Hello!! First of all, I am very sorry to everyone who is trying to keep up with me for not posting more!!! It will definitely be among my new years resolutions to get better at this! I can guarantee that my lack of posting if not for lack of things to talk about! So much has happen since my last post and I'll do my best to fill you in now:) Since my last post I've made it back from Patagonia, finished school, started climbing, hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the other exchange students in my district, went shopping in Buenos Aires, and spend hours at the pool… literally hours. Anyway… now for the details….
Patagonia. The trip was amazing. Stunning. Indescribable. 43 exchange students, from 12 different countries, on a bus, for three weeks, touring Southern Argentina. We started in Mendoza, a city closer to the border of Chile, and then came back to the Argentine coast and traveled all the way down the coast to the Glaciers of Patagonia. We then returned closer to the border to Chile, stopping in several incredible cities, including Calefate, the major glacier city in Argentina, El Chalten, a tiny city of 1500 inhabitants who live among some of the most incredible mountains in the world, and Bariloche, a city known for exquisite swiss-like chocolate and unforgettable night clubs. During the trip, we were able to go whale watching, walk among penguins, watch flamingos and guanacos through the bus windows, trek across glaciers and though forests, take boat tours past enormous icebergs, gaze upon the artwork of cavemen, and see some of the most incredible sights Argentina has to offer. More importantly than all of that however, we got to spend three weeks making international friends and priceless memories. Although we did spend more time in a bus than I thought was humanly possible, the experience was worth every minute.
After we made it back from the trip, we all had about three weeks left of school. Here, summer vacation in from December to February and every day is a nice and humid minimum of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with the occasional day here and there of downpours, thunder, lighting, and shrieking wind. Due to this unbearable heat, we, either my friends or my brothers and I, spend a lot of time inside lying on the floor or outside at the pool. Sun tanning is a daily activity, something that is difficult for me to partake in due to the utter whiteness of my skin. Needless to say I've gotten more sunburned in the las month than I have in the 18 other years I've been alive. I'd always thought it would be cool to have a pool, and while I am THRILLED that I have one here, after seeing the amount of work it takes to maintain it I don't think its something I'll be investing in one of my own. Pools are basically essential here because it just gets so so so hot and there are no lakes, or rivers, or oceans nearby. However, it cools off at night a little bit though, so I am able to go climbing.
I am fortunate enough to have a climbing gym 12 blocks from my house! I walk there and back every night and climb for two hours. My hands are rather shredded and my muscles are sore almost every day, but the people are great and it's so much fun! I am really happy to be able to get back into something I really love and it's awesome getting to know Lujan's climbing people.
The next great thing that happened was the Thanksgiving dinner. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I invited 23 other exchange students in my district to my house to celebrate this US holiday. Two of the other US exchangers and I cooked all the food, which included chicken in place of turkey, stuffing, cherry sauce because there aren't cranberries, mashed potatoes, vegetables, butternut squash pie because they don't have orange pumpkins, an apple turnover and cookies. Apart from us three US people, it was everyone else's first thanksgiving and I am delighted to report that it was great. The food was awesome and we had a fantastic time.
I've also been spending a TON of time with my on-exchange friends. I actually spend a lot more time with my friends from Argentina than I do with the other exchange students. I love it! My language skills have come a long way and while I couldn't go write a university quality exam in spanish, I can pretty easily have a conversation and understand everything that is being said without having to ask people to talk slow. This is great because I am able to do way more! One day, I went to Buenos Aires with my friends to go shopping. We walked all though the city, to all the street stores, went to two huge shopping malls, and went out to a fantastic restaurant where I got to eat my first Mexican food meal in 3 months. It was absolutely fantastic. I completely fell in love with the city and could definitely see myself living there someday. The people here are just so much more relaxed and happy. Life is less stressful, the people are friendlier, and it just feels more comfortable than it does in US.
Christmas is coming up, and although I am having a hard time getting into the christmas spirit in this insufferable heat in place of the freezing cold and snow that I am used to, I can't wait to see how the holiday is celebrated here. I will definitely tell you guys about it!!