So when those of us who think efficiently (read: lazy people) get asked multiple questions that can be answered in the same way...
Oh hey, mythbusting all-in-one blog post.
1. What's the food like?
As much as I hate to support the sweeping generalization about the cuisine of Argentina, the fact remains that we have an entire cow preserved in various plastic baggies in the freezer. Red meat here is delicious, extremely central to the culture and of very high quality (They know it, too.) You will insult your host if you ask for your meat cooked a certain way, and asking for a rare or well done cut of beef at a restaurant will guarantee you even shittier service than you were already getting.
But it's not all we eat. We eat lots of Pasta, and also things like soup or Polenta during the week. Weekends it'll be Pizza, Empanadas or a Tarta (pastry crust baked with egg, tomato, ham and cheese filling) unless we have an Asado. Breakfast and la merienda is Yerba Mate or Cafe con Leche with pastries, cookies, or bread with dulce de leche.
2. What are the people like?
Direct, open, honest, and to the point. Sarcasm doesn't really exist here, and people will always tell you exactly what they mean.They're also very expressive...loud laughter, shouts of excitement, and extremely loud expressions of anger are commonplace and an Argentine can go through all three of them in a course of five minutes. Girls are generally much more jealous and petty. The guys are mostly interested in soccer and girls, and most fall under the latin male stereotype of being unbelievable flirts. They really know how to relax and enjoy life here. I don't think anyone here knows how to hurry..I've gone to a five-hour Asado.
3. How's school?
I really don't want to be the critical foreigner but the school system here is...lacking, shall we say. The teachers are really not interested in teaching at all, and honestly there isn't a whole lot of time where we are actually learning. This week we listened to a teacher tell stories of her youth the whole class...I stopped listening in the middle but the story ended with "And I had an enormous hickey, so I told my dad some kind of bug bit me"
4. How's your host family?
Amazing, all fourteen of them. I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about how much I've loved getting to know them, but I think what sums it up is that I found myself truly missing them on my trip to the north, and I caught myself speed-walking home from the bus station because I was so excited to see them again.
5. So are you like, on Vacation?
This is number one on the list of "Ten ways to piss off an exchange student".
NO.
No, school isn't hard. But completely changing your routine, your habits, being somewhere where everyone is a stranger (at first), and knowing nobody that speaks english...is a lot harder than shooting off an essay from wikipedia. There are frustrating days, and days where you feel completely helpless. There are many more great days, and none of them are easy...but they're so worth it and I'd take them over vacation days anytime.
6. What's it like to be a foreigner?
It's a blast, to be honest. There's a bit of a catch-22, though...I live in a town of 5,000 and I'm the only exchange student. When almost everybody knows who you are, there isn't a whole lot of privacy. Don't get me wrong, it's nice feeling interesting, but let's say there's a weekend that I have one too many...by Sunday afternoon everyone knows..that's probably how I got stuck with my cute little nickname that my classmates gave me.
7. What are some of the biggest differences?
The school system for sure...The eating schedule (Breakfast without fail every morning, lunch at 12 or 1, "teatime" more or less at 5 or 6, and dinner at 9, 10, or 11 depending on the season and if it's a weekend or not) And the freedom. It felt pretty strange at first sitting down in a restaurant or a bar and ordering a Fernet, no questions asked. I've seen a 13 year old girl do the same thing. Also the nightlife...coming from Maine to here was a bit of an on-off switch. Readjusting to getting home by one or two is going to be....un embole.
8. Are you fluent yet?
The truth is, I don't know. Some people tell me that I am, but I'm not sure. I still can only roll my r's on a few words, and I'll always have an accent. I don't have a problem communicating myself anymore....but every once in a while I get stuck on a word or a phrase and have to back up and start over. I do know that I feel really, really weird speaking English out loud now because I almost never do.
9. Have you gained any weight?
A little. It goes up and down a lot and I don't weigh myself very often, but the way my clothes fit hasn't really changed.
