Adventuring in the Andes

Whoa. What can even be said about the past two weeks? Since I don't know where to actually start, I'll just begin!

Kya and I arrived in Cuzco, Peru on December 5. We took about two days to adjust to the crazy altitude, the busy city and the tireless pursuit of tour operators who want to sell everything from Machu Pichhu tickets to toe cushion inserts. We drank a lot of coco leaf tea, rested and begin planning our crazy adventure. Kya came prepared with a tent and a variety of other backcountry supplies and we'd decided we wanted to find a way to reach Machu Pichhu without an expensive guide or a group of obnoxious tourists. The big question was how to begin this adventure. The Lonely Planet guidebook gave little information regarding trekking without a tour group and obviously the tour operators were not eager to share information. The difficult part is that many trails require permits or are bogged down with hundreds of trekkers at a time...not exactly a solitary experience with nature. Eventually we made our way to the Cuzco office of the South American Explorers. These peeps are the bomb. They have clubhouses throughout South America and they exist to support hikers and backpackers throughout their travels. They gave us some info, sold us a map and we even met another traveler (Lester, from the UK) who had spent a ton of time solo trekking in the Andes. Very helpful. We decided on a ten day trip through the mountains. A local guide reinforced that this would be an incredibly beautiful trip, but also muy dura, muy fuerte...MUY MUY DURA. We heard this advice, but it took a few days to really understand what it meant. We left the clubhouse around noon with our topo map and a rough plan to hike from Cachora through the Choquiquerou ruins, through a few more mountains and villages until we eventually reached Aguas Calientes, or Machu Pichhu Pueblo. Next we headed to the central market to stock up on supplies. We invested in lots of high calorie quality snacks...almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts, dried figs, raisins, and fried bananas. YUM. The makings of seriously great trail mix! Next we found avocados, a wheel of cheese, mangos and some other misc treats. We took a break for some evening yoga and finally began packing around 9pm. Headlamps, sleeping bags, llama socks, layers, pocketknives and rain parkas. With our packs full we finally snuggled in for our last night in our warm hostel beds.

Tuesday morning we were up at 5am and staggered out the door at 5:30. Our biggest question was where the trail actually started. We knew that tour groups started in Cachora, but Lester said to take a bus to Abancay. Hmmm. We bought our bus tickets and two tamales from a woman sitting outside the bus. The three hour ride was incredible. We headed out of Cuzco and began winding up and down mountains on the most outrageously beautiful roads. By some miracle Kya noticed a Cachora sign out the window and we managed to convince the driver to pull over and let us off on the side of the highway. Under the curious gaze of the locals we loaded up and began walking down the road. Luckily a taxi showed up and after a good deal of negociating we agreed on a price to drive us down the mountain to the town. On the way our taxi picked up a few other people on the side of the road. This was our first of many encounters with people who spoke Quechua but no Spanish...very interesting. With directions from a group of men enjoying a shared morning cerveza, we made our way to the start of the trail just after 10am. The first few hours we couldn't stop talking about how incredible beautiful everything was. In fact, that was the general theme of the trip! I cannot explain the overwhelming splendor of the mountains, the glaciers, the clouds...everything! Along the way we met another group of travelers...Kristen, Paul and Mitzu. They were trekking with two tour guides, a cook, a mule master and four mules. A full group! We spoke briefly and knew we'd see more of each other throughout the next few days. We finally reached camp around 6pm and my feet were feeling the weight of my 40+ pound pack. We snacked, brushed and were sleeping by 7pm. Party animals!

We knew day two would be difficult. Throughout the first day we'd had the pleasure of looking across to the insane switchbacks on the next mountain. Difficult... but we're not average women or average hikers. How hard could it really be? MUY DURA!!! At 7am we crossed a bridge and began our up the mountain journey. By 10am I understood what muy dura really meant. This trail was insane. There were no pauses, no flats, no breaks...just up up up! At a pitch of between 50-60 degrees I began to question my stamina and my mental toughness. By 1pm I was exhausted. I was drenched in sweat, my pack seemed to weigh 200 pounds, my feet killed and I was COVERED in crazy itchy painful bug bites. YIKES. There was a point where I actually laid down with my pack on and decided I couldn't go on. I was determined to live on the side of the mountain until someone either helicoptered me away or I composted back into the earth. After a pep talk from Kya and a magic Gu packet found in the depths of my back I pulled it together and shlepped myself up the last few kilometers to the ruins built on a mountaintop. Exhausted, we set up our tent and fell in a heap of laughter and hysteria. We'd received more than a few suggestions to hire a mule to make the trek more bearable, but we were just too stubborn. More than anything, we realized how prideful we'd been when considering our options. For some reason I struggle to accept options to make things easier. Why? I think that sometimes I feel like taking steps to make things easier (for example, using a mule) seems like a cop out, or lazy. I'm not sure why, but I know that a day of shlepping up an insane mountain made me realize that sometimes it's just stupid to be stubborn.

