenty of sweets and drink a lot of coffee
5. No one is in a rush. Especially the waiters and the people checking you out of the grocery store.
6. People drive like maniacs.  Be careful when crossing the street. 
7. There is graffiti everywhere.  Unlike in cities in the U.S., this is not a sign that you are in a bad neighborhood
8. The only type of sandwich you can eat is a ham and cheese sandwich.  Maybe ham and tomato if you are lucky. 
9. Ham is everywhere.
10. Most of the food here is very heavy on the carbs.  You can't really avoid it, so you console yourself by walking everywhere.
11. Public transportation, especially buses, is very popular. The busses run 24 hours and can take you almost everywhere you want to go.
12. Prices are high in Argentine Pesos, but tend to be low when you convert them into dollars.

Spontaneous Occurances: I Can't Believe That Just Happened

Today I met up with a friend for lunch. We went to a crepe places near her apartment and ordered 1 savory and 1 sweet crepe to split. I am convinced that crepes are the best thing to ever come from France. During lunch, she mentioned passing a festival with kosher food in the giant park a few blocks away.

Of course we checked it out after lunch. Of course. There were tents set up with organizations and vendors selling food, books, jewelry, and other things; and there was a stage with a kletzmer band. Some of the songs they played sounded familiar and others did not. I recognized a few of the Hebrew songs, but the tunes were way more upbeat (we are in South America after all. You can't escape the Latin influence). No one was dancing. They played Hava Negillah, which is the song that you are absolutely required to dance to in Jewish culture. Still, no one was dancing. A few women were moving in place, but this was not what I expected. I told my friends to hold my stuff and then strategically positioned my swaying self next to another woman who was dancing. We smiled and joined hands. A woman a few feet away noticed us and motioned for us to join her at the front of the crowd where there was space to really dance. We made a circle and started dancing. Three more people joined us. I knew the steps for all but one dance. And when the circle broke we all just kind of did our own thing at the same time.

To me, that was the best thing that could have possibly happened. I was able to see the Jewish community in Buenos Aires at work, and I even felt like I was a part of it while we were dancing. My legacy consisted of the people who continued to dance after I left. For me, there is no better feeling than what comes from knowing that you and the people around you are all focused on doing the same thing for the same purpose and enjoying ourselves immensely. The excitement is contagious and electric. I am so glad to have stumbled on this random festival and decided that it needed dancing.

Teatro Colon and San Isidro

Last Saturday I had a very long but very wonderful day. I stayed in the city, but explored new parts of it.

I woke up early to tour Teatro Colon. Teatro Colon is the big theater in Buenos Aires. It is absolutely stunning. I met up with Michelle and we ended up taking an ISA sponsored tour with other tourists since no one else from our program showed up.

All of the costumes, set pieces, etc. used in shows are made in the workshops underneath the theater. A few of the costumes are kept upstairs for people to look at. Aren't they pretty? 

A bust of Mozart in the Hall of Busts. 

"El Secreto," (The Secret) a well-placed statue in the hall where people went for intermission and gossip about each other. 

The stage! It is all set up for ballet rehearsal

The giant chandelier surrounded by murals of artists in the ceiling of the theater.

After being mesmerized by Teatro Colon, Michelle and I met up with some friends. We walked to San Telmo for Indian food. While the food was good, it was also disappointing. Since it was Indian food for Argentines, it lacked the spice I associate with the genre. Then we walked back the way we came to Retiro Station. From Retiro, we took a train to San Isidro.

San Isidro is a suburb of Buenos Aires situated very close to the city. All we knew about the town was that there was a cathedral and a horse racing track and that we should visit the cathedral. We walked around for a few blocks before asking some people how to get to the cathedral. 

Part of the cathedral. It was so huge that I could not take a good picture of it. 

Inside the cathedral.

A cute house in San Isidro

A magician performs in a market in the plaza next to the cathedral. He is juggling clubs lit on fire in this picture.