And I think that just about does it. Side note: I have absolutely no idea where the time went...In exactly two months from yesterday, I'll be in Kennebunk.
I'm NOT happy about it at all.
Yes, I miss my family, obviously. I'm beyond excited to see them again. There are parts of my old life that I miss too. But I can wait. I just wish I had more time. I have the option to extend to a year...but that would mean I'd have to apply to college here without having visited any, and that's only if I'd be lucky enough to be able to graduate on time. I'd also be missing out on a summer of work, and that combined with having to pay more money to stay just isn't realistic. There's a part of me that really just wants to say "Screw it, I'm staying" but I'm not sure I can be away from my family for that long...it is what it is. I'm not going to want to leave, nor will I be ready, but I will never regret a single part of this experience.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
New month, New blog post
Today we have no school. It's also raining. So, as you can imagine, there isn't a whole lot to do today...which makes it a pretty good day for a blog post.
Why don't we have school? Today's the memorial day of the war en las Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) Which England swooped in and occupied thirty years ago...and there's still some remaining animosity between the two countries. My class all went to watch a movie about it (Which I completely understood, I had a little nerd-fest about that) and we talked to someone who fought there. It was really inspiring, actually...I learned that most of the tension surrounding the subject of the war was due to the fact that so many men died fighting for Islands that, in all honesty, not many people would be living on right now if Argentina had won.. And these "men", were all around the ages of 18 and 20...So many future families and plans and dreams, lost. I actually almost cried watching the movie.
Not much has changed. I still feel very settled, probably more now than I did in my last post, even...I may even be happier. I didn't think it was possible, but I am. I feel less homesick now, as well. Mostly because I've learned how to deal with it better. Sure, there are some moments when it's 3 A.M. and I'm thinking "I would love to just jump in the car with Lilly and go get Dunkin' Donuts and then come home and watch Modern Family" or "I miss people-watching with Dad when we go places" or "I would really love to be sacked out on the couch with mom eating unhealthy food and watching a movie after work" But then I think....all in due time. There is no sense in wishing away my time here, especially when I'm enjoying it so much. Now that I've figured all this out, I really feel like life here is just about perfect.
So now that all the emotional stuff is out of the way....
There really aren't any huge changes that I need to update. That's probably why it's taken so long to write another post. Things don't feel so hugely different for me anymore. Sure, I have the occaisional "Holy Sh*t I'm in Argentina" moment still...but there are a lot of things I've adjusted to, such as:
1. Sleeping in the middle of the day.
2-6 in the afternoon is designated "Let's not do anything time" in Argentina. Everything is closed, and everyone sleeps. If a friend from the U.S. asks me to skype, now I'm like "are you stupid? I'll be asleep." The re-adjustment is going to be rough.
2. The night-owl schedule.
The idea of eating dinner now anytime before 9 or 9:30 is just weird to me. I also remember when I thought it was so crazy that people didn't leave to go out until 1 a.m. Now, it's normal. Shower at 10, dinner at 11, pregaming starts at 12, and we actually usually leave for clubs at around 2:30 and get home anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning, depending on if we had to go out of town or not. And like I said, it's not strange anymore...The idea of being home by 12 is what's weird now.
3. Speaking Spanish
It was weird for me, up until recently, to wake up in the morning to people speaking to me in Spanish...I always needed an adjustment period of about an hour to actually be able to talk. Now, it's expected, and I actually have a harder time speaking in English with people here for an extended period of time. I find myself able to understand almost everything now, which is good...it's a lot more fun going out with friends/having them over when you know what's going on :)
4. Not wearing makeup ever.
Girls here don't wear makeup during the week. Actually, the only time they do put it on is if they're going out to a club. But to school, dinner with friends, having people over, no foundation, no mascara, no nothing. I've never gone a day without having makeup on and I have to say it's pretty refreshing not wearing it hardly ever....Much less work in the morning.