Day three started with a huge smile. We knew we were facing another hard day and we got smart and decided to hire a mule for the day. Virtually skipping, we slipped on our day packs and headed uphill for another hour. We found the ruins and explored the foggy remains left by the Inca empire. We learned that they built on the mountainside for a variety of reasons. Primarily, the location allowed them to strategically see what was happening for miles around. Additionally, at nearly 4000 meters, they were at a prime location for sun worship. With our new knowledge and a smattering of pics we began our long fabulous day of trekking without our packs. This day was awesome. Trekking down a mountain and then up was tough, but nothing like the previous day. We camped on the side of a beautiful mountain. From our tent we looked up at glaciers on the surrounding mountains and down on the beautiful clouds forming below. Incredible.

With another mountain pass to summit we decided to keep our pack mule for another half day. We spent the first four hours shlepping up up up through the jungle foliage and into the Andean abyss. The most interesting thing about this trek was that each day had a theme of either straight up or straight down. There were very few moments of relaxed flat walking...VERY FEW. After reaching the summit we wound our way down into a beautiful community tucked in beside a river. It was so interesting to visit and experience places that have no roads, no access except by foot. Imagine if you lived somewhere where your only transportation was to start walking. Crazy.

Days four and five were incredible. We were able to hire woman to cook us the most delicious rice and fried eggs. RICE. YUM. Who knew carbs could taste so so so good?! After so many dried fruits and nuts there was something so perfect about rice. Day five we our summited our highest peak at over 5000 meters...that's 17,000 feet! Crazy business. With our packs we weren't setting any land speed records, but we were making steady and slow progress. We pitched our tent at the foot of mountains and in fields filled with cows. Incredible. After miles and miles and miles and mountain after mountain we finally arrived in Aguas Calientes on day six. We were four days ahead of schedule and exhausted.

Settling into a BEAUTIFUL hostel we showered and purchased our tickets for Machu Pichhu. WOW. On the seventh day we woke up early, ate a huge breakfast and began our final trek to the citadel. After a quick uphill hour we entered Machu Pichhu. It was overwhelming! Incredibly beautiful and incredibly huge! It was so weird to be surrounded by so many people after so many days with just the two of us. It's hard to describe this day. We were so excited to reach Machu, but it was also a bit of culture shock. After a few hours exploring, jumping around and being generally silly we wound our way back down the mountain to town. Ditching the gringo restaurants we headed to the local market for a huge lunch of lentils and rice. We had a great time interacting with locals and learning what we could about Aguas. Day eight we loaded our packs again and decided we were walking out of this town too. With no roads and few trails leading to Machu Pichhu our options were limited. We spent the day walking 30 km down the unbelievably flat and tedious train tracks. Not the most fun day :) Eventually we found our way to a sweet camping spot in ruins above the tracks. Delirious and tired we laughed our way to sleep and exuberantly decided we were ditching the tracks the next day and finding any means possible to get home. Unsure if our camping location was exactly legal, we were up and packed by 5am. We found a trail and walked to the next town. We passed the bus station and kept walking. By 10am we'd had enough and hailed a bus. We spent the rest of the day in a great Sacred Valley town called Urumbamba. We indulged in great fresh juices and bought greens and beans from a woman selling out of a pot on the floor. Yum!

We wrapped our trip up with a final bus ride back to Cuzco. Only eight days, but incredible. Arriving back in Cuzco was weird. It felt so strange to be back among the hustle and bustle of everything. It took a bit of time to readjust, but I did love Cuzco. It's an incredible place with an outrageous history and an indescribable energy, but it's hard to compare to the beauty we saw on our journey. I can't describe our trip any better except to say how thankful I am for the experience. Without Kya this wouldn't have been possible and I can't imagine a better ending to my time in South America. Walking is such a simple thing, but so powerful too. It's crazy to see how far I can go with my feet! I loved every day...laughing and struggling and laughing and sweating and struggling some more and really laughing a lot!

Thank you to Kya for being the best trek partner I can imagine. Thank you to my parents for teaching me to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. Thank you Peru for a great ending to an incredible trip. Thank you to anyone who stuck with me to the end of this crazy long blog!! I love you all and I while I am so sad to end this trip, I'm also so excited to begin the next part of my life. Here we go!

