13/01/2011
Upon awaking from my customary late afternoon nap today, I was greeted by a clear, rich voice singing "My Way." My curious ears led my feet to my parent's bedroom, where I found Mama, Papa, and Rocio all seated around the computer monitor watching a recital by the remarkable Barbra Streisand. Now five months into my cultural exchange, the sporadic reminders of my mother country (such as this one) continue to mentally disorient me. It is similar to the sensation that one might feel upon discovering the maple syrup in the refridgerator. As we all well know, syrup needn't be refridgerated, so the only logical location for Aunt Jemima is in the pantry, next to her friends Captain Crunch and the Quaker. Storing the syrup in the fridge is not bothersome nor harmful, simply out of place. These uncomfortably familiar reminders of my past life belong "there" and "then," not "here" and "now." Though, not to be mistaken, I quite enjoyed the hour and a half that I shared with Barbra this afternoon.
Later in the evening, Ayrton, Rocio, and I went to the ritzy, private neighborhood situated on the golf course to spend time with our visiting Italian relatives. El Golf is like the Argentine Agrestic--obscenely large houses, perfectly maintained, green lawns, asfault streets. I even saw a woman walking her dog on a leash--something that I had not witnessed since leaving the States! The whole scene sent shivers up my spine, as I know that in just six months, I will return to exactly that lifestyle and it will once again become my version of normality. I will sincerely miss the modest, cement homes, the dirt roads, and the roaming street dogs when I reunite with the cold suburbanization of Clarendon Hills.
Speaking of returning home, three AFS students will board the bus this Sunday to do just that. Tonight, we gathered in Gisela's (president of AFS Rio Cuarto) house to wish Matteo (Italy), Helen (Germany), and Pete (Thailand) a safe trip back to their home countries. The interesting part of the going away party, however, was not the party itself, but rather the arduous journey getting there. Ayrton, Rocio, and I left our Italian relatives' house to meet up with Matteo, who lives with a host family in El Golf. A storm was fast approaching and we were walking at an ungodly pace in order to catch the bus. Within minutes, it was pouring rain and lightning illuminated every inch of the sky. Our already hasty pace increased accordingly. Then, the bus drove right past us! We began to sprint in order to catch it, hollering and flailing for nearly four blocks in the hope of getting the bus driver's attention. I, per usual, chose weather inappropriate shoes--my black sandals have absolutely no traction, so I was running about a block behind everyone else, hoping to not end up in the ER in a Humpty Dumpty-like state . Our desperate efforts were fruitless, and the bus continued without stopping for us. We arrived at a nearby gas station, completely drenched, where we caught a taxi. The taxi driver (who I would come to know as Lorenzo), a vertically-challenged, middle-aged man with an impressive beer belly, was quite the character. As soon as we entered the car, he told us that he had been drinking wine all afternoon long. I frown upon drunk driving in general, but particularly in adverse conditions! Luckily, we arrived safely at Gisela's house. Before exiting the cab, Lorenzo gave us a stack of pamphlets promoting his rentable, blow-up castle business, perfect for birthday parties and special events. I kept the flyer, just in case he does business internationally and I ever need an inflateable palace.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Feliz Cumpleanos, Rio Cuarto!
11/11/2010
Between all of my Argentine grandmothers, grandfathers, parents, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters, there are approximately 365 birthdays to remember. (Luckily, birthdays in Argentina are always accompanied by cake, Fernet, and kareoke). As if my calendar weren't already cramped enough, Rio Cuarto also celebrated it's 224th birthday this year.
Being the devoted Rio Cuartense that I am, I decided to join the festivities and congratulate my new city for having more years under it's belt than Nancy Reagan---a true accomplishment. My cousin, Trini, and I went to La Rotonda San Martin to watch the parade, which consisted mainly of folklore dancing and fireworks. After the parade, we went to a nearby ice cream shop, where Aryton met up with us. I discovered that a task as seemingly simple as ordering ice cream is challenging in a foreign country. There were about 50 different options on the menu and the only one that looked even remotely familiar was "chocolate." This did not help the matter in the least bit, seeing as the one flavor that I did not want was chocolate. After having blindly selected my three flavors (butchering the pronunciation and pointing stupidly at the menu), the nice lady wearing the blue hat asked me the order in which I would like my scoops. Oh, how my mind instantly jumped to the various units in math class dealing with permutations and combinations!
"Como vengan...," I responded.