5. Living with someone my age.
I never really realized how different it would be. But I feel really lucky, because talking to some other exchange students, some of them are having problems with their host siblings....and I absolutely love living with mine! It was strange at first not being the oldest in the house, but I'm so happy that I have her for support, and we have a great time together.
So that's it, really. My weeks are filled with School, going to the gym, track, and hanging out with friends....and weekends are for partying. This week's Semana Santa so we only have two days of school. Four day weekend = Mucha Joda.
Oh! I'm also going to Iguazu falls in May.
Chau!
Why don't we have school? Today's the memorial day of the war en las Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) Which England swooped in and occupied thirty years ago...and there's still some remaining animosity between the two countries. My class all went to watch a movie about it (Which I completely understood, I had a little nerd-fest about that) and we talked to someone who fought there. It was really inspiring, actually...I learned that most of the tension surrounding the subject of the war was due to the fact that so many men died fighting for Islands that, in all honesty, not many people would be living on right now if Argentina had won.. And these "men", were all around the ages of 18 and 20...So many future families and plans and dreams, lost. I actually almost cried watching the movie.
Not much has changed. I still feel very settled, probably more now than I did in my last post, even...I may even be happier. I didn't think it was possible, but I am. I feel less homesick now, as well. Mostly because I've learned how to deal with it better. Sure, there are some moments when it's 3 A.M. and I'm thinking "I would love to just jump in the car with Lilly and go get Dunkin' Donuts and then come home and watch Modern Family" or "I miss people-watching with Dad when we go places" or "I would really love to be sacked out on the couch with mom eating unhealthy food and watching a movie after work" But then I think....all in due time. There is no sense in wishing away my time here, especially when I'm enjoying it so much. Now that I've figured all this out, I really feel like life here is just about perfect.
So now that all the emotional stuff is out of the way....
There really aren't any huge changes that I need to update. That's probably why it's taken so long to write another post. Things don't feel so hugely different for me anymore. Sure, I have the occaisional "Holy Sh*t I'm in Argentina" moment still...but there are a lot of things I've adjusted to, such as:
1. Sleeping in the middle of the day.
2-6 in the afternoon is designated "Let's not do anything time" in Argentina. Everything is closed, and everyone sleeps. If a friend from the U.S. asks me to skype, now I'm like "are you stupid? I'll be asleep." The re-adjustment is going to be rough.
2. The night-owl schedule.
The idea of eating dinner now anytime before 9 or 9:30 is just weird to me. I also remember when I thought it was so crazy that people didn't leave to go out until 1 a.m. Now, it's normal. Shower at 10, dinner at 11, pregaming starts at 12, and we actually usually leave for clubs at around 2:30 and get home anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning, depending on if we had to go out of town or not. And like I said, it's not strange anymore...The idea of being home by 12 is what's weird now.
3. Speaking Spanish
It was weird for me, up until recently, to wake up in the morning to people speaking to me in Spanish...I always needed an adjustment period of about an hour to actually be able to talk. Now, it's expected, and I actually have a harder time speaking in English with people here for an extended period of time. I find myself able to understand almost everything now, which is good...it's a lot more fun going out with friends/having them over when you know what's going on :)
4. Not wearing makeup ever.
Girls here don't wear makeup during the week. Actually, the only time they do put it on is if they're going out to a club. But to school, dinner with friends, having people over, no foundation, no mascara, no nothing. I've never gone a day without having makeup on and I have to say it's pretty refreshing not wearing it hardly ever....Much less work in the morning.
5. Living with someone my age.
I never really realized how different it would be. But I feel really lucky, because talking to some other exchange students, some of them are having problems with their host siblings....and I absolutely love living with mine! It was strange at first not being the oldest in the house, but I'm so happy that I have her for support, and we have a great time together.
So that's it, really. My weeks are filled with School, going to the gym, track, and hanging out with friends....and weekends are for partying. This week's Semana Santa so we only have two days of school. Four day weekend = Mucha Joda.
Oh! I'm also going to Iguazu falls in May.