El tiempo se volio!

I cannot believe today is my last day in Lima. The past four weeks started out rough, but flew by in the end. My feelings about Lima are mixed, but in general I am thankful for my time here and the friends I made during my stay. I feel like my Spanish has improved drastically, but there will always be so much more to learn.

Last weekend I had a great time in Trujillo with Isabel. She is a lot of fun and very relaxed so the weekend passed smoothly. We spent Friday night on the bus and arrived early Saturday morning. During the day we visited various ruins near the town. It was incredible and unfathomable to see and touch ruins created over 3000 years ago...3000!!? How is it possible?? I've seen buildings built in 1976 that are barely standing and this structure is from 1200BC?? WHAT?! Mind blowing. Sunday we went to the nearby beach town of Huanchaco. There they still fish in these crazy straw boats that resemble surfboards. I tried to find someone to take me out in one, but no luck. Spent the afternoon braving the cold ocean waters and enjoying some delish cebiche. YUM.

Was crazy sick this week and hopefully the funk has passed. Started feeling ill Wednesday, went to bed Wednesday afternoon and woke up Thursday evening. YIKES. Something like 30 hours of sleep in two days. I think I had some kind of stomach bacteria and I will spare you the details. Yuck.

Tomorrow I leave for Cuzco! Originally my incredible friend Cori was going to join me for this part of the journey, but she ended up going to South Africa instead :) After that I attempted to wrangle a few other friends into coming south, but without any luck. Finally I conceded that this would be an incredible experience and I was ready to go alone. THEN (DUN DUN DUN)...the other day (Wednesday) I found the email address of a friend a met two years ago on a Quetzal Trekkers trip in Guatemala. We hadn't spoken in two years, so I sent quick email to say hi, how are you, etc. Imagine how shocked I was when I received a response that she was on her way to LIMA!!! This world is loco. Kya arrived last night, bought a ticket to Cuzco today, and we're off tomorrow. I am so excited. She is prepared with all kinds of gear and I see a great adventure in our future. It's so random because she is a former Quetzal Trekkers guide and my incredible (but hard to contact) sister Kimmo is a guide there now! Also so random because we hadn't talked in so long, but feels like no time at all. CRAZY.

This internet cafe business is super sketchy so I must say chau (weird, but that is how it's spelled here). Cannot believe I return to the states in only 16 days. This trip has been an incredible adventure and I'm so thankful for my experiences. I'm also so excited to return home to my friends and family soon! Until then...suerte!

Thanksgiving Goodness

Only a moment left at the internet place, but so much to say! This week has been fantastic and I am so thankful for my experiences. Last night I enjoyed an incredible Thanksgiving dinner with friends...so much food!!! Two Peruvian friends went to a lot of trouble to create a semi-authentic Thanksgiving. We feasted on sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cornbread (gf!), grilled veggies, turkey, gravy and even cranberry sauce! We topped everything off with apple pie, peach cobbler and a pumpkin pie. SO INCREDIBLE! I am still full! I certainly wish I could spend the day with my friends and family in the states, but this experience was one I will never forget and I am so thankful for my new friends here in Lima.

Once again, the time has passed incredibly fast. I cannot believe I have only one week left in Lima before I head to Cuzco for two weeks of adventuring. Tonight my friend Isabel and I will take an overnight bus to Trujillo, a city on the northern coast of Peru. Looking forward to a great weekend!

I want everyone to know how thankful I am for your support, love, friendship and incredible words of advice. My life would not be complete without you and everyday I am thankful for the experiences we've shared and your invaluable role in my life. I love you and I am so grateful for the relationships we share!

¡Vaya bien!

The pursuit of happiness

Lately things have been a bit rough. I'm not exactly sure how to describe what I'm feeling, but I have been in a bit of a slump. I'm missing my friends in Buenos Aires. Living with a family is good, but it's so hard to feel like everyone is talking around me or to me but I have no idea what they are saying. Lately I've also felt like my learning has plateaued and my English my actually be getting worse. YIKES. In addition I really miss preparing my own food...especially since my FAVORITE holiday is rapidly approaching and I will not be spending it with my family or friends this year. Finally, there is also something generally a bit gloomy about Lima...I think the cloudy and short days are causing seasonal affective disorder :)

