Hola hola

It's been a while since I posted something here, but I guess that's because Nati isn't in Argentina anymore. I  can't believe it's been a year since I went over to the Southern hemisphere. We left Febraury 8th and started the trip off with Brazil: ) Many things have changed over the months, I had to get used to the yankee customs again, deal with the hustle and bustle of corporate America, and worry about the woes of school  and finding an internship. Even though I am not in  South America anymore, I continue to talk to my friends there, look for culture & diversity, drink my mate, and practice my Spanish. My memories of study abroad experience will stay with me forever. I like to share these with others who are genuinely interested. The stories and customs I talk about bring these fond memories back. I get sad every once and while when I think of my spontanous, always going, knowledge seeking, spanish speaking semester abroad. But at the same time, I feel blessed that I have had such a wonderful opportunity to meet AMAZING and explore their city. People over there were plainly different than me, but they accepted me into their culure, and it slowly became a part of me. Argentina took me as its own, and I was said that I developed Portena characteristics (for good or for bad, we'll leave that up in the air...) It has made me realize travel is easy and more feasbile than before. I am open to trying new things and look for new experiences. I like to think that I have shared Argentine customs and manners with family and friends, and that I have taken what I love about the country back home with me.

After being back for 6 months, I still feel the same way about that place as I did on that tearful plane ride home. These past months had me considering my career A LOT. I have a more realistic and wholesome perspective on life and what I want to do with it. Marketing and International Business is what I like because it interests me. Plain and simple. I tried all along to like Accy and Fin because jobs are a bit more stable there, but you have to love your major. It's what's going to make me smile every morning when I wake up and feel like I'm doing something with my life. I will graduate in May 2012 with a bachelors in Marketing and International Business, and Minor in Spanish. I finally figured out my major, but I'm working on what I exactly want to do with it. 

There is a saying that the journey is half the battle. I like to think this journey is infinite, no beginning and no end, all in the experience.

Sin Fin

The adventure in south america is finally over . But with every ending there is a new beginning... or a continuation to bigger and better things.

I got back last week. Cried on the plane (yep became more emotional there), was a bit depressed the 1st few days I got back, and found many things about my country that I didn't like (normal symptoms for reverse culture shock). Spending time with family and friends helps, but I still really miss Buenos Aires and the people and things that made my life there unforgetable. I plan on working in south america after I graduate. I would love to work for a US co over there.

I find myself watching telenovelas, listening to spanish radio, reading spanish books, and talking spanish to whomever I can.

Enough of that now... My last 3 weeks in south america can be summed up as: AMAZING- " can't you find a different word to use than that, you use that to describe everthing" as one of my friend's told me while listening me ramble. the truth is no, I can't really come up with a different word that describes the view of Santiago and Valparaiso Chile, the sick slopes while snowboarding in the Andes and the delicious wine/olive oil/ chocolate tours in Mendoza, the beatiful northern indigenous provinces of Salta n Jujuy, the unforgettable rented car trip to Purmamarca, La Montana de 7 colores, the hike to the Garganta del diablo and the Penas of Tilcara,The enormous Salinas Grandes-salt flats, the lovely and wet hike to the waterfalls in Cafayate as well as the wine tours and Cabernat ice cream, and the great 2 days in the more tranqui Bsas: Cordoba with the sweetest cser, Carolina, and the bittersweet last days in bsas with our friends. Nora and I said goodbye  with argentine flare by throwing a fiesta d despedida. We had  pizza and then headed to a fun boliche called Groove for free, where there was also a live band that began at 4am. Ja! It was a good month, and an even better year. Thank you Argentina for an unforgetable experience, you definetely haven't seen the last of me <3

Vacation/Last Few in BSAS

Im leaving this wonderful country tomorrow to go back home. What a shame, I feel i am not done here, I pretty much did everything I wanted to do touristy wise, and I finished my semester here a while back, but I still feel that I am not tired of bsas. I can definetely imagine seeing myself living here, or atleast working here for a while. Schoolwise this semester ended up being tougher than imagined, but still I really enjoyed it. And as a whole experience i can honestly say the cliche line that these 6 months changed my life.
I am 20 years old and have my whole life infront of me, and I can do what I want with it. Buenos Aires seemed to break me down in the 1st few months, and then rebuild me up into more of the person I wanted to be: a more independent, open minded, braver, outgoing, curios, friendly, creative, bilingual person. It made me even thirstier for culture, which I believe is a great thing to have as a way to connect with people throughout the world. I realized thru this experience that anything is possible. 

The way I feel at home here, the friends I made, and the fact that I can actually understand people and have conversations makes me want to stay. I will return someday, I am not sure when, maybe to work, or maybe to visit, but I know that Buenos Aires hasn't seen the last of me. The Argenitne culture has grown on me, and in many ways became apart of me. I will bring it back to the states and add to our so called melting pot. I am ready to see where life will take me now.

Within the next week Ill write more about my trip and post pics, just wanted to get this out.

End of the semester...

Reserva EcologicoVamos Argentina!Concierto de Musica de TangoBeso de un ositoCachorroTigre

ElefantesCamelloCamello

Plaza Italia

Puerto Madero

Chori!Puerto Madero- newest buildingsPeruvian RestaurantYummm!Andres y EmilyChe!