Peanut Butter

First of all, how have I gone this long without posting about food? If you know me at all, you know that I live for lunch (and sometimes brunch, dinner, and snack -- but almost never breakfast) and food. I have eaten a lot of great meals here, and although I wouldn't say they changed my life, I would say they were worth every calorie and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The food that really made me think today was peanut butter. I don't remember the last time I bought it; the last time I ate it was in Mendoza on a pb&j sandwich that Sydney made.

Today around lunch time I craved peanut butter. I had 2 bananas in my backpack that I was going to eat for lunch/snack and as I was walking to the Chinese take-out place for lunch, I could taste peanut butter and bananas. No joke, I scurried back to the health food store (after leaving it because I thought it did not have what I was looking for for lunch) and bought it.

I was one happy chica norteamericana (North American girl), and I stayed that way all day. Even after I devoured my banana covered in peanut butter. That is my snack. The flavor triggered memories of home that have not left me all day. Who knew such a usually mundane food could be linked to so much nostalgia?

Anyway, now that I have a whole jar of peanut butter, I intend to eat it for lunch. I made some little sandwiches using crackers I bought from the Chino on my way home from school. These, plus veggies and fruit will make for one great lunch tomorrow. 

Mendoza (only 4 weeks late)

During Semana Santa (Easter weekend, where I got a few days off school to celebrate) a few friends and I went to Mendoza, Argentina. Mendoza is a western province, located next to/in the Andes Mountains and Chile. It is the largest, and most well known wine producer in Argentina.

We took a bus there; it was 14 hours. The trip there and back was fine because we were able to sleep, chat, watch movies, and look outside the windows at the landscape of who-knows-where Argentina. I also brought some of my textbooks to catch up on my reading for school. The buses were bigger than usual and had large chairs that could recline almost all the way so I felt like I was kind of in a bed. Anyway, I was able to sleep about as well as if I were on an airplane, maybe even better since there was no turbulence.

We didn't try all of these wines, but we would like to! They were set out for people to buy after touring a winery.

Me, posing in a vineyard. 

We stopped our bike tour of various vineyards to eat lunch on the side of the road. Don't worry, there was plenty of space between us and the 3 or 4 cars that passed by. 

Snow-capped mountains towards the end of summer. These are the Andes, basically the only thing separating us from Chile. 

More mountains, aren't they pretty?

Me, Brandi, Rosalie, and Sydney after we went white water rafting down the Mendoza River. Easily the most fun thing I did all weekend (rafting, not picture taking, but that was fun too). The water was freezing, so of course Sydney and I sat in the front of the raft. When I wasn't paddling or getting splashed, I saw an amazing view of the mountains. No pictures for you since my camera isn't waterproof.

This little thing is part of a larger stone monument to commemorate the friendship between Chile and Argentina. I think it's supposed to be both flags twisted around each other. Taken in a cute little park in Mendoza city we spent most of Sunday relaxing here and in the hostel while we waited for our bus to arrive. It was Easter, so the city was shut down. 

Where Have I Been The Past 3 Weeks?

That is an excellent question because obviously I have not been writing this blog.

I was in Mendoza, Argentina drinking wine, biking, rafting through on the Andes River, wandering around the (small, quiet) city with my friends, and eating chocolate.

The next weekend, I went to Iguazu Falls. It's on the border between Brazil and Argentina and absolutely gorgeous! I basically spent the weekend in a jungle, and yet my hotel was very nice and had a heated pool on the roof. Is that cheating?

As soon as I got home (yes, I Buenos Aires to be a home now), I had to study study study for mideterms. One exam on Tuesday, two exam on Wednesday, and then a big research paper due on Thursday. My final midterm exam will be on Thursday.

Last weekend was super long. Thursday was May 1 (International Day of the Worker, celebrated everywhere except for the U.S. and Canada), so we didn't have school. Friday was a federal holiday because Cristina wants to promote internal tourism by creating long holidays (or so I've been told). A few of my friends here returned to the U.S. on Saturday. So Saturday and Sunday were pretty sad days for me. My roommate was one of them :(

Pictures will come in the following posts!!!

Saturday, Monday

Because those were the 2 most important days in my past week...Not really but I did things that require writing about.