Anyways, the point of all this is that I've been in a funk. Sometimes that happens and I'm learning to accept it, and then figure out how the heck to get rid of it! I'm trying to be more proactive about finding things to improve my outlook on Lima and my life here. I finally pulled my sleepy bum out of bed yesterday morning and went for a run before school. It was short and slow, but it was great to just get outside and move. I'm also spending more time with some of the other ladies at school and girlfriends are great treatment for de-funktifying. Last night I was laying in bed, unable to sleep and I started remembering all the things that make me happy. I thought of my incredible teammates and friends at Cal and all of our crazy and weird experiences. I thought of my incredible family and how thankful I am for our relationships. I remembered some of my strangest injuries and all the times I have ended up in the Emergency Room for various reasons. I thought about my sisters and our many many many years of adventuring. I remembered my wild and crazy running extravaganzas. My first marathon when I was relatively certain I could not finish and some incredible woman gave me sour cream and onion pringles at mile 16 and the crunchy salty goodness propelled me to the next aid station and eventually to another runner with whom I laughed all the way to the finish. Both my relay teams were incredible and gave me enough laughs, songs and moons to last a lifetime (van 2, pod 2 forever!). I thought about the last six miles of my ultramarathon when I had to verbally remind myself to breathe, move my feet and just keep going...and how much I wanted a bloody mary at the finish. I thought about Anmol and how much fun we've had together...discovering new foods, new places and new ways to shorten the incredible distance between the east and west coast and how excited I am to live in the same zip code. I listened to Taylor Swift and thought about how much I laughed at summer camp and how I'll never hear a TS song without remembering Lizzi, Sarah W, Megan and Hannah. I thought about a lot of things!!!

After several minutes of reminiscing I found myself smiling and even laughing as I laid in my bed (under my pink and purple Hannah Montana blankets). Sometimes life is funky, but I am so thankful for all the memories I have to remind me that even when things seem rough, I have SO SO SO much to be thankful for. Thank you thank you thank you to all the people who've helped create my wrinkle lines from laughing so much. I love you all and I can't wait to see you soon. In the mean time, I'm in Lima, learning to make the most of it. LOVE YOU ALL!

Getting my feet wet

I've been in Perú for ten days. So far it's been totally different than I expected. I don't really know how to describe the city of Lima, or more specifically Miraflores, where I am living. It's very urban and it feels really disjointed. Bs As was urban, but it also felt welcoming and inviting. Lima does not invoke those feelings. I don't exactly know how to describe it...it's just different. It's also cold...who knew? Apparently the Humboldt Current comes up from Antarctica and creates a cloudy/humid/coldish climate. It's certainly not winter, but most days are overcast and around 65 Fahrenheit. There is a lot of poverty here and there are many children begging or juggling or dancing in the streets. I've been told that families will actually rent out there children to street vendors and they receive a cut of the profits in return. Very sad.

School is going well and I'm amazed with how much I've learned. I still have loads and loads to learn, but I can finally carry on basic conversations with a bit of ease. It's strange how it felt like I wasn't making any progress and then one day I realized I was speaking and it wasn't a total disaster. It feels great to make progress. I also started learning to surf last week. An adventure for sure :) I like it, but it's much more difficult than I imagined. The standing up isn't so hard...the paddling and wave battling is hard. Today was my third day and much better than my first two times. I love being in the ocean and sitting on my surfboard as the sun sets over the Pacific is pretty sweet.

I'm living with a host family and they are fantastic. There is the grandma (Olinda-70ish), her daughter (Rosana-50ish), Rosanna's son (Renzo-25ish), and Olinda's granddaughter (Daniella-12). A full house. They are friendly and welcoming and generally really wonderful. The only problem I've encountered is the food. Oy. We eat so so so much rice. Most nights we have a giant plate of white rice with a giant side of either mashed or fried potatoes. Yikes. Some nights it's rice and quinoa. So many carbs. I want to ask my host fam for some beans or veggies or something, but I feel very rude and don't want to be insensitive. A tough situation for sure. This morning I had some type of quinoa gelatinous soup for breakfast. I love quinoa, but this was the consistency of throw up. No bueno. I'm really at a loss because they watch me eat and love to hear me say nice things about the food...but it is not easy! Sometimes we have delicious veggies or fruits, it's just too rare of an occurrence. This country has so many incredible incredible incredible fruits, and yet I eat so much rice and potatoes. I have had the opportunity to try many new fruits on my own. I'm obsessed with granidillas, maracuyas, chirymoras, guanabanas, pipinos, mamays and there are so many more to try! I will try to take some photos and post them soon.

Okay, my bill at the internet cafe is adding up fast so I must go. I miss you all so much and hope you are enjoying fall and all of the beautiful changes happening! I love hearing from everyone so please stay in touch. Te amo mucho!!!