Why must we further complicate the situation with trivial questions like this, Blue-Hat-Woman? My refined pallete will be equally as satisfied tasting flavor B first as it would be tasting flavor A or flavor C first. ABC, CBA, BCA, CAB, ACB, BAC....This is ice cream, not a ten course meal with Elizabeth Taylor! Then Blue-Hat-Woman had the nerve to ask me which syrup I would like on top. I should have said, "Cherry, but only on the middle scoop, please." Sticky floors make me unusually sassy, I think.
Full of foreign flavors (though I am still uncertain of which ones), we proceded to the concert along with the majority of the population of Rio Cuarto. Ever felt like a crayon in one of those obnoxiously excessive 64-pack Crayola boxes? I can now say that, yes, I sympathize with those poor, inanimate, multi-colored cylinders of wax. Strangers' everythings were plastered against every part of my everythings. Despite the claustrophobic and chaotic atmosphere, it was an enjoyable experience, and we even managed to find a milimeter (note my subtile use of the metric system here) of space to move our fingers in an attempt to dance.
Feliz cumpleanos, Rio Cuarto!
Between all of my Argentine grandmothers, grandfathers, parents, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters, there are approximately 365 birthdays to remember. (Luckily, birthdays in Argentina are always accompanied by cake, Fernet, and kareoke). As if my calendar weren't already cramped enough, Rio Cuarto also celebrated it's 224th birthday this year.
Being the devoted Rio Cuartense that I am, I decided to join the festivities and congratulate my new city for having more years under it's belt than Nancy Reagan---a true accomplishment. My cousin, Trini, and I went to La Rotonda San Martin to watch the parade, which consisted mainly of folklore dancing and fireworks. After the parade, we went to a nearby ice cream shop, where Aryton met up with us. I discovered that a task as seemingly simple as ordering ice cream is challenging in a foreign country. There were about 50 different options on the menu and the only one that looked even remotely familiar was "chocolate." This did not help the matter in the least bit, seeing as the one flavor that I did not want was chocolate. After having blindly selected my three flavors (butchering the pronunciation and pointing stupidly at the menu), the nice lady wearing the blue hat asked me the order in which I would like my scoops. Oh, how my mind instantly jumped to the various units in math class dealing with permutations and combinations!
"Como vengan...," I responded.
Why must we further complicate the situation with trivial questions like this, Blue-Hat-Woman? My refined pallete will be equally as satisfied tasting flavor B first as it would be tasting flavor A or flavor C first. ABC, CBA, BCA, CAB, ACB, BAC....This is ice cream, not a ten course meal with Elizabeth Taylor! Then Blue-Hat-Woman had the nerve to ask me which syrup I would like on top. I should have said, "Cherry, but only on the middle scoop, please." Sticky floors make me unusually sassy, I think.
Full of foreign flavors (though I am still uncertain of which ones), we proceded to the concert along with the majority of the population of Rio Cuarto. Ever felt like a crayon in one of those obnoxiously excessive 64-pack Crayola boxes? I can now say that, yes, I sympathize with those poor, inanimate, multi-colored cylinders of wax. Strangers' everythings were plastered against every part of my everythings. Despite the claustrophobic and chaotic atmosphere, it was an enjoyable experience, and we even managed to find a milimeter (note my subtile use of the metric system here) of space to move our fingers in an attempt to dance.
Feliz cumpleanos, Rio Cuarto!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Long time, no talk.
I want to truly apologize for being so lax about keeping up my blog. SO MUCH has happened that I have failed to mention to all of you. Anyhow, I have decided to do weekly bites instead of long, detailed blog posts, as I don't have the patience nor silence to sit down and compose something of worth. From now on, you can expect a brief post every week! Hopefully this will help keep everyone informed on my "foreign" life and help me remember everything that happens over the course of the next year.
Monday 01/11/2010:
As you all well know, I am currently attending Colegio Nuestra Senora del Carmen, a private, Roman Catholic, all girls school located in downtown Rio Cuarto. The nun, a robust, gnome-like woman from Salta, teaches two of my sixteen courses. At the beginning of each class, we all rise and the nun leads us in the recitation of a prayer. I, though not Catholic myself, have found that I do believe in some of the teachings of Catholicism. I like to think of religion as a sample platter from Fazoli's--a little bit of each dish is the best way to go. However, today during Bioetica (essentially a class that teaches me how to not have sex, serve my husband and make lots of little Catholic babies---a dish that I prefer to not order with my sample platter), we discussed sexuality and I was absolutely, completely and totally offended. The nun bashed homosexuality for about an hour, calling it an "illness" and a "disability." I wanted to whack-a-nun at that very moment, but decided against it as I'm sure the Church would frown upon that sort of behavior.
