Channeling my inner Argentine

How to be the best Argentine I can be for 5 months.

       "Living like a local" to me means trying my best to assimilate to the culture. I know I am American, and that my American ways might want to trump the laid back ways of Argentina.. but i have the rest of my life to continue my American ways and to live in America. These 5 months are the optimal time to shape my self in the person i want to be for the rest of my life: someone who can handle change with ease and conquer the unknown fearlessly.

g        I am sure that upon arrival and in our orientation group/ class, us exchange students will be lumped together. I intend on trying to make as few American friends as possible.. unless they will be a benefit to my Spanish fluency goal. I wish to be interactive with my host family, for i cant imagine housing an exchange student in my home and them hiding in their room the whole time. Today in Pearson's I was talking about Cordoba with Ben Munger, and we talked about how hungry i will be for the first few weeks. We talked about the meal schedule and how it differs from here in America. This is definitely one aspect i will have to over come and adjust to (hopefully quickly because i like food, and i get very hangry= hungry+ angry)

      

·       What are some of the specific opportunities that you can find through your host institution? In your host community?

       Hopefully as part of the Intercambio UCC, there will be oppetrunities for exchange students to interact and even go on trips to awesome places. I wish to travel if i can and fully experience everything i can. Today me and Kirsten talked about how she wished she would have stayed longer and traveled to place that is no longer feasbile for her to travel to. Even though my classes end June 27, my set departure date is July 31st. I plan to use this time wisely and make the most of the closing of the trip.

·       How are you going to make local friends?

       My ultimate life goal is to be as funny (as i consider myself to be) in Spanish as I am in english. I hope to try to make as many friends as possible. Ben told me that the Argentine's want to help me and will be so intriguied by me. every experience is life is what you make it. here in the states i am so reluctant to speaking spanish and almost feel embarassed to speak it. in argentina if i dont speak the language... ill literally have to no one to talk to and be miserable. so making friends is completely in my self interest and will save my sanity for the 5 months abroad.

·       What do you imagine your day to day life looking like?

       I imagine that my daily life will be similar to how it is here, just with more adventures and linguistical challenges. School will be school, just in all spanish aka like having Mitchell's class 4 times..... The big elephant in the room about my daily life that i am nervous about is public transportation. Both at home and here at school I have easy access to a car and a valid drivers license. In Argentina i will have no choice but to take the bus or whatever public transportation service avaible to get where i need to go. Another issues is.. I suck at reading maps. this summer I got lost in Venice with a map in my hand the whole time. I have this preconcieved idea in my head that me getting lost will turn into somewhat of an adventure.. hopefully my brain realizes that and doesn't freak out and cry like it does when i get lost. 

      I also talked to Ben today about what he did for lunch and he said that packed a lunch every day. As i mentioned before about the differnt meal schedule, hopefully i can find a way to find snacks that I can eat throughout the day until i get fully adjusted.

·       What do you hope to gain most from your approach to getting involved and living like a local?

         I wish to bring back the argentine ways of life back to america (AKA the Siesta.) Here in america, we live such a fast pace lifestyle, so slowing down for 5 months will be an awesome change of pace. I could possible turn into an extreme carnivore while in Argentina and my love for empanadas will increase drastically. I wish to return fluent in spanish, so that upon arrival home only spanish will be flowing through my brain and out of my mouth. I wish to be able to finally communicate with my grandparents in spanish and i honestly believe they will love me more if i can.

      How do you think this will both further your understanding of your host culture and impact your experience?

t    The Spanish culture of Spain has always been a big part of my life, so it will be interesting to be able to compare both cultures and on top of that with America. I look forward to my complete culture shock and hope to emabrace it fully. I want to be able to "grab life by the horns" and just have the most amazing time ever. these 5 months will be my break from reality that is much needed in my life. After my return, my senior year of college begins, along with my last soccer season ever, thesis, comps, law school applications and every other noun associated with the last year of college. this experience couldnt have come at a better time.