A love letter to Argentina

Dear Argentina,

I don't have words to thank you for my experiences during the past six weeks. I cannot believe our time together came and went so quickly. Every day I was surprised by your incredible gifts. Thank you for the unbelievable things I saw...los Cataratas de Iguazu, El Parque Nacional de las Glaciares, los penguinos y las ballenas en Peninsula Valdez, y los calles, edificios y estadios de futbol en la ciudad de Buenos Aires. Thank you for gently introducing me to the incredible foods and beverages of Argentina. Another thank you for the many many dietecas that continually supplied me with a million gluten free indulgences! The pasta, the gnocchi, the chipas, the galletitas, the chocolate covered rice cakes filled with dulce de leche...YUM. Thank you for the incredible staff at ECELA, Bs As and their patience with me as I slowly and painfully stumbled though broken Spanglish with what must be a terrible accent. Most importantly, thank you for my friends...for Cat, Jimmy, Teddy, Willem, Jenny, Suzana, Martjn, Emily, Mark and so many others. Without them my experience would not have been nearly as enjoyable, memorable or powerful. Thank you for the time we spent together and the relationships I know will last for many years.

Before arriving I knew little of your incredible sights, food and people. Though I only lived a moment in your unbelievable country, I felt welcome (except when playing futbol) and at home. Muchas muchas gracias por un experienca incredible. Yo aprendí mucho, pero sé que tengo mucho más que aprender en el futuro.

In the infamous words of Andrew Lloyd Webber (and Madonna)...

Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
Have I said to much?
There's nothing more
I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do
Is look at me to know
That every word is true

¡Me encanta las ballenas!

A very windy, but very incredible day in Puerto Pirimides.

Do you remember when...

These are the first lines of one of my favorite songs. The song reminds me of so many things...an awesome road trip to Cal with Kimmer, the incredible fall of 2003, singing...and lots of other fun things. Before going to Puerto Pírimides I purchased two disposable cameras with 27 photos each. As I clicked away I couldn't help but remember the days of 35mm film and how I either agonized over whether a shot was ¨worth it¨, or I snapped away and then agonized when I had to print 250 photos of the Washington, DC zoo. Now, with the convenience of digital I snap away endlessly, download them to my computer, share them with friends and family, but rarely print them. Anyway, with only 54 shots to work with I was back in photo conservation mode. It was actually fun because I really looked around, I waited for what I hoped would be a good pic, and mostly I tried to be satisfied with memories instead of a zillion photos. Plus, everyone gasps at the sight of a disposable camera and eventually someone asks why I don't have a digital. This is a great segway to the ¨maybe you could email me some of your pics¨conversation :) Anyway, there were many moments I wished I could click away, but I am also exited to print these pics and see what I`ve got. I will eventually get another digital, but for now things are good. I even have two pics left for tomorrow!

My two days in Peninsula Valdéz/Puerto Pírimides were great, but different than I expected. The peninsula is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and world famous for the Southern Right Whale, Magellan Penguins and numerous other types of wildlife. Have you ever seen a penguin, a sea lion and a sheep all on the same beach? Today, I did. Awesome, but weird. I had hoped to kayak, trek and maybe snorkel, but none of these worked out. The weather was terrible yesterday and the wind kept most of the boats in the harbor. I went on a boat to see the whales (so huge, so beautiful), but after only 50 minutes we had to come in because of the weather. Snorkeling and kayaking were canceled for the same reasons. I ended up hiking up to an overlook yesterday afternoon and it was fantastic. I was a long ways away, but from the hillside I was able to sit and watch the sea for several hours. I saw all kinds of beautiful birds, clouds and WHALES. It was really windy so sometimes I may have confused a wave with the top of a whale, but in my mind they were all whales. Eventually a park ranger spotted me and came to ask if everything was ok. He was very nice and even lent me his binoculars. THEN, I truly saw the whales. I saw them spout water high into the air, I saw spyhopping, and then I even saw a few jump into the air! So incredible. It's hard to imagine the amount of power it takes to propel such an immense animal into the air like that. Holy moley. Eventually made it back to my hostel for a nap, dinner and bed. Woke up early today and walked to the beach to watch the sea again. I am so inspired by the ocean. It blows my mind every time I see or hear it. The power of the ocean, the number of creatures that live within in, the unpredictability. It all blows me away. Later I ran into one of the guides from the whale watching boat and he invited me for a maté with his family. Maté is a kind of tea that every Argentinian drinks all day long. It's sipped out of a gourd through a shared metal straw. Might be a bit unsanitary, but it's an honor to be invited. After maté I made my way onto the bus for a tour of the peninsula. A long drive, but was able to see llamas, ostrich, sea lions, penguins, elephant seas and an armadillo. Also, tons and tons of sheep. It's so interesting how many animals live together on the peninsula without bothering each other. I would have preferred to tour in a private car, but without a few friends, renting is much too expensive. I'm glad I went, but if I return I may do things a bit differently.

