It's been over three weeks since my last post and I suppose that's because I've gotten into my routine and consequently, time has been flying by like no other. It's terrifying thinking about the fact only half my time here remains.
I've done a lot of exploring by myself during the past few weeks and have been forced to become very independent. I thought going to school in San Diego, ten hours away from my family was independent enough, but there I'm constantly surrounded by other students doing the same thing I am, there's always a roommate around somewhere to talk to, always a friend to have lunch with, and a schedule of things to keep my occupied nearly all the time. Here in Buenos Aires, I'm experimenting with a very different lifestyle. I live in a huge city filled with people doing a million different things, I can really only communicate on a very basic level in Spanish, and I don't know many people here. My gringa-ness is apparent the moment I step out the front door. The bottom line is I'm a foreigner here, and not only in the sense that I'm not Argentine, but in the sense that I'm completely out of my usual element. But that's what I love about it. The only thing I've wanted to do since my experience as an exchange student in Chile was return, and travel more, and experience more cultures and put myself in situations that weren't the norm. I've certainly found that here in Argentina. I can be a very shy and introverted person, and most days I'm completely content with staying around the house watching Netflix and cooking yummy meals, so it's definitely a stretch to make myself get out of the house on my days off and take advantage of all the culture and new experiences that await in this bustling city.
A couple weekends ago I went to a famous market in the main plaza of BA where everything from cheap touristy junk from fine antiques are sold along an avenue that happens to be the oldest avenue in Latin America. It stretches on for blocks and blocks and each Sunday, thousands of tourists flood this street to experience the famous San Telmo Market. However, what I didn't make myself aware of was the fact that since it is such a touristy area, the locals take advantage of us foreigners and pickpocketing is a normal occurrence if you're not careful. Naturally, being the gringa that I am, I fell victim to this petty crime and had my wallet stolen, which included all the cash I had on me, my ATM card, my brand new driver's license, and the subway pass that I had purchased earlier that morning. I didn't even realize it was missing until I walked the few blocks to the subway station and reached into my purse to find my wallet wasn't there. After panic and frustration for my own stupidity set it, I figured out how to walk back home. Fifty-five blocks and nearly two hours later, I was back.
The people from work have been so wonderful. They always invite me to do things with them and have included me in many of their social gatherings. They've really been the reason my experience here has been so great. I'm so grateful to be able to work with a company that is so innovative and that values the opinions of their staff above all. They truly recognize that their tour guides are the face of their company and hold within their hands the success or failure of the company, and treat everyone with so much respect. They work hard and play hard, and I'm so grateful that they've included me in both aspects of that.
With only about four weeks to go here in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I have a lot that I still want to accomplish. For one, practice Spanish more and work on getting rid of this horrid accent. I really just want to take advantage of every single moment I have here because I've worked so hard to make it happen, and now that I'm here, time is passing by so quickly.
Thank you for your love and support in my endeavors. xoxo
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