After physical education (from 3:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon), I went to Caetano's school to speak to his English class. Basically, a bunch of 6-year-olds asked me how to say such and such a word in English--everything from tooth to cat. It was really cute when Cae introduced me to the class as his foreign exchange cousin from England. The United States, England, what's the difference to a 6-year-old?
After the presentation, Paula (my aunt), Camila (my cousin), Cae and I all went shopping in el centro. Cae bought these bright green, plaid pants that reminded me of something a grandpa would wear to play golf. The entire time we were downtown, Cae held my hand. I think I found my Argentine boyfriend, ladies...too bad he is six! We all drank orange juice at an outdoor cafe in the plaza and got home around 10:00 that night.
Tuesday 02/11/2010:
Today at school, my friend Yamila introduced me to another delicious Argentine specialty called gomitas--basically little fruit-flavored gummy bears covered in sugar.
Almost every day after my siesta, I go on a 6 kilometer walk from my house to the park and back. Today, as I was on my way back to the house, I failed to realize that there was construction going on in front of me. I just kept walking, not thinking much of it, and ended up stepping in freshly poured concrete. Oops! Hoping that no one saw, I switched to the other side of the street and picked up my pace significantly. I guess I made my mark (HA!) in Rio Cuarto.
Papa told me about the Two Year Marathon that happens annually in Rio Cuarto. On New Year's Eve, there in a 10 kilometer marathon through the city. I think I am going to participate in it...or at least try. I have been gaining a whole bunch of weight here (probably weigh about 10 pounds more than when I arrived), so it might not be a bad plan to do something active. They weren't lying when they said AFS stands for "Another Fat Student." Anyhow, the plan is to join a gym and start track with a trainer within the next week. That way I will have about two months to whip my ass into shape before the marathon.
Thursday 04/11/2010:
I went to the AFS reunion today with Rocio and Ayrton tonight. I guess I looked better than usual because before we left for the bus stop, Rofi (my grandmother) said, "Ojo con los chichos, Taylor!" I told her to do the same, which she thought was pretty funny.
After the reunion, we had about an hour to kill before the next bus came. We went to the radio station where Leti, a volunteer with AFS, works. There, she was having a little pre-gathering for her 23rd birthday party. After drinking some Coronas in celebration, we had to run to catch the bus. I lost my shoe while running, which we thought was really funny but the bus driver did not.
Friday 05/11/2010:
Today, I went to el centro to purchase supplies for my trip to the Sierras planned for Sunday. Sunscreen, sunglasses etc...Everything a gringa needs to face the sun. Krypton is to Superman as sun is to gringa. However, my plan to shop failed, as the ATM would not let me take out any money. Let me just tell you, it is very stressful to be in a foreign country without any means to get cash.
Later that day, Rocio and I went downtown again to find fabric to make her dance costume.
Saturday 06/11/2010:
This morning,Patricia (aunt) and I went to the grocery store and then downtown. The ATM worked, thankfully!
Every Saturday from 4:00 to 7:00, I go to Chochi's (grandmother) pottery class. I just finished a really simple starter piece last week and this week started working on a Pre-Columbian piece.
Mama made two cakes today--SO GOOD! One was a Ricotta cheese and orange zest cake (similar to cheesecake but with a distinct texture) and one was a chocolate cake with dulce de leche and rum.
Before having the opportunity to try either one of the cakes during merienda, I went to a cafe in front of the Teatro Municipal to hang out with some friends from AFS. The group consisted of Emiliano (from Rio Cuarto and headed to the US in August), Lisanne (from Belgium), Nina (from Iceland), Sofie (from Austria), Maxi (from Rio Cuarto and Nina's host brother), Elli (from Rio Cuarto and headed to Germany in August) and me. It was a really fun time. Sofie is having a bunch of problems with her host family here, which made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to have such an amazing host family. In a lot of ways, I feel more at home here than in the United States. Don't get me wrong... I love you guys back home, too!
When I got to the bus stop, it was fairly late, so Negra (my dog) met me at the bus stop and walked me home. It always makes me nervous crossing the highway to get to the house---lots of nasty truck drivers think it's cool to honk at the blonde chick. It's nice to have a furry companion by my side to protect me!
Sunday 07/11/2010:
Almost every Sunday, we have an asado with the family. This time, Papa made choripan. So delicious. Basically sausage on bread with tomatoes, lettuce, mayo etc...Never liked meat until I came here.