I'm currently at a quaint but clean hostel back in Puerto Madryn. Tomorrow I go to Bs As for my final night before heading to Lima. The photos I posted on my blog are courtesy of Anmol's old iphone. While I originally thought the iphone was a cool but overrated device, I have to admit that it has been awesome in Argentina. Many places have wifi and with the iphone I can connect without a computer. Also, my friend at school unlocked it so I was able to use it as a regular phone here. Finally, with the loss of my camera I used the iphone camera to catch some pics and then realized I could email them to my blog. SO COOL. Way to go apple!

This week has passed so quickly and I am so thankful for the experience and the incredible people I have met along the way. I don't feel ready to leave Argentina, but I cannot wait to see Peru.

I <3 trees

Hiking path, lake, glacier, mountain...sweet day

View from plane window over lake Argentina

Mt Fitz Roy in the clouds

Hiking in Los Glaciares Nacíonal Parque

El Mar

Last night, after four great days in El Calafate & El Chalten, I flew to Puerto Madryn on the east coast of Argentina. Funny to go from the blistering cold of the mountains to the ocean. Stayed in town last night and today will take a bus to the national reserve called Peninsula Valdez. Planning to stay in the only small down on the peninsula and hopefully spend the next two days hiking, kayaking and spending some time watching my whale friends. Should be awesome!

Traveling is incredible because it can be whatever I want it to be. Sunday I made incredible new friends from around the world and we spent 18 hours laughing and talking together. Monday I went to El Chalten and spent the entire day hiking alone in the mountains. Such different days, but both so fantastic. I wonder what will happen next?

I'm still a bit heartbroken over the loss of my camera, but I'm trying to move on. Hopefully the person who has it now really really really needed it. Oy. Have been debating whether to buy a new one and still haven't come to a conclusion. For now I'm going to start with a few disposables and go from there. Any suggestions?

Hope the start of November is brisk, full of colorful leaves and all around fall-like. Miss you and hope to speak soon!

Sarah, the Sea, the Whales...such a good combination.

Another great day

No internet time left. Great day hiking and just submitted Yale Nursing app. Very productive day!

Being Thankful

Today was an incredible day. Incredible probably isn't a strong enough word, but I am too tired to decide on something better. I got up early this morning to go to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Met Emily (London, UK), Mark (Perth, Aus), Suzana and Martin (Amsterdam, Holland) on the bus and together we enjoyed a fabulous adventure. We took a boat across Lake Argentina, the largest lake in the country. On the other side we hiked in the forest, laced up our crampons, and began an unbelievable ice trek on the glacier. OUTRAGEOUS. We walked for hours and saw rivers and streams running through the glacier. We saw the only living organism on the glacier (a crazy insect that produces antifreeze). We saw pools so blue they looked fake. We went through an ice cave!!! WHOA. So awesome. Eventually we hiked back and enjoyed a hot beverage and a few minutes of relaxation. Eventually we crossed the lake and went to the viewing area in front of the glaciers. The weather was perfect and we had sun all day. We were so fortunate to even see a large chunk fall of the face of the glacier and crash into the lake. So crazy. We got back to El Calafate around 8pm and went to an awesome restaurant for dinner. I had an unbelievably good stew that was inside a delicious pumpkin. Maybe my new favorite food :)

Can't beleive the day is over. Tomorrow I'm headed to El Chalten for another day of hiking in the Fitz Roy Range. Looking forward to more awesomeness. Sadly, my camera went missing yesterday. Not sure if it fell out of my pocket or was stolen, but it is such a big bummer. So sad. Over 600 photos. Thankfully my friend Cat told me to back some of them up last week and I have a few on a friend's computer in Buenos Aires. Today my new friends took lots and I can make copies. Sucky, but things could be much much worse. I am so thankful for such a great day and for the awesome people I met today. Who knows, maybe my camera will magically return. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Must rest my tired body. Buen noche!