The People who made my leather belt (Cinturo'n)Trying on my cinturon :)

Puerto Madero x NocheCrucigramas at Clem's (super dificil en espanol)Vamos Uruguay- Parque CetenarioBex sippin mi mate:)Circulo Militar- Palacio PazLa Bomba de Tiempo

Phew... haven't done this in a while. here we go. The end of June was rough. But I recieved pretty good grades and passed everything ; ) So my classes are officially done! Woot. I thought I may have had to recuperar-retake my Marketing final- but got a 7 on that. Got an 8 on my Marketing International class- so i didnt have to take the final (funny story- we were supposed to  recieve our grades the following week in class- but the profe wasnt there- so because my profe is my friend on facebook... love it!... I was told by my companeros in class to ask him my grade- now this is very different from the states, where its a safety issue to talk about grades over emails there. but heck- here I am recieving my grade over facebook- I love this country!) My paper for my cuentos clase was finished of course 12 hrs before it was due and was last minute graded by buddies on facebook- hope that turns out well, but I have confidence. Castellano class ended with my presentation on the legalization of abortion in Argentina and a 5pg paper about my stance (info: basically all abortion is banned unless the female is in medical danger or is mentally unstable and was violated). Argentina is very infuenced by the catholic church- as much of south america. It's pretty much everywhere (random: some people here do the crucifix when they pass by a church- let me tell you there are many churches here).

Tuesday night was spent celebrating finishing classes with Nora and Emily, and ended with a police officer cutting off a colectivo so I could safely get home on that same colectivo-ha!)

Thursday we went to Lujan Zoo: aka, the most dangerous zoo in Buenos Aires- and a hell of a lot dangerous than any zoo in the states. We were able to pet lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! And of course I rode a camel (hmmm... thought i would have to g2 egypt to do that), kissed a little bear (grape between my teeth), had a parrot on the shoulder, and fed elefants carrots. Oh man that was a great day!

Saturday I went to the ecological reserve(super pretty- but we got a little lost of course on r way out) after Andres and I unfortunately saw Argentina get their culos kicked badly ( very unlike the week b4 where they dominated Mexico- watched that game in Pamela's house)

 : ( The whole coutnry was pretty down that day, but that didn't stop Maria, Bex, and I from going to a boliche in Ramos Meija- about an hr away in the burbs. Not before Bex got her medialuna con jamon y queso did I return home at 9am the next morning. Good fun! The San Telmo ferriado-fair was nice to go to- met up with Bex and Pamela.

Monday went to see Eclipse with Lauryn, Becca and Sarah- it was in english- and span subtitles- can't stand dubbing! i enjoyed it: ) After the movie we headed to konex to meet up with Bex and Nora to go the Bomba de Tiempo ( group of about 12 percussionists- drums, tamborines, bongos, todo!- which was just as great as the 1st time i went. You can't help but dance when your there! The sounds are electifying!!

Tuesday Bex n I took a tour at Palacio Paz owned by Circular Miltar- not gov affiliated. We had a tour that was great (tour guide knowledgeable and sweet and we had some characters- an opera singer- in our group too! It lasted a few hours and learned about the royal families that lived in Buenos Aires years ago. The architecture was magnificent! there was so much detail and color and everything was so rich.  After grabbing some lunch we headed to parque cetenario to watch the Uruguay v Holanda game. It was a great game! But unfortunately ended with south america out of the Mundial : (. I brought my new mate- already cured- and felt super Argenitne- well i guess there more Uruguayan. (btw Uruguayos definetley drink a lot  more mate than Argentinos- both times i went to Uruguay mate was people's 3rd hand). I had a great dinner last night with mi host mama, Pedro-her boyfriend, her brother and sister in-law. It lasted about 2 1/2 hours, haha. It was interesting to have a different dinner here with older people (random: I definelety find it easier to undersatnd older people here  than my peers because they don't use as much lunfardo-slang-Che Boludo!, speak as quick, and pronunciate better. Argentines- or mostly just Portenos talk a lot... and they interupt a lot, and argue a lot, ha. I noticed this over the months, sometimes It's fine, it makes things less formal, but other times it bothers me, because I tire of the conversation or can never get a word in.) Went to Kika, another boliche last night with Lauryn n Sarah and had a great time. Pretty good music that I was missing- techno and hip hop.

Watched Spain beat Germany-yes!- today at Clem's apartment. We had some pretty good kinda spicy hamburger pasta and fruit kabobs that Clem made:) yumm. 1st time playing crucigramas- scrabble spanish style. it was tough! but I won, haha! I headed to Puerto Madero to enjoy its beauty at night and got stuck waiting 20 mins 4 the subte to strt running, but then I had to walk 20 mins to find a collectivo back home- oy ve! jaja.

Planning on meeting up with Eze(yay!) and Nora tomorrow to hang out in Palermo and see some museos and grab some lunch before hitting a boliche with Esteban. I'm loving not having classes- but this will end soon enough : /

Nora and I are taking an 8pm bus to Santiago, Chile:) this sunday. We'll be traveling for 2 1/2 weeks (CHile->Mendoza->Salta->Jujuy->Cordoba->back to bsas. Im pumped! I'm chillin at my host house until I head out, but I'll be staying at Andres' place when I come back. Hopefully can update b4 my long trip.

Phew fue muy largo!