It is hard to believe that I am halfway through my study abroad experience here in Buenos Aires. As the weather gets colder (I never realized 32 degree would affect me so much...) and I see my friends at Allegheny finishing up their semester, the closest I can get to describing how I feel is bittersweet. I am jealous that the academic part for my friends is over, However, I would not trade anything for the experience I have been given to be abroad in Argentina. This weekend my study abroad program CIEE took us into the northern part of Argentina which a large part is desert. There was a lot of soul searching going on. You realize a lot about yourself and the people around you when you are stuck on a 15 hour bus ride and your phone is dead.
A group of us talked about how we were feeling about Argentina and what we have learned so far. Truth be told, ever since I left Pittsburgh for Allegheny, I have been accustomed to the idea/feeling of a "temporary home." For the time being, the little cabana apartment that I am staying in suffices for a place to stay and after a long day of studying or a long weekend of traveling, of course I just want to return to my room of privacy and knock out, but nothing will compare to my bed in Pittsburgh, or the smell of my mom's cooking through the hallway, or to have the atmosphere of 100% comfortableness. (FYI nobody worry, I am comfortable here, it is just a distinct form of comfortableness.) Also to clarify, it is not the fact that I miss the United States per say, I much more wish that my friend and family could come down here and spend time with me.
Relationships here are difficult to breach. Everyone already has tight knit groups and even though people are usually friendly, it is not the same. Sometimes I just want to kick back with my people and joke or talk about familiar things, like the Steelers or Pittsburgh, things I know... Everything here is new. You're always learning, nothing is familiar.
A rule I learned here very strongly and very quickly is that of masculinity. Argentina is very traditional in some topics, where masculinity of Argentinian men is fragile. Thankfully, all of the men that I am continuously in contact with, are good and "woke." (Eyes open and realize that women are not below men.) I have been in many situations though, especially when going out to the club, when guys just grab up on me without question. They feel that they are entitled to dance with you and try to show off for their friends who is the most macho. Errrr... WRONG! I shut these little boys down very quick. That is the positive I guess, I actually found my voice here that "no" means "NO." I always hear my mom and aunts' voice in my head, "Nobody has the right to put their hands on you... ever!" Even in our program, the women directors warned us that, "It is highly unlikely Argentinian guys want to be friends with you, they're flat out only looking for one thing." However, this is such a specific part of the culture. Like I previously mentioned, there are many good guys that I have met that are genuinely good people.
I can't believe that a new group of students has already been accepted into the study abroad program. It feels like such a long time ago, I was also accepted and calling my mom freaking out and she was also freaking out... but for other reasons. Don't be discouraged by negatives of all the blog posts... take them as a grain of salt. But some advice; EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED & NEVER HAVE A PREDETERMINED IDEA. Be prepared for everything, if your mother packs Vicks and Benadryl in your bag, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT! I REPEAT: DO NOT TAKE IT OUT. You may think you not need that jacket or an extra pair of socks... take it. Trust me. It will come in handy when the temperature drops and you wake up with a stuffy nose and a head cold.
Take every opportunity and let yourself grow, because isn't that what study abroad is all about? Good luck to the newbies and get hyped! This is a chance of a lifetime!
In the desert with some cool rocks
Rockin Allegheny as always
I also wish that my family could experience life here in Australia! So many differences nearly impossible to describe. That would be hard if there were no people from America around for you to converse with, but it's something to look forward to about going back to your real home! And yes, being prepared for anything and everything is one of the best things you can do while abroad! Great picture :)
ReplyDeleteI can connect with you a lot when it comes to this blog post. Whenever I experience something extremely "porteño", all I can think is that this is what I want my parents to see when they come to Buenos Aires. I want them to be able to experience the crazy subte rides, and the throwing of fireworks at protests that make me jump every time I hear that sound of what I think is a bomb. We are all learning so many things at one time, that I think we sometimes forget to sit back and reflect on what is happening. I am glad that the 15 hour bus ride, gave some positive insight into your study abroad experience, instead of the terrible 15 hours that it truly was!
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