El Calafate

Happy Halloween!!! It is so weird that today is Halloween. There were a few Halloween-ish parties in Buenos Aires, but nothing like at home. How I miss the pumpkins, apple cider, costume contests and trick or treating!!! Last week I tried to explain Halloween to my European classmates and the most difficult part was explaining the orgins. Who cares about the origins of Halloween? It's just fun and a great way to celebrate fall! Anyway, this year I am dressed up as an excited backpacker in search of a great adventure :)

After a great night with friends I shlepped myself to the airport early early this morning en route to El Calafate. I slept most of the way and woke up just in time to see the glaciers out the window before landing. WOW. This country is incredible. Last weekend I had no words for Iguazu and I'm at a loss again. My hostel overlooks the most incredibly turquoise lake I have ever seen. Upon arrival I put my Spanish to good use and organized plans for the next few days. This evening I am going to an estancia to hike and enjoy some regional cuisine. I am so far south that apparently it doesn't get dark til 10pm...so funny! It is crazy to think that I am so close to Antarctica. Blows my mind. Tomorrow I am going on a Big Ice tour that should be awesome. We leave early for the Parque National Los Glaciares, trek and photo in the forest that overlooks the glaciars, board a boat to cross the lake, then spend the afternoon hiking with crampons on the ice!!! I cannot wait! Monday I'm headed to El Chalten for more hiking. Adventure, here I come :)

Right now I'm going to town to rent some serious winter clothes. The wind is ripping through the mountains and the temp is approx. 30 degrees. Oy. Yesterday it was 87 in Buenos Aires. Climate shock.

My camera battery is charged, I have warm socks and I'm ready to have an incredible time. I miss the festivities of Halloween, but I really can't complain. In the words of my favorite waterbottle, ¨Life is Good.¨

¡Feliz Día de Brujas! ¡Ser seguros y diviértete!

The last night!

Today was my last day of classes at ECELA, Buenos Aires. I cannot believe it's been FIVE weeks! My time went much too fast and I don't feel ready to leave. Tonight I'm going out with friends and then heading to the airport at 4:30am...yikes. Tomorrow I fly to El Calefate to see the glaciers and do some trekking. So excited! I may go to Bariloche sometime next week and eventually I'll make my way to Puerto Piremides where I'll see the Southern Right Whales! I cannot wait! After a quick week of travel I'm headed to Peru for six more weeks. Craziness. MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!

A big OMG experience

HOLY MOLY. There is so much to say and so little time for internet! This past weekend I loaded my day pack and boarded the bus for a seventeen hour journey to Cataratas del Iguazú (Iguazu Falls). There are no words to describe the falls. Hopefully I will figure out how to upload photos/videos soon, but even they do not do justice to the experience. The bus ride was so long, but I brought plenty of snacks to keep me occupied :) Thankfully, I'm a good at sleeping anywhere and got a solid 12 hours of sleep on the bus.

When I left Buenos Aires the weather report called for sunny skies and a high of 97 degrees. In packing light I only took shorts, 2 tank tops and my favorite stretchy pants. When I woke up Saturday morning there was a monsoon happening outside the bus. YIKES. So much rain. So so so much rain. When we finally got to Iguazu there were trees lying everywhere, powerlines in the roads, no running water and no electricity. Very interesting. We made our way to our hostel, checked out our options and headed into town to purchase plastic ponchos and wait out the storm. Finally the rain stopped and we walked around town and made our way to a lookout where we saw the convergence of the Iguazu River and Paraná River. These rivers meet to form the international borders of Argentina, Paraguay and Brasil. Pretty incredible to see three countries at once. Kind of like putting arms and legs in different states at Four Corners in the Southwest United States. Eventually we took a city bus back to our hostel and finally saw a different view of South America. Living in Buenos Aires has been so interesting because it is so different than many other countries I have visited. People often say it's a European city, and I think they mean it isn't a very poor city. While I have loved the city, I was glad to get away from the urban-ness and into a more rural setting.

A few hours later, sometime around midnight, the power came back on and we made our way to bed. Sunday we got up early, poured on the bugspray and headed to the falls. SO INCREDIBLE. We were able to walk through parts of the forest and see and hear wildlife. We saw the most beautiful (and huge) butterflies. We saw TOUCANS!!!! So cool! We saw weird racoon-like animals call caoti. It was awesome. We were able to walk out on a series of catwalks over the falls and look down. What a rush! It wasn't possible to see the bottom because of the water spray. Like I said, no words for the experience. After seeing the falls, Cat and I began a jungle hike, but eventually turned back because the trail was totally flooded. We ended up meeting a park ranger who gave us a mini-tour, a great bird book and incredible stories of seeing jaguars and pumas. I love meeting fantastic people!!!

The bus ride home seemed much longer than the trip there, but such is life. There were ups and downs and a lot of rice cakes and laughing. There was a broken window and many stinky diapers :) In total, it was such an incredible incredible experience and I am so thankful for the experience! I wish I could explain the beauty and the wonder of the falls better, but you will have to visit to truly appreciate the WOW factor.