Saturday
ISA planned a volunteer day for us. A group of 9 students (and 2 other people) woke up ridiculously early on a Saturday morning to help the local food bank, Fundación de Banco de Alimentos. Half of us went to one country club, the other half to another maybe 20 minutes away. Once at the country club, we found a giant blue plastic bin filled with donations that people had already put there. We sorted these donations by type of food and put them on a table. Then we split up and walked around the country club, asking the families of the kids playing in the rugby and field hockey tournaments if they had any donations. People kept telling us that they had put their food in a blue tub earlier. After a lot of walking we realized that the bin everyone was talking about was the one that greeted us earlier; it had just been moved.

When we got back to the table, we bagged up the food. One bag got something from each of the most popular categories: noodles, milk (which does not have to be refrigerated here), and sugar. Once every piece of food was in a bag, it was lunch time. Someone was running a grill outside, selling food for cheaper prices than whatever sandwiches the country club restaurant offered. I tried something new and got a bbq pork sandwich. It was delicious. I don't eat a lot of pork, but I would eat that sandwich every day if I could.

Then we went home and slept. All in all, it was a good day.


Monday Night
Monday night was the first night of Passover. My host mom is Jewish so she had her (adult) children over for a nice, big, family dinner. I asked her if we could invite a friend of mine, who is also Jewish, over because he said he wanted to do something to celebrate the holiday. She said yes.

The food was delicious, of course. While I was expecting to eat different food, I was not expecting to see so many similarities between her family's Passover seder and mine. We ate salads, carrot and apple salad, artichoke hearts, pastrami (instead of brisket), gefilte fish (which was baked in a casserole so I mistook it for kugel when I first saw it), drunken pears (definitely taking this recipe home with me), honey cake. And, of course, matzoh. Lots of it.

The biggest difference between our families (besides the language people speak) is that, at least for one seder, we try to read the Haggadah. We make it to the story of Passover, skipping things here and there, and then we pig out. After dinner we might sing a few songs.

On Monday, no one even had a Haggadah. Before we ate, we sang a few prayers and all tried to sing the Four Questions (out of tune and out of order, even though some of us had the words in front of us).

Really, everything we did -- including being surrounded by a family that loves each other -- reminded me of home. Not in a bad way, because I am still not homesick yet, just in a "this is a good and familiar feeling."

Also, it was my roommate's first Passover. She rocked it. She can eat matzoh and dulce de leche like it's her job.

About the Strike Last Thursday

Wednesday
Why are these cars waiting to turn the wrong way down a one way street? As I walked home today, I noticed a line of cars parked on the far right lane; they all had their right blinkers on (this is really impressive because most cars here just swerve into the nearest available space and most people don't use their blinkers at all). And then I walked farther down the block and saw that there was another block full of similarly parked cars. The line led to the gas station.

It took a few seconds for me to realize that the line for the gas station was longer than usual because drivers knew they would have to drive, or walk, in order to get anywhere tomorrow. The streets are going to be packed with cars with very little space to wait to fill up your tank. 

For those of you who are not currently living in Buenos Aires, there is going to be a bus/public transportation strike tomorrow. Most people here prefer to walk or take some form of public transit, usually buses, to get where they need to go. Most of the time that is perfect. Tomorrow, not at all.

Thursday
I walked to school like I usually do and was surprised to see that the main street was not packed with cars. This was strange because I can see at least 3 buses every minute on the main street. Without buses, everything was much quieter. I never realized how much noise they make. There is regular noise of the motor as well as the frequent screeching of someone slamming on old brakes.

Not a lot of people showed up to school; either they had no way of getting there, or they were taking advantage of the opportunity to skip class without consequences.

My roommate and I took at taxi to a friend's house on Thursday night and stayed there until after well midnight in order to take a bus home (it's much cheaper and just as safe as a taxi).

Reasons
I heard a lot of reasons for why the general strike happened and I don't know which is the most right out of all of them.