Chau!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Not dead, I promise
It's come to my attention that I'm pretty much the only one that hasn't posted yet since we've actually arrived in Argentina. It's mostly because I've been very busy, but to be honest, ever since started sleeping the siesta any hopes of regular blogging have died a slow and lingering death. If I were to write a really detailed summary of everything that's happened, this would be the torah of blog entries...So I'll stick a cliffsnotes kind of thing instead.
Orientation(s):
The orientation in Miami was...nothing special. It was really fun to meet all of the other Americans that were going to Argentina (and Chile) though! The hotel was gorgeous, but a lot of the information was pretty tedious. We got to the airport at about 4 on Thursday, and Our plane left at 8. We got to Buenos Aires at 6:45 local time (4:45 a.m. for us) and we waited in the airport for a few hours waiting for a few other countries planes to get in. We got to the orientation site a little later, and it was AMAZING. I loved it. Beautiful architecture, amazing landscapes....It was perfect. But that wasn't even the best part. I can now say I have friends in Austrailia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Malaysia, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil....among many others. There's something funny about meeting exchange students. The thing we all have in common is that we have nothing in common. We're all going through the same experience, yes, but we're coming from all different backgrounds and situations and cultures and we're all doing this for different reasons. But in that, we have a very deep mutual level of respect for eachother and it's amazing how in two days I feel so close with so many people.
EXTREMELY Abridged summary of my first three weeks:
My very first night, my host family picked me up at 4 A.M. at a gas station in Chazón and informed me that I better have slept on the bus because "We're going to a party"....and that served as a pretty accurate preview as to what the rest of my exchange was going to be like. I spent my first few days going around town with Mica and meeting people while I was still on summer vacation, and then school started, more on that later, it's a post unto itself. I couldn't be happier with my host family, and I'm really starting to feel comfortable here, like this is my home. I have a routine, I feel comfortable eating (strange sentiment, I know, but if you know me you know I'm not a huge fan of eating in front of people I don't know well yet) But I'm happy here. I feel healthy, content, adjusted, (aside from the siesta sleeping pattern....that still screws with me a bit) and I know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Some of my favorite things:
1. The food.
Good lord. Milanesa, Empanadas, Asado, Locro, Alfajores, DULCE DE LECHE, Mate....it's all way too good. Every single thing I've tried, I've loved. I even like sausage here. I hate sausage in the United States. Can't stand it. Here, It's delicious. Same goes for beer.
2. The way the town is organized.
I can walk everywhere. To buy clothes, food, go to the bank...El centro is not even a two minute walk away from my house. Everything is accessible. The only thing that's kind of weird is that there is only one two-way street in the entire town.
3. La JODA! (partying)
This definitely had to get recognition, blogwise. In three weeks, I've had 6 weekend nights, and out of those 6, there has only been one where I haven't been to a party or a boliche (and I still didn't get home until 3) and only two where I've made it home before 7 or 7:30. Boliches (clubs) are amazing. Think homecoming, but people actually dance (It's called cuarteto, it's kind of like salsa, but not...hard to explain) there is lots of alcohol, it doesn't start until 1:30 in the morning, and there are three times as many people. And it's a legitimate club, like you see on T.V., instead of a sweaty gym. All of my friends at school always ask me, ¿Te gusta la joda acá? With a look on their face that already knows the answer...It's a mix of "yeah, so does everyone else" and "I saw you last weekend, don't lie to me"
