Bye Bye Buenos Aires, Hello New Home

Hola amigos y mis seres amados! (friends and loved ones)

To start where I left off, on my first full in day in Buenos Aires, we saw the south part of the city where there is a strong Italian influence. We visited the port neighborhoods of La Boca and San Telmo, the noveau riche port city Puerto Madero. We also saw the Casa Rosada (where the president, Cristina Fernandez, works) and Plaza de Mayo where every Thursday Las Madres de Mayo march in rememberance of their children who disappeared during the military dictatorship in the 70s. Thursday night we went out to bars and my first Argentine boliche. A boliche is a dance club, and they don't open til 2 am! I left the club wayyy past my normal bedtime, but had so much fun! On Friday we saw the north part of the city, where the architecture is french-influenced and the money is old money. We visited the neighborhoods of Palermo and La Recoleta and saw La Recoleta cemetery where Evita Peron is buried in a huge musoleum. The cobblestone rows of musoleums are like a city inside of the city--strangely beautiful and peaceful, and filled with stray cats! We ate lunch next to the Rio Plata, even farther north and then flew to Mendoza in the evening.

I have now been in Mendoza for two days now and feel at home already! I love my host family. I have una mama named Marta, un papa named Ricardo, una abuela Rosa, two brothers named Nicolas (25) and Marcos (19), and un perro beagle called Mila. They have been making me delicious food pizza, pasta, stir fry (la comida wok), hot dogs (panchos), and salads (ensaladas). We also drink coffee (un cafe) and crackers or cookies (galletitas) in the morning and afternoon. Yesterday I tried mate (a strong herbal tea that is beloved in Argentina) for the first time with my grandma and we shared photos as we passed the mate gourd back and forth (it's a sharing ritual). I also attended Marcos' soccer game and met a bunch of his friends and went to the market with Marta. I also went to my first Argentine house party! It was a birthday party for two twins who know my oldest brother, but I went with American friends from my program. It was really fun talking to the Argentines and I was suprised at how easy it was to understand them and respond without many hesitations.

I'm getting used to the Argentine schedule of lunch around 2:00 and dinner around 9:30 and nights that START after 11:00. I like it so far! As long as I can sleep in or take a siesta in the afternoon. This schedule is all about having time to enjoy meals, enjoy coffee/tea time, and relax. Que linda, si? (How nice.)

Detour to Chile

Hey friends and fam!

Surprise! I saw the Chilean Andes this morning :)
I made it safely to Buenos Aires, Argentina today at 2:30pm after a slight change of plans and a detour through Santiago, Chile. My flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta was late due to a faulty windshield defroster and then I literally landed in ATL as my international flight was taking off. I ran to the departures screen in my huge new backpacking pack only to see "DEPARTED." It was heartwrenching because I'd been told earlier that if I missed this flight I'd have to wait 24 hours for the same one the following day. Luckily I was re-routed on AIR CANADA (of all things) through Chile to Argentina. I arrived at the hotel just in time for a shower and the first orientation session. There are lots of cool people (like fifty maybe?) in our program, all from different places and different schools. We went for a blustery walk around the city streets and then to a pizza place for dinner at 9:15 (typical Argentina meal schedule). It's winter here and totally colder than I anticipated because of the winds. I wouldn't call them BUENOS, but on to more sightseeing here tomorrow!

Una Semana Mas

Hi friends!
In one week (on July 21st) I depart for Mendoza, Argentina for the next 5 months (until December 20th). I can't really wrap my head around that, nor have I tried too hard. You could say I am either living in the moment or living in denial (I choose the first...the glass is half full, right?) Minnesota has been good to me this summer and I'm not ready to say goodbye yet.

Above is a picture I took while biking around Lake Harriet (for the North Carolinians following this blog, this urban lake is one reason why you should come visit me in MN...I promise the summer is NOT arctic, its perfect). I will miss dear Harriet, I saw her nearly every day after work. I sweat there, I unwound there, I ate icecream there, I smiled at all the beautiful strangers there, and I truly sensed God there. I feel abundantly blessed to have had a summer filled with a job (Blooma Yoga Studio), biking, running, burgers, and many warm summer nights spent with dear friends.

If you want to feel how I feel about life as my summer comes to a close, listen to the song "Copperline" by James Taylor. It was my mantra this summer, always playing in my car and in my head. Here are the lyrics (although you really need to hear it, the words and sounds together are transcendent):

Even the old folks never knew
Why they call it like they do
I was wondering since the age of two
Down on Copperline

Copperhead, copper beech
Copper kettle sitting side by each
Copper coil, cup o' Georgia peach
Down on Copperline

Half a mile down to Morgan Creek
I'm only living till the end of the week
Hercules and a hognose snake
Down on Copperline
Take me down on Copperline

Warm summer night, Copperline
Slip away past suppertime
Wood smoke and moonshine
Down on Copperline

One time
I saw my daddy dance
Watched him moving like a man in a trance
He brought it back from the war in France
Down on Copperline

Branch water and tomato wine
Creosote and turpentine
Sour mash and new moonshine
Down old Copperline
Take me down on Copperline

Oh, first kiss ever I took
Stole a page from a romance book
The sky opened and the earth shook
Down on Copperline
Walk me down

I took a fall from a windy height
I only knew how to hold on tight
And pray for love enough to last all night
Down on Copperline

Day breaks and the boy wakes
And the dog barks and the bird sings
And the sap rises and the angels sigh

I tried to go back, as if I could
All spec house and plywood
Tore up, tore up good
Down on Copperline

It doesn't come as a surprise to me
It never touched my memory
Well, I'm lifting up and rising free
Down over Copperline

Half a mile down to Morgan Creek
I'm only living till the end of the week
Hercules and a hognose snake
Down on Copperline
On Copperline
We were down on Copperline
Oh, down on Copperline
Take me back down on Copperline
Lay me down on Copperline

The lyrics are sort of abstract, but after sleuthing I uncovered that Copperline Dr, Chapel Hill is where Taylor grew up. It's half a mile from Morgan Creek, where today stands the James Taylor Bridge on Hwy 15/501 that all you tar heels would recognize, right near the south end of campus. Hercules was his dog. I have no idea what a hog-nosed snake is, what the verse with all the coppers means, or what tomato wine is (but it sounds old time Southern, and therefore is totally charming).

Anyway, to me this song is ripe with some feeling I can't quite name-- something about fleeting summers and home and love and growing up. It makes me feel nostalgic for Minnesota, even though I am here right now. It makes me fall in love with North Carolina even more. It makes me sense growing up as it is happening and picture the events of my daily life as if they were already frozen in memories. That's a wierd feeling! The passage of time scares me. I know these will prove to be rich years, these four years of college, though they are filled with constant transition and some growing pains. Living in Argentina will be another transition, like those I've experienced each time I move between MN and NC, and it will be filled with new challenges and new pains. I will no doubt grow up some more by the time I'm back (since we can't really stop that from happening now can we?) But I know that the memories will be rich, beautiful, and irreplaceable. And so I will take on this adventure! I already feel giddy when I imagine coming home to you! ...coming home to Minnesota just in time for Christmas and coming home to North Carolina in January for basketball season and springtime :) Until then, please follow me on blogspot!