1. people protesting having to pay more, higher taxes
2. people upset at the crazy inflation in Argentina's economy
3. a powerplay by some union leaders to show potential presidential candidates just how strong they are

Plaza Italia and Japanese Garden

About 2 hours after I wrote that post last Friday, I made plans to eat lunch with my friend, Johnny, and then explore the city. Lunch was empanadas bought from a bakery (called Argentina) and eaten in a park. When we met for lunch we had two different plans. I wanted to go to Plaza Italia and do some homework; he wanted to explore the Japanese Gardens. Luckily they are right next to each other.

So we get on the bus and disembarked at the Plaza Italia stop. When we crossed the street, we were underwhelmed. I had heard so much about this place. It is one of 2 main reference points for people in the Palermo neighborhood. It has its own subte stop! Plaza Italia is a small, fenced in grassy space with a few paths, benches, and a statue. The exciting things are outside. I didn't have my camera with me, otherwise I would insert a picture to show you just how small this plaza is (2-3 blocks).

We expressed our disappointment and walked through the little park on our way to the Japonese Gardens. As we passed by the Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens, we peeked through the fences and found a flock of flamingos. That part of Palermo is 3/4 park (I don't know if they have a name, because I thought they were Plaza Italia and they are not) and 1/4 street. The unnamed parks were grassy areas with tall trees.

The Japanese Gardens are amazing. They are small enough for you to walk around every square inch of path, but large enough for you to appreciate just how beautiful they are. We explored the beauty for a little while and then sat down at a bench to be productive. The Japanese Gardens are easily the prettiest place I have ever read. Whenever I got bored, I looked up and admired the view. From our bench, we could see most of the gardens.

I really wish I had thought of bringing my camera. I might go back again this week with some friends to take pictures. I think it might be worth spending the 32 pesos again.

Places to Visit

I did not do a lot of planning before I came here. I was given Lonely Planet's guidebook for Argentina as a present (thank you Dr. Oskoz) in December, and I read the general sections during winter break. However, I avoided the pages and pages filled with information about hostels and restaurants and things to do in each part of Argentina. All of that specific information overwhelmed me. Now, though, I realize I need to read it. Argentina is a very large country and contains so many things to do and see. I started off my program knowing that I wanted to travel, but did not have a clear list of places that I absolutely had to see. While it meant that I would be open to going anywhere, at any time, this has left me feeling unguided. So, here is a list places I would like to visit while I am here. Or, in the case of Patagonia, somewhere I will definitely go to before I die.

Places that have been crossed off are places I have already been.

Inside of Buenos Aires

1. Recoleta Cemetery (we already went, but I want to go back and spend more time there)
2. Japanese Gardens
3. Ecological Reserve 
4. Plaza Italia
5. Obelisk
6. San Telmo
7. Feria de Mataderos
8. Casa Rosada
9. Museo Evita
10. Ateano 
11. Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral

The Rest of Argentina

1. Lujan Basilica
2. Lujan Zoo
3. Las Pampas/an estancia 
4. Salta y Jujuy
5. Mendoza
6. Cordoba
7. Patagonia

Outside of Argentina

1. Uruguay (Colonia, Punta del Este, others)
2. Chile (Santiago, Valparaiso) 

I guess I better start using that guidebook to plan some trips!

Problems With Blogging

So as you have probably already noticed, I stopped posting as frequently once I moved to Buenos Aires. This is not a coincidence. When I lived in Maryland, I had plenty of free time and wanted to write. Now, I have less free time and want to explore the city. I do not think this is a bad thing, just something I need to think about so I can reset my goals for this blog.

Based on my first 3 weeks here, I do not think that it is realistic to expect myself to blog every single day. So, after looking at my final schedule (yes, it took 2 weeks to set my schedule of classes), I have decided that my goals will be to post at least 2-3 times a week. I will post something new on Tuesdays, Fridays, and possibly again during the weekends. It is very likely that the weekend posts will just be a series of pictures during the week I took with descriptive captions.

Why has blogging been such a trial lately? 