4. The strange and hilarious mix of where my language skills are at.
As I'm sure you've probably noticed, my English is starting to slip in several different places. In fact, I've had to go back more than once in this blog post to fix things that don't make much sense at all. I didn't start to notice until yesterday, when I said "Open your horizons" instead of "broaden", and I forgot how to correctly use the word "hinder". The difference between There, Their, They're, and There're is starting to confuse me a lot as well. If someone is trying to speak to me in English with even a hint of an Argentine accent, I have a really hard time staying with English. I'll say something like, "Yeah, I really like the town, todos son muy amables, simpáticos, y el asado es riquísimo" I had my first dream in Spanish earlier this week. You all must be thinking "She's already fluent!" HAH. That is not the case, at all. I haven't been here long enough. I'm just in a strange limbo between languages and honestly it's kind of hilarious, especially when you're talking to your exchange student friends and they have the same problem. (Tyler... Steak vs. Stake, Scared vs. Scarred)
5. The people, especially my host family
Everyone I've met is just....Friendly. Nice, open, caring...There isn't as much social stigma (am I even using that word correctly?) as there is in the United States. I was so nervous that because of the language barrier (honestly, sometimes when I talk people just stare at me, mouth agape, because it's instantly obvious that I'm not from here) That people wouldn't like me. But with a sigh of relief, I can say that hasn't been the case. As for my host family, they're something else. I got so lucky being placed with them. And it's not even just the ones I live with, but the extended family, all the brothers and sisters that don't live at home anymore and their kids. Just last night, all of us hermanos got together at Fede's house for an Asado, and it felt so great to be included and really feel accepted by all of them as a legitimate sister. We drank wine, ate delicious food, talked, and I really felt like I belonged there.
6. The hombres.
They're gorgeous, enough said.
7. My name.
It's hilarious what happens with my name here. When I say it when meeting people for the first time, their faces instantly light up with "You're the foreign girl that I heard about!" Because the way it's pronounced compared with the way it's spelled make absolutely no sense in the spanish language. It's even funnier listening to people try to pronounce it.
- ¿Cómo te llamas?
- Avery.
- Ah....bay...ree?
With of course, the hard R. And my last name with the rolled one...
- "Re fácil su apellido...Barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrros"
Chau, Boludos.
Orientation(s):
The orientation in Miami was...nothing special. It was really fun to meet all of the other Americans that were going to Argentina (and Chile) though! The hotel was gorgeous, but a lot of the information was pretty tedious. We got to the airport at about 4 on Thursday, and Our plane left at 8. We got to Buenos Aires at 6:45 local time (4:45 a.m. for us) and we waited in the airport for a few hours waiting for a few other countries planes to get in. We got to the orientation site a little later, and it was AMAZING. I loved it. Beautiful architecture, amazing landscapes....It was perfect. But that wasn't even the best part. I can now say I have friends in Austrailia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Malaysia, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil....among many others. There's something funny about meeting exchange students. The thing we all have in common is that we have nothing in common. We're all going through the same experience, yes, but we're coming from all different backgrounds and situations and cultures and we're all doing this for different reasons. But in that, we have a very deep mutual level of respect for eachother and it's amazing how in two days I feel so close with so many people.
EXTREMELY Abridged summary of my first three weeks:
My very first night, my host family picked me up at 4 A.M. at a gas station in Chazón and informed me that I better have slept on the bus because "We're going to a party"....and that served as a pretty accurate preview as to what the rest of my exchange was going to be like. I spent my first few days going around town with Mica and meeting people while I was still on summer vacation, and then school started, more on that later, it's a post unto itself. I couldn't be happier with my host family, and I'm really starting to feel comfortable here, like this is my home. I have a routine, I feel comfortable eating (strange sentiment, I know, but if you know me you know I'm not a huge fan of eating in front of people I don't know well yet) But I'm happy here. I feel healthy, content, adjusted, (aside from the siesta sleeping pattern....that still screws with me a bit) and I know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Some of my favorite things:
1. The food.
Good lord. Milanesa, Empanadas, Asado, Locro, Alfajores, DULCE DE LECHE, Mate....it's all way too good. Every single thing I've tried, I've loved. I even like sausage here. I hate sausage in the United States. Can't stand it. Here, It's delicious. Same goes for beer.
2. The way the town is organized.
I can walk everywhere. To buy clothes, food, go to the bank...El centro is not even a two minute walk away from my house. Everything is accessible. The only thing that's kind of weird is that there is only one two-way street in the entire town.
