Poco a Poco

Little by little, step by step.
1. I finally got my local cell phone to work by taking it to the company's store and explaining to them (in spanish!) what was wrong, why, and what I needed to do.
2. I acquired an adapter and charged this bad boy right back up.
3. I located on a map and then in person the most beautiful park I've ever seen in my life. no exaggeration. It was JUST like in a movie or a painting. When I got to the park, the entrance had a man in a black suit with a big hat sweetly playing the guitar. As I ran past him, there were two lovers sitting on a bench to my right, a women feeding pigeons to my left and next to her was an old man sleeping on another bench. Kids were running around playing and friends were picnicing. Seriously, from a movie.
4. My first successful collectivo ride!!!!


bus # 152 to Avenida Sucre. All bah mah self! Como una Portena.

5. My first legitimate night out to the bars in Buenos Aires where I made some new friends from my program and mingled with a group of australians. If I hadn't realized it before, I know it now... I am a sucker for their accents.

While these small personal triumphs have made me feel more comfortable in Argentina, I have felt even more empowered through simple yet significant interactions with the people here. Three of particular importance to me have been:

1. During my first dinner with my house sister, she took my salad plate that had accumulated a small puddle of balsamic from my accidental overdose of dressing, asked if I minded, and poured it over her own pile of lettuce. That. was. awesome. I loved how informally and comfortably she helped herself to my dirty plate. This sounds kind of odd and gross but it made the initial boundaries between two strangers disappear.

2. Dario, my guia T guide and a professor for the study abroad program is one of the finest people I've ever seen. I shamefully admit to a bashful giggle every time I have to address him. I feel like I'm in fifth grade again, swooning over Jonathon Taylor Thomas. Scratch that, I feel like I'm a freshman in college again, swooing over David Archuleta.

3. This last one is my favorite. My ongoing conversations with the brazilian woman that works for Mirta. After 8 years of hosting students, the novelty of having a foreigner around has worn off for Mirta and her family, but not for her. I don't know how to spell or pronounce her name, or else I would, but the way she excitedly engages me in warm coversation makes me feel right at home. She looks like Aurelia, the Portugese woman from Love Actually and I imagine our realtionship to be like the one Aurelia has with Colin Firth but in a non-sexual way, if that makes any sense at all.


Aurelia wishes me luck every morning when I leave for school.