I spend the majority of my time in my room on the computer using Facebook and email to keep in touch with people and make plans. Yet, I don't really think about creating posts. I spend a lot of time out of time out of the apartment, without my laptop. There is no need to take it to class and I do not want to carry and extra 5 lbs. during my 20 minute walk to school. So when I finally get back to my room, I just want to relax.

Also, I have been internalizing a lot of my thoughts lately. Either I talk about them with my parents or friends, or I try to think them out. And so, they become resolved before I open blogger.

Resolutions?

Like everything else in life, I believe need to make time to blog regularly, and plan my posts beforehand. Sticking to the posting schedule I made will be the most important thing for me to do. 

Re-Cap of the Past 8 Days

My second week in Buenos Aires has-been crazy, great, busy, and a few other things. I feel like everything I did last week helped me Become more comfortable In this new city, with new people. Even though I am only in my third week here, I can successfully navigate a small part of the city. 

Last night, a few friends and I went to the Planetarium Galileo Galilee. I Looked up what we needed bus routes and was able to guide us there safely. I was even able to create mental version of our bus route while we drove. Next to the traffic, I have to say buses are The most intimidating thing here.

Anyway, to prove just how jam-packed my past week or so has-been, here is a list of things I have done.

1. Completed my first week of classes
2. Created an alternative schedule of classes, just because I can 
3.  Visited El Tigre and spent the day at the beach
4. Gotten a (slight) sunburn/tan from spending so much time outside in the sun
5. Visited 3 different open air markets: San Telmo, Puerto de las Frutas, Fería de Mataderos
6. Gotten lost in Buenos Aires
7. Taken a bus for the first time (and a few more)
8. Successfully -- and safely -- gotten a group of people from one place to the other using a bus
9. Visited an estancia in Las Pampas, the fertile farm region in Argentina
10. Watched gauchos ride horses (don't worry mom, I stayed away)
11. Experienced the effects of a strike firsthand. During a torrential downpour. My friends and I waited 20 minutes for an unoccupied taxi (since there were no bus). Eventually we gave up and got drinks nearby
12. Met people outside of my study abroad program
13. Ate a traditional asado, including blood sausage. Yes, the blood sausage tastes about as weird as it sounds
14. Decided I like chorizo 
15. Ate a waffle covered in dulce de leche
16. Befriended my roommate and some of her friends
17. Been Significantly late for class
18. Withdrew money from the ATM
19. Encountered problems with keeping track of my friends lives while we live on different continents
20. Activated my prepaid cellphone Argentine
21. Was asked to be a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding
22. Bought plane tickets to Salta
23. Went to a full moon party at the Planetarium (not as cool as it sounds)

Quick Life Update

Today was a very busy day for me. I finally took a Spanish placement test; I was put into Intermediate B (the second highest level). This is exactly the level I was looking for! That is exciting. I met with an academic adviser at Universidad de Belgrano to talk about classes I can take. Their system for registering for classes is so much more relaxed than it is in the U.S.!! I almost can't believe it. We are supposed to sign up for classes on the first day. (This is crazy since I already received an email from my home university saying that I need to start planning my schedule for next year...oops). Next, we had a 3 hour long orientation to the university. I understood about 80% of the words they said. After that I bought a subte (metro) card and had lunch. After all of our planned activities ended some friends and I went out to try mate. Mate is a popular drink, and social activity, in south america that tastes like green tea with extra leaves

Overall, today was great...and super busy. 

A Minuscule Tour of Buenos Aires

On Sunday, we went on a group tour of the city. We went by bus to different neighborhoods and walked around Recoleta Cemetary, La Boca, the center square, and Puerto Madero.

Recoleta Cemetery: this is where the rich residents of Buenos Aires were buried. It is free to the public, so people just walk around and gaze in awe at these magnificent mausoleums.

La Casa Rosada (The Pink House): Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina's president, works here. La Casa Rosada is located in the main square of the city. Protesters come to the square all the time. I think that explains both the presence of the fence and the posters hanging from it.

 San Telmo San Telmo market: Who does not love an open air market? I think every city needs one.  There are vendors and street performer! 