3. La JODA! (partying)
This definitely had to get recognition, blogwise. In three weeks, I've had 6 weekend nights, and out of those 6, there has only been one where I haven't been to a party or a boliche (and I still didn't get home until 3) and only two where I've made it home before 7 or 7:30. Boliches (clubs) are amazing. Think homecoming, but people actually dance (It's called cuarteto, it's kind of like salsa, but not...hard to explain) there is lots of alcohol, it doesn't start until 1:30 in the morning, and there are three times as many people. And it's a legitimate club, like you see on T.V., instead of a sweaty gym. All of my friends at school always ask me, ¿Te gusta la joda acá? With a look on their face that already knows the answer...It's a mix of "yeah, so does everyone else" and "I saw you last weekend, don't lie to me"
4. The strange and hilarious mix of where my language skills are at.
As I'm sure you've probably noticed, my English is starting to slip in several different places. In fact, I've had to go back more than once in this blog post to fix things that don't make much sense at all. I didn't start to notice until yesterday, when I said "Open your horizons" instead of "broaden", and I forgot how to correctly use the word "hinder". The difference between There, Their, They're, and There're is starting to confuse me a lot as well. If someone is trying to speak to me in English with even a hint of an Argentine accent, I have a really hard time staying with English. I'll say something like, "Yeah, I really like the town, todos son muy amables, simpáticos, y el asado es riquísimo" I had my first dream in Spanish earlier this week. You all must be thinking "She's already fluent!" HAH. That is not the case, at all. I haven't been here long enough. I'm just in a strange limbo between languages and honestly it's kind of hilarious, especially when you're talking to your exchange student friends and they have the same problem. (Tyler... Steak vs. Stake, Scared vs. Scarred)
5. The people, especially my host family
Everyone I've met is just....Friendly. Nice, open, caring...There isn't as much social stigma (am I even using that word correctly?) as there is in the United States. I was so nervous that because of the language barrier (honestly, sometimes when I talk people just stare at me, mouth agape, because it's instantly obvious that I'm not from here) That people wouldn't like me. But with a sigh of relief, I can say that hasn't been the case. As for my host family, they're something else. I got so lucky being placed with them. And it's not even just the ones I live with, but the extended family, all the brothers and sisters that don't live at home anymore and their kids. Just last night, all of us hermanos got together at Fede's house for an Asado, and it felt so great to be included and really feel accepted by all of them as a legitimate sister. We drank wine, ate delicious food, talked, and I really felt like I belonged there.
6. The hombres.
They're gorgeous, enough said.
7. My name.
It's hilarious what happens with my name here. When I say it when meeting people for the first time, their faces instantly light up with "You're the foreign girl that I heard about!" Because the way it's pronounced compared with the way it's spelled make absolutely no sense in the spanish language. It's even funnier listening to people try to pronounce it.
- ¿Cómo te llamas?
- Avery.
- Ah....bay...ree?
With of course, the hard R. And my last name with the rolled one...
- "Re fácil su apellido...Barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrros"
Chau, Boludos.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
One of those "Holy S*&%" Kind of moments.
I realized that I haven't updated this since before I was accepted by AFS Argentina...¿más vale tarde que nunca, verdad?
Anyways, I'll give a very abridged version of what has happened with my exchange since...July.
1. I was accepted by AFS Argentina
2. I was given a host family, a host town, and a school. I'll be living with the Ammann family, and I have four host siblings, although only one (Mica, 17) lives at home. The others are married/engaged and live nearby, but not in the house I'll be in. Fun fact: I'll have five "host nieces and nephews", because my older host siblings have children, so there at least five people in the country that I will be able to understand. My town is called Ucacha, and it's a little less than a 7 hour drive from Buenos Aires. And as for my schools' name.....Instituto Secundario Libertador General San Martín. Seriously.
3. We bought my ticket to Miami. (where the AFS Argentina chapter has to meet for orientation) I'm flying out of Boston....at 6:40 in the morning. Yep. We're leaving the house at 3:30 A.M.