That night, there was a huge wind storm. As most of the streets in Banda Norte (my neighborhood) are dirt, it was really more of a wind/dirt/trash storm. I felt like I was in that beginning scene of The Wizard of Oz, right before the tornado comes.
Chao until next week!
Monday 01/11/2010:
As you all well know, I am currently attending Colegio Nuestra Senora del Carmen, a private, Roman Catholic, all girls school located in downtown Rio Cuarto. The nun, a robust, gnome-like woman from Salta, teaches two of my sixteen courses. At the beginning of each class, we all rise and the nun leads us in the recitation of a prayer. I, though not Catholic myself, have found that I do believe in some of the teachings of Catholicism. I like to think of religion as a sample platter from Fazoli's--a little bit of each dish is the best way to go. However, today during Bioetica (essentially a class that teaches me how to not have sex, serve my husband and make lots of little Catholic babies---a dish that I prefer to not order with my sample platter), we discussed sexuality and I was absolutely, completely and totally offended. The nun bashed homosexuality for about an hour, calling it an "illness" and a "disability." I wanted to whack-a-nun at that very moment, but decided against it as I'm sure the Church would frown upon that sort of behavior.
After physical education (from 3:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon), I went to Caetano's school to speak to his English class. Basically, a bunch of 6-year-olds asked me how to say such and such a word in English--everything from tooth to cat. It was really cute when Cae introduced me to the class as his foreign exchange cousin from England. The United States, England, what's the difference to a 6-year-old?
After the presentation, Paula (my aunt), Camila (my cousin), Cae and I all went shopping in el centro. Cae bought these bright green, plaid pants that reminded me of something a grandpa would wear to play golf. The entire time we were downtown, Cae held my hand. I think I found my Argentine boyfriend, ladies...too bad he is six! We all drank orange juice at an outdoor cafe in the plaza and got home around 10:00 that night.
Tuesday 02/11/2010:
Today at school, my friend Yamila introduced me to another delicious Argentine specialty called gomitas--basically little fruit-flavored gummy bears covered in sugar.
Almost every day after my siesta, I go on a 6 kilometer walk from my house to the park and back. Today, as I was on my way back to the house, I failed to realize that there was construction going on in front of me. I just kept walking, not thinking much of it, and ended up stepping in freshly poured concrete. Oops! Hoping that no one saw, I switched to the other side of the street and picked up my pace significantly. I guess I made my mark (HA!) in Rio Cuarto.
Papa told me about the Two Year Marathon that happens annually in Rio Cuarto. On New Year's Eve, there in a 10 kilometer marathon through the city. I think I am going to participate in it...or at least try. I have been gaining a whole bunch of weight here (probably weigh about 10 pounds more than when I arrived), so it might not be a bad plan to do something active. They weren't lying when they said AFS stands for "Another Fat Student." Anyhow, the plan is to join a gym and start track with a trainer within the next week. That way I will have about two months to whip my ass into shape before the marathon.
Thursday 04/11/2010:
I went to the AFS reunion today with Rocio and Ayrton tonight. I guess I looked better than usual because before we left for the bus stop, Rofi (my grandmother) said, "Ojo con los chichos, Taylor!" I told her to do the same, which she thought was pretty funny.
After the reunion, we had about an hour to kill before the next bus came. We went to the radio station where Leti, a volunteer with AFS, works. There, she was having a little pre-gathering for her 23rd birthday party. After drinking some Coronas in celebration, we had to run to catch the bus. I lost my shoe while running, which we thought was really funny but the bus driver did not.
Friday 05/11/2010:
Today, I went to el centro to purchase supplies for my trip to the Sierras planned for Sunday. Sunscreen, sunglasses etc...Everything a gringa needs to face the sun. Krypton is to Superman as sun is to gringa. However, my plan to shop failed, as the ATM would not let me take out any money. Let me just tell you, it is very stressful to be in a foreign country without any means to get cash.
Later that day, Rocio and I went downtown again to find fabric to make her dance costume.
Saturday 06/11/2010:
This morning,Patricia (aunt) and I went to the grocery store and then downtown. The ATM worked, thankfully!
Every Saturday from 4:00 to 7:00, I go to Chochi's (grandmother) pottery class. I just finished a really simple starter piece last week and this week started working on a Pre-Columbian piece.
Mama made two cakes today--SO GOOD! One was a Ricotta cheese and orange zest cake (similar to cheesecake but with a distinct texture) and one was a chocolate cake with dulce de leche and rum.