La Boca: A neighborhood That is remarkable because of its bright colors. Each piece of architecture is painted in a vibrant shade of red, yellow, blue, green, or orange. La boca means "the mouth" in Spanish and this neighborhood sits on the mouth of the river.

Puerto Madero: The swanky part of town. This neighborhood was recently re-designed and is really impressive in the opposite way that La Boca is. Instead of old buildings with bright colors, Puerto Madero has a newer, cleaner, look. This bridge is supposed to look like a couple tangoing. Do you see it? I didn't. 

                                        

 

Visit Starbucks and McDonalds, but Don't Talk in English

I am in a very large city right now. And, like any large city (or anywhere, really) there are restaurants and pickpockets. These things are fairly normal to me. I have seen McDonalds, or McCafe's, and  Starbucks all around Buenos Aires. I even walked into one today. I take comfort in noticing these things because they remind me that although my home is far away, it is not in a completely different place. I felt reassured when I saw my first Starbucks today...Isn't that weird? Today I also learned a great piece of advice. Blend in in order to avoid being targeted by pickpockets and other shady types. Luckily, my hair is dark and curly. So I can kind of pass for a porteño (native of Buenos Aires) because there is enough physical variety that I have not been able to pinpoint a cookie-cutter porteño. The one thing I didn't think about when I considered the "try not to stand out too much" advice before, was that I can give myself away immediately. All I have to do is open my mouth. So, I think the most important piece of advice I received during my orientation today was to avoid speaking English loudly, or at all, while in public spaces. That is weird. It makes total sense, but it will take some time for me to be at the point where I can speak Spanish idly and constantly communicate complete ideas. Luckily, other people are in the same boat. There are times when we just have to be quiet because we cannot speak that well in Spanish. At some points, people had to shush me because I was in the middle of speaking English, but were around. However, since I spent a good part of today speaking Spanish, the language is coming to me easier. I am starting to think of how I would say things in Spanish before I say them in English. 

Today is...

You're getting a list and a lot of stream-of-conscious today Because my brain really does not Have the Ability to do more right now than that. 

Today is ...

• exhausting
• overwhelming
• fishing for words in Spanish. 
• a long plane ride, sitting around an airport, sleeping on a bus, walking around new city streets
• hot sun
• successfully navigating unfamiliar streets, and a supermarket
• more than 24 hours because it blends in with yesterday
• somehow managing to hold a conversation in Spanish over dinner
• fighting with Blogger to keep my posts in Inglés (it wants to translate to Spanish)
• brushing my teeth and going to sleep

A Jumble of Thoughts

If you want to read about the adventures of a confident and put-together young woman, then please, skip this post. I have a lot of thoughts zooming through my brain and I need to get them out. I warn you now potential and past employers or professors.

Panic

This is my most prevalent emotion. I have been going to sleep later and later every night this week. I doubt I will sleep much tomorrow night (I am that person who can't sleep the night before the first day of school/something else that is important). I have a little over 24 hours to finish packing everything. And then I have to weigh it to make sure my suitcase is under 50 lbs. Packing overwhelms me. I have avoided completing my packing list because I keep getting stuck on quantities. That, and I thought I could just wing it. Throw the stuff I like into my suitcase and then take stuff out in order to make it weigh less. And then I should double check that I have everything. And then I have to spend as much time with my parents as possible. I do not usually get homesick, but I already miss them. Why does going far away make everything harder?

Confusion

Someone gave me advice today. Really, my parents asked him to give me/them advice today. He told me common sense things that I was already planning on doing anyway. At first I was disappointed. After all, what's the point in receiving advice from someone older if it's not new or insightful beyond what I had already thought? But I couldn't ask for him to try again. That would be rude. Instead, I flipped my thinking. I took his words as an confirmation of my own beliefs. It's always good to be reminded that I am on the right track.

Agitation

I wanted to be finished packing by now. I wanted to clean my room over break. I had plenty of time, so why are neither of these things done? 

Excitement

For most of the past few months, I have been excited. I know I am going to have a wonderful time. I know I am going to improve my Spanish and learn new things and get lost and meet people who will change my life. 

