Spanish word of the day: Esperar. Translation: To wait for. Spring semester has begun for everyone, and I’m here waiting. My program does not start until March, so I have a few months of planning beforehand. To some extent, this experience seems distant, almost like I will never make it to Argentina. It feels that …
Tag Archives: South America
The Land of Seven Moles, Giant Balls of Cheese, and Grasshoppers?
There is no better way to explore Oaxaca than through your stomach. When people think of Mexican food/drink, they think of 10-peso taco stands, rice and beans, and of course, tequila. However, Oaxaca has so much more to offer, it is the gastronomic hub of Mexico after all. Think mole to memelas, chapulines and mezcal, …
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Hey look Ma, I made it!
I had my moment (*queues Rebecca Black*). To be exact, that moment when you’re learning a new language and everything just seems to click. Two months in Mexico and a lightbulb just went off. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means fluent, I just feel confident and comfortable that I can communicate what …
Ravioli with Claudia and Truco with Pullulo
Alright, folks. It’s honesty time. I have never felt further outside of my comfort zone. I have been in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 5 days now, yet since my arrival it feels as though I’ve lived 10 lifetimes. This description may be a little graphic, but I have felt as though someone stuck a metal …
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Week One: Nerves and Excitement
Hola, and welcome to my first blog post here in Peru! Since my arrival on Monday, it has been a whirlwind of meeting new people, learning new things, and beginning to adapt to a new culture. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little intimidated by it all. Being pushed to rely on my semi-rusty …
Fluency?
One of the major things I wanted to work on this semester was becoming a fluent Spanish speaker. Now that I’m almost done, I can’t help but wonder if I actually made it there. I started my Spanish journey in my early teens, and I don’t think that I’ll ever be mistaken for a native …
Homesickness and the Holidays
So the holiday season has come in the US! It started with Halloween (if you consider that part of the holiday season – I think it kind of counts because so many people celebrate). Next up – Thanksgiving! Not here though. While Halloween exists in a very small way in Ecuador, Thanksgiving basically does not …
Hello Nepal and My Sweet Host Family
During these past few weeks, I have transitioned from Chile to Nepal. While some parts of transitioning are challenging, I have had an amazing experience. I live with my host dad and his mom who are Newari, and my host mom who is Japanese. I have two host siblings, a little sister who is four, …
Using Time Abroad to Live Your Dreams
So if you know me, you probably know that I love archaeology, particularly Latin American archaeology. That’s what I want to go on to study once I graduate. If you know West Michigan, you probably know that there’s not a whole lot of Latin American archaeology going on in the area. Not that I blame …
Learning to Live with Uncertainty
The people who know me know that I like to have everything planned out far in advance. Four year planning is one of my favorite things to do, and last minute planning stresses me out. Not knowing what’s going on stresses me out. However, I, along with everyone from my program and 18 million Chileans, …
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