3 semanas!

Hola!

I am posting... even though I have three more weeks until I leave for my semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

If this is news to you... where have you been? Just kidding; I feel like i've been posting a lot about it and obsessing is all. I am leaving the night of the 24th and I will be arriving about 24 hours later (hours-wise). So about three weeks from today!

I am just working and working on my TEFL class, and now i'm having to start actually prepping to go! I have been researching, emailing, and asking for advice from several people I know that have experienced and/or lived in the city (if you're one of these people- love you, you're the best).

I will be studying at the Universidad de Palermo in the Palermo neighborhood of the city. I am staying with a host mom in Recoleta, the neighborhood next door to it. Apparently it is super nice and beautiful, when I told a couple of my professors that it is where I am staying they couldn't believe my luck! So I have high hopes. If Google Maps is accurate, my building is gorgeous and also right next to a lovely park and cafe. My host mom has grown kids and told me that she hosts up to 8 people at a time- should be fun! I will have a rooommate who is also American and we have been communicating a lot, it's good to have an ally in this process!

All of my classes will be in Spanish, and hopefully I will be taking some like Psychology, Sociology, and a few in the "Latin American Cultural Identity Program" which include Argentinian Society and Culture, Politics, and Literature among a few more. I will probably also take advantage of an Advanced Spanish class that is included in my program just to brush up on my grammar, since it's been a while...

So- the main point of this post. I would like to start my reflection process by stating some goals, expectations, etc about my trip and see how they compare to the actual experience!

Expectations:
1. To be afraid and lost for the first few days. The Spanish is fast, an accent I'm not completely used to (but luckily have had some exposure to), it's a big city... I know that it will be stressful, but I have two weeks before my classes and orientation actually start to accustom myself so i'm sure it'll be fine.

2. To have a small freak out once I step off the plane and realize what I'm doing. Because it still hasn't hit me that I'm living in Argentina for 5 months. A new city. New people. New university. All Spanish all the time.

3. To meet some amazing people! (Expectation and goal)

4. To be stared at a lot. I already get this being tall, also I'm blonde, also I will look lost, also my Spanish is obviously not at the fluent level.

5. To have a freaking blast and never want to leave. If my experience is anywhere close to where it was in Madrid, I will fall in love with the city, have an amazing time, embrace the opportunity.

Goals:
1. To be (hopefully) fluent in Spanish by the time I leave! I feel like I'm just on the brink, and the only thing that will push me over the edge will be to live abroad. Even though I know my comfort level will go up substantially, my final goal is to be fluent (if not at the end of this, then someday soon).

2. To step out of my comfort zones (which I have a lot of, in many aspects). Push myself to meet new people, to experience new things, to party like an Argentinian 21-year-old (which goes from about 1 am to 7 am, and currently sounds like a nightmare to me).

3. To stay in shape; I've been working really hard on my eating and exercise since the new year, and it is so hard to keep this up in a new place, luckily my roommate is a runner and I'm hoping to join the volleyball team! But lots of bread and meat is in store for me. And empanadas. And Malbec.

4. To not let the newness freak me out. There will be a lot of stressful moments and getting used to the lifestyle of being late and unorganized, and the craziness of the city will take some getting used to for me.

I'm sure I will think of other things, which I will post later when it gets closer to the day!

Besos!
-Anna