Packing...With Help from the Internet

Of course I have to do research before I pack. I am a very nervous packer; I tend to overpack and stay up late the night before a trip to put everything in my suitcase. To avoid doing this before the biggest trip of my life, I have compiled a few resources. Some of them are Argentina-specific, others are more general. I have been saving links to Pinterest since last summer.

1. Should I Pack It?  a flowchart to determine whether or not something should go into your suitcase. If you let this guide your thought process behind packing, you are set!
2. How to Fit Your Life into 2 Suitcases  I have a lot of stuff, and, depending on how many suitcases I decide to take limited room and only 50 - 100 lbs. worth of weight. The Study Abroad Blog provides helpful tips about how to pack with limited space.
3. A very thorough packing list by The Study Abroad Blog. I found this helpful because he includes a suggested quantity. I am getting so tripped up by not knowing HOW MUCH to bring. 
4. What to Wear in Buenos Aires. Since I have never been there before, I found Travel Fashion Girl's descriptions of what to wear in each season to be very helpful. Now I have a general idea of what I will be wearing and what the weather will be like. 
5.  What is the Weather like in Buenos Aires? I feel like this should be self-explanatory. 
6. 1 Trick That Will Change the way you Pack Forever. Don't believe me? Watch the video.

The good news? Buenos Aires has a much more temperate climate than Maryland! This means that I don't have to pack for extreme weathers. Their summers are relatively cooler (80 degrees instead of 100) and their winters are relatively warmer (40 degrees instead of 20). So I am packing for climates that I am used to (think spring and fall in the mid-Atlantic region).

Life is Moving All Around Me

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life -- it goes on"

Robert Frost

 Although I feel like my life has been temporarily stopped over this past month, Facebook tells me that other people are still moving. Through looking at my friends' Facebook posts, Snapchats, and talking to them I can that they are back at school or already at their study abroad destinations. And let me tell you, realizing this is bizarre. After all, I am the center of my own universe. I say this because I am only constantly aware of myself; other people drift in and out for various amounts of time. And that's fine. I think this might be how most people view the world. 

So, it is strange to see that even though I am missing from my friends' lives, they still move on. I never expected them to stop in time. I do not know what I expected them to do. Obviously they can't stop and send me messages every day saying "I miss you. Come back into my life." 

I wish I could be there with them, experiencing new things for the first time and falling into routines. I miss being in close proximity to my friends on campus. It is a lot easier for me to stay updated on someone's life when you do not have to expend a lot of effort to see them.

For the past month, I have felt like time was standing still. I got into a routine of going to sleep early and waking up early. I spent most of my time at work. I acted really mature and responsible. My motto for February was "work hard now, play hard later." I watched other people mix their work and their play (school during the week, fun on the weekends) and just kept looking forward to that day when my life could move forward. I am constantly reminded that other people never paused. 

Now, I am too busy to compare my situation to others. I have to look forward, and pack! My time for fun is almost here!

Thank Goodness for Public Transportation

But really, you don't think about it until you need it (or until you start working in places where they try to improve it). And lately, I've been needing it.

I live in a house that shares 2 cars between 3 drivers. As the youngest driver, by default I get the car less. So I have to rely on my parents, or my friends, driving me places. Is anyone else having flashbacks to their middle school/early high school days? (I chose this time period because you're old enough to want to go places on your own, but not quite able to get there.) Unless, of course, I took the bus. 

That's it for local transportation, but what about going a farther distance? Enter Megabus , Metro, and another regional bus service. Thanks to them, I have been able to spend my extra month of winter break visiting my boyfriend, and other friends at University of Delaware, UMBC, and DC. (Shoutout to my dad for driving me to bus/train stations a lot!) It's fantastic because I feel this sense of urgency knowing that I will not be able to see my friends until at least July. Right now, July sounds very far away and I miss them all a lot. 