4. I'm in the process of applying for my Visa! Nota bene, future Argentina travelers, when AFS tells you that the Argentine Visa process is one of the most long, difficult, complicated, and costly ones, LISTEN. They know what they're talking about. I have all the paperwork on my end done, but On February 8th, I have to be at the Argentine Consulate in New York for an interview between 10 and 10:30. On the plus side, I get my visa issued to me that day. The catch-22 is that this is a 7 hour drive. Why don't you do the math and figure out what time I need to leave my house.
5. I have exactly 27 (full) days left in Kennebunk.
If you haven't guessed, #5 is pretty much the source of the title. Or the realization that caused the title. Or the phenomenon that caused the realization that caused the title.
I Digress.
But it honestly feels like yesterday that I was at the Fifty day mark. I checked my countdown last night and realized that instead of the amount of days I thought I had left (31) I realized I had 28. 31 sounds like a lot. 28 sounds like nothing.
I realized everything I have left to do, to buy, to write...and then came the Holy S*&% moment.
Allow me to be cliché.
Up until about last night, I didn't feel like I was going. It didn't register or make sense. It's not easy, coming to terms with the fact that a goal I've had since my Spanish was in the "La chica es bonita" phase is being achieved. All of the minute and trivial preparations I've made up to this point finally, in a flash of brilliant clarity, slapped me in the face and said "You're giving up everything you know in exchange (hah) for a new family, culture, and lifestyle"
So that's that. Eso es. There's a lot more that I want to say, but chances are, you'll hear it from me in person before I leave.
P.S. I get super awkward with goodbyes.
Chau!
Anyways, I'll give a very abridged version of what has happened with my exchange since...July.
1. I was accepted by AFS Argentina
2. I was given a host family, a host town, and a school. I'll be living with the Ammann family, and I have four host siblings, although only one (Mica, 17) lives at home. The others are married/engaged and live nearby, but not in the house I'll be in. Fun fact: I'll have five "host nieces and nephews", because my older host siblings have children, so there at least five people in the country that I will be able to understand. My town is called Ucacha, and it's a little less than a 7 hour drive from Buenos Aires. And as for my schools' name.....Instituto Secundario Libertador General San Martín. Seriously.
3. We bought my ticket to Miami. (where the AFS Argentina chapter has to meet for orientation) I'm flying out of Boston....at 6:40 in the morning. Yep. We're leaving the house at 3:30 A.M.
4. I'm in the process of applying for my Visa! Nota bene, future Argentina travelers, when AFS tells you that the Argentine Visa process is one of the most long, difficult, complicated, and costly ones, LISTEN. They know what they're talking about. I have all the paperwork on my end done, but On February 8th, I have to be at the Argentine Consulate in New York for an interview between 10 and 10:30. On the plus side, I get my visa issued to me that day. The catch-22 is that this is a 7 hour drive. Why don't you do the math and figure out what time I need to leave my house.
5. I have exactly 27 (full) days left in Kennebunk.
If you haven't guessed, #5 is pretty much the source of the title. Or the realization that caused the title. Or the phenomenon that caused the realization that caused the title.
I Digress.
But it honestly feels like yesterday that I was at the Fifty day mark. I checked my countdown last night and realized that instead of the amount of days I thought I had left (31) I realized I had 28. 31 sounds like a lot. 28 sounds like nothing.
I realized everything I have left to do, to buy, to write...and then came the Holy S*&% moment.
Allow me to be cliché.
Up until about last night, I didn't feel like I was going. It didn't register or make sense. It's not easy, coming to terms with the fact that a goal I've had since my Spanish was in the "La chica es bonita" phase is being achieved. All of the minute and trivial preparations I've made up to this point finally, in a flash of brilliant clarity, slapped me in the face and said "You're giving up everything you know in exchange (hah) for a new family, culture, and lifestyle"
So that's that. Eso es. There's a lot more that I want to say, but chances are, you'll hear it from me in person before I leave.
P.S. I get super awkward with goodbyes.
Chau!
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