Before having the opportunity to try either one of the cakes during merienda, I went to a cafe in front of the Teatro Municipal to hang out with some friends from AFS. The group consisted of Emiliano (from Rio Cuarto and headed to the US in August), Lisanne (from Belgium), Nina (from Iceland), Sofie (from Austria), Maxi (from Rio Cuarto and Nina's host brother), Elli (from Rio Cuarto and headed to Germany in August) and me. It was a really fun time. Sofie is having a bunch of problems with her host family here, which made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to have such an amazing host family. In a lot of ways, I feel more at home here than in the United States. Don't get me wrong... I love you guys back home, too!
When I got to the bus stop, it was fairly late, so Negra (my dog) met me at the bus stop and walked me home. It always makes me nervous crossing the highway to get to the house---lots of nasty truck drivers think it's cool to honk at the blonde chick. It's nice to have a furry companion by my side to protect me!
Sunday 07/11/2010:
Almost every Sunday, we have an asado with the family. This time, Papa made choripan. So delicious. Basically sausage on bread with tomatoes, lettuce, mayo etc...Never liked meat until I came here.
That night, there was a huge wind storm. As most of the streets in Banda Norte (my neighborhood) are dirt, it was really more of a wind/dirt/trash storm. I felt like I was in that beginning scene of The Wizard of Oz, right before the tornado comes.
Chao until next week!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
HERE!
Oh, dear. Where do I even begin? It has only been a week, but everything is so new, so different. I'm absolutely exhausted from thinking, speaking, hearing, writing, understanding (and sometimes not), and functioning in Spanish 24/7. And to think, I am one of the only AFS students who came to Argentina with a solid foundation of the language.
From the beginning then. This is not going to be composed with care or with any particular outline in mind--sorry for jumping between thoughts.
My bus arrived in Rio Cuarto at 6:00 in the morning on the 25th. I was greeted at the station by my host dad, mom, and sister, along with a bunch of AFS volunteers. On the car ride to my new house, I remember thinking, "Holy shit. What did I get myself into?" My new family was speaking Spanish at a rate foreign to my American ears. On top of that, I was absolutely terrified that the rusty, old van was going to malfunction in some way (faulty brakes, flat tire etc...), as it too was producing noises foreign to my American ears. No seatbelts either--just a bench in the back. Thankfully, we arrived at the house (which is about 25 minutes outside of downtown) safely. Claudia (mom) and Rocio (sister) had made an assortment of pastries ready for my arrival. So delicious. You have not lived until you have tried these little dulce de leche cookies! We chatted briefly and then I slept like a baby in my new bed. Never have I been so happy to be sleeping in a horizontal position--after so many plane rides and bus trips, my body was craving a true good night's sleep. That afternoon, Rocio and Ayrton (brother) took me to an exposition in a nearby neighborhood. There, AFS had set up a booth. For the majority of the time, we sat around drinking mate. Then there was a concert...It was like Ricky Martin had cloned himself three times and created the NSYNC of Argentina. The women in the crowd (so, really, the whole crowd) were just drooling over these guys. I'm surprised panties weren't thrown onstage.
My family lives in the countryside. Lots of land, lots of people. The whole extended family lives on the same land, in separate little houses.
House 1: Claudia (mom), Luis (dad), Rocio (sister), me.
House 1 and 1/2 (the upstairs of our house): Chochi (Claudia's mom)
House 2 (just behind our house): Belen (sister, from Claudia's first marriage), Frederico (Belen's husband), Nacho (their 5-year-old son), and Sofia (11 mo. old daughter)
House 3: Patricia (sister of Claudia), Ro-something (her husband), Trini (their 19-year-old daughter)
House 4: Ezequiel (brother, from Claudia's first marriage)
Then, in the neighborhood really close to the house lives...
House 5: Rofi (Luis' mom), Ayrton (brother)
House 6: Fabricio (brother, 1st marriage), Silvana (his wife), Valentino (their 7-year-old son), Lara (11 mo. old daughter)
House 7: Paula (Claudia's other sister), Something (her husband), Camila (7-year-old daughter), and something (their son)
Our house is the gathering place for the whole family. There are always at least 10 people in the house at any given time. No privacy, which I both like and hate. The whole family eats meals together--breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's more like an event than a meal because each one lasts about 1.5 hours. Also, the concept of "un poco" is apparently irrelevant here. Every meal, my entire plate it filled with food, FILLED! My mom dishes out the food like there will be a famine the next day.