In fact, today I met a friend in DC. She lives in Northern Virginia and I live somewhere in Maryland, so DC is our middle ground. The best way to get there is via Metro. We visited 2 museums (Crime & Punishment and American Art Gallery/National Portrait), ate, chatted, walked. It was wonderful. We don't see each other often, so when we do it needs to be for at least a day. There was so much for both of us to say that it was hard to fit everything in. For me, it was hard just to start. 

The only drawback was that I had to wait 15-20 minutes for each of my trains today. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the DC Metro system, that is a long time. But I was too excited and tired to really be concerned. 
Also, proof that Megabus is not awful; my trip earlier this month was only 20 minutes late even though the highway we were driving on was a puddle of slush. It started snowing halfway through the 2.5 hour trip. 

Suggested reading:  Why Bus Travel is much Better Than you Think it is 

Let the Countdown Begin!!

Not like I haven't been ticking the days off in my head. One by one, they go so slowly. Now that I finally have one week remaining -- yes, in exactly a week, I will be in a plane on my way to Argentina. -- it's hard to pull myself out of "oh, I still have plenty of time" mode. Although I have less than a week before biggest trip of my life, I lack a sense of urgency. I have to constantly remind myself that THIS IS HAPPENING SOON. I HAVE TO START MOVING NOW.

Today was my last day of work. At 5:10, I had to log of of everything, turn off my computer, push myself out of the chair, put on my coat, and say goodbye to everyone. I usually prefer to sneak out the front door promptly at 5. Today, I said "goodbye" and "thanks for having me" and "let's keep in touch." I enjoyed working at FITP. It was different from my usual desk job. The work was interesting and the people were  friendly. What more could I ask for? (besides a cabinet full of tea, which they had).

I gave myself a week of not working to pack, clean, and sleep before my big trip. I am going to have to stay focused in order to complete everything that MUST get done with the time remaining. I did not do too much during the past month.

So, for the sake of organizing my brain, here is my to-do list for now until Thursday:

1. do more research on Buenos Aires/Argentina (country/city history and reading that guidebook)
2. laundry - wash everything
3. figure out how much of each thing I should pack
4. sort my clothes into "take" or "not take"
5. pack clothing
6. pack other things 
7. weigh and re-weight suitcase to make sure it is within the weight limit
8. finish cleaning my bathroom
9. clean my room
10. clean out that toaster 
11. spend time with my parents and my aunt
12. make a LinkedIn account
13. update my resume (and see if someone from my college's Career Services department can look at it via email)

What's in a Name?

"That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet"
(Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare)

Yes, I did just quote Shakespeare. No, I did not cite my quote in proper MLA format. I have been in winter break mode for 2 months; I think I forgot what that is. 

This is my first post, so I figure the best place to start is with an introduction. "What is your name?" is the first question I typically ask people. So, it will be the first one I answer. I will talk about two names: my own, and the city where I will be living for the next few months. 

Arielle

My name is Arielle. My friends call me Ary; you can too if you want to be my friend. Anyway, I really like my name. It's Hebrew, but the spelling is French. My parents decided to do that because my mom thought the -elle ending made the (commonly male) name more feminine. 

Unfortunately, this makes my name utterly unpronouncable to someone speaking Spanish. In Spanish, you pronounce each letter, and the double L is pronounced as an "ey" (as in hey), and in Argentine Spanish it's "sh". So, put that all together and you get A-ri-esh-e. Yeah, I don't know what to do with that either. (Thanks mom!) 

What am I going to do about this? My first idea is to hope that people will just happen to know how to pronounce -elle. If not, I will do what I always do and say my name whenever I sense someone's tongue is about to trip.

Buenos Aires

According to spanishdict.com, Buenos Aires means...Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. Thanks for nothing online translator. Using my knowledge of Spanish, I can deduce that Buenos Aires roughly translates into "good air." It is a port city, so having good air would be important to the people who named it way back when. After all, they needed wind to move their ships in the right direction. 

Fun fact: Buenos Aires is just the shortened version of the city's given name. Spanish conquistador Juan de Garay named the settlement Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Nuestra Senora la Virgen María de los Buenos Aires ("City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Good Airs"). I am so glad someone decided to shorten it.