A few nights ago, my brother/sister's friends came over. It's true what they say--the men here are absolutely gorgeous! Franco and Facundo (the friends) could be models for Calvin Kline underwear. We made a few different types of pizza (way more delicious than American pizza) and drank some cervezas. The lights went out because of a wind storm (apparently common here), so we played cards (game called Trucha) and played the guitar. I really like how everything here is so simple. That night was so much fun and involved so little--just the company of interesting people.
The night after that, my family and I went to Hector's house (a family friend, author, musician, awesome guy) for coffee. I cannot even desribe how fantastic this man is. He is probably in his late 60's or early 70's, grey/green eyes, white hair. Imagine an Argentine Merlin--that's Hector. He recited poetry for us (has one of the most lovely voices and speaks absolutely impecable Spanish). Then he proceded to play the piano for us. This is a scene I will never forget. Again, so simple, yet so absolutely perfect.
Started school today at an ALL GIRLS, CATHOLIC, PRIVATE school called Carmen. Yeah, I couldn't ever have pictured myself there either. No makeup, uniforms, hair pulled back at all times, no nailpolish. Thought it was going to be really strict, but it actually wasn't. The girls in my class (about 13 girls total) are super friendly and are plannig an asado in my honor on Friday. I felt famous today--while walking to the bathroom, a group of about 25 girls from other classes spotted me (not hard--the tall chick with pale skin, blue eyes, light hair) and proceded to talk to me for about the next half hour. School is from 7:30 to 5...ugh.
That's it for now. Pictures soon.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Estoy en Buenos Aires
I can feel it. This was the right decision for me.
Currently, I am at an orientation in Buenos Aires. Interestingly enough, the venue in which it is held is an old Catholic boarding school. Pictures coming soon...I have met so many people from all over the world--Myrthe from Holland, Lisanne from Belgium, Karl from Sweden, Victoria from Sweden, Ellen from Norway. It's like a mini United Nations here. Apparently, I do not fit the typical American stereotype as everyone, upon meeting me, thinks I am from Sweden. Perhaps I should not correct them and let them continue to assume this.
Last night, we had a talent show followed by a dance party. I don't think I have ever danced so much in my life! If that was any indication of the night life to come, I cannot wait.
I leave here in about an hour to meet for the first time my host family. The bus ride will be approximately 12 hours, depending on traffic and such. Finally, this all feels so real. I cannot wait to meet my host family, although I'm sure it will be uncomfortable at first.
"Hola, me llamo Taylor. Mucho gusto. Lo siento pero necesito dormir. Buenas noches."
I have not slept for more than 3 hours at a time for the past week. Now I understand why siestas are necessary!
Besos y abrazos until next time.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Last Days
Here is a little photo essay of my last days in town. Coffee with the girls, packing, etc...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Going Far, Far Away Fiesta
As reluctant as I initially was to host a going away party, I am so glad that I did! Thank you all so much for making my (almost) 18 years in Fort Collins so memorable. The cards, pictures, and gifts were lovely and much appreciated. I, the one who is accused of being an emotional blackhole, couldn't help but shed a few tears while reading the kind words in all of the letters. Thank you all for everything, and I will see you guys in a year!
A special thank you to the following people for their generosity:
The Lagonis
The Walronds
Sra. Silveira
The Baums
The Sanders
Stacy Evans
Jeff Randall
Dick Christensen and Tom Lundberg
Now comes the part where I must pack up my belongings. Two days left, folks. It's difficult to express in words how I am feeling at this point. This is a huge transitional phase in my life--I am not mentally in Fort Collins anymore and am not physically in Argetina yet. Where do I invest my time and energy? I'm thinking of just investing everything I have into myself, rather than concern myself with physical location. After several months of dreaming, wishing, wondering, worrying, and stressing, IT IS FINALLY HERE! Hasta luego, amigos.
A special thank you to the following people for their generosity:
The Lagonis
The Walronds
Sra. Silveira
The Baums
The Sanders
Stacy Evans
Jeff Randall
Dick Christensen and Tom Lundberg
Now comes the part where I must pack up my belongings. Two days left, folks. It's difficult to express in words how I am feeling at this point. This is a huge transitional phase in my life--I am not mentally in Fort Collins anymore and am not physically in Argetina yet. Where do I invest my time and energy? I'm thinking of just investing everything I have into myself, rather than concern myself with physical location. After several months of dreaming, wishing, wondering, worrying, and stressing, IT IS FINALLY HERE! Hasta luego, amigos.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