This is my last week in Buenos Aires and I cannot believe it's gone so quickly. I am so thankful for my time here and know I will miss the city and my awesome friends when I leave. When I arrived five weeks ago I was overwhelmed and nervous and a bit fearful about my decision. I am feeling a little bit of these feelings about my upcoming trip to Lima, but I know it will work out. I am loving learning Spanish and spending time with awesome people from around the world. I miss my family and friends so much and I am so thankful to have such an awesome support system to cheer me on throughout my life. Thank you thank you thank you for your love, letters and thoughts!!!

p.s. Antibiotics kick booty! Hasta luego sinus infection!

An adventure!

Finished another week of classes and now I'm preparing to depart for Iguazu Falls. Cat, Kate and I leave tonight at 5:30 and arrive tomorrow...at noon. YIKES. So much bus time. We have about thirty hours there and then back on the bus and to class on Monday afternoon. Cannot believe next week will be my last week in BA!!! Time is FLYING BY! Keep your fingers crossed for warm weather :)

Make room for a new empanada mama

This week spring is in full force and we've had a lot of rain. Not the best weather for exploring, but good for all kinds of indoor activities. Yesterday, in an attempt to continue my culinary adventures, I tried to make gf empanadas. It seemed like a simple task...stuff ingredients into a pastry shell, seal, bake, enjoy. I even had premade gluten free pastry shells! In my excitement I hastily plopped tomato, avocado and cheese onto the dough and folded it in half. Naturally the whole thing fell apart and I created a huge mess. After salvaging what I could, I made a rice cake sandwich and put the process on hold. Today I decided to show those empanadas who's in charge. This time I used two masa (dough) circles, figuring more room = less breakage. Again, total mess. Not to be deterred, I mashed the dough into a ball, reformed it into two semi-flat circles and before I long I had a veggie filled object that kind of resembled an empanada! It baked into a golden and flaky creation that looked like it belonged in a Martha Stewart magazine. These Argentines have gluten free figured out. It was delicious and actually tasted more like a pot-pie than anything else. I think the last time I had a pot pie was in 1994, so that was exciting all by itself. Next time I'm going to try a new filling (mmmm...black beans and red peppers!) and try to modify the oven temperature (no degrees on our oven, just hi/lo). Very exciting stuff.

The other fun event of the day was a trip to the hospital. I've been trying to kick a sinus infection for a while now and I'm still full of snot. Yuck. I asked a teacher at school if it is possible to purchase antibiotics at the pharmacy and she told me I needed to have a prescription first. Then she shuffled me into her office, made a quick phone call, and told me her boyfriend is a doctor and I could meet him at the doors of hospital for a free rx. All of this was in Spanish and I had to ask her to repeat the info again. Then I realized that she meant I could see him for free and he'd give me an rx. Excellent! Health care is free in Argentina, but it's not uncommon to wait more than five hours to see a clinician. Yikes. My friend and I took the bus to the public hospital (where feral cats roamed freely), called Gaston (the doctor boyfriend), described my snot in broken Spanish and left with an order for amoxicillin. YES!!! I was surprised that the meds were so expensive, but mostly I'm thankful that 1) I'll soon get rid of this nastiness and 2) I didn't have to wait a lifetime to see a clinician.

One last note on Argentina. Upon meeting someone or saying hello--basically any greeting--it is custom to kiss on the right cheek. It's very friendly and much nicer than a handshake, but also a bit odd. Most of the time I love it, but what about after pilates class or futbol when we're sweaty? What about at the hospital when I know I'm sick? It seems like a bad idea to offer and receive a kiss when I know I have an infection, but it's also considered rude to skip it...so what do you do? Such a conundrum.

Until next time, buena salud y buena comida!

No me gustan los machistos

Seriously chabones, why the hate? A few weeks ago I laced up my running shoes to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon playing soccer with the boys. There were no problems. We all laughed a lot. Clearly they thought it was comical to see a chica juega futbol, but for the most part I was accepted. After telling my friends how much fun I had, I recruited some friends and the four of us went back to the futbol pitch last Saturday. What a debacle. We were three ladies (Americano, Dutch & Norwegian) and two dudes (Americano & Dutch). My friend Michael semi-organizes "team world" (aka non-natives) and a band of local portenos always come to play. This week team world was missing a lot fo regular players and we picked up a handful of locals to balance the sides out. Before we even stepped on the field there were problems. Five or six guys kept complaining about all the chicas (seriously, there were three of us) and how it wasn't fair for us to all play at once. They wanted two of us to sit out and one could play for a few minutes at a time. I certainly don't mind sitting out if everyone has to take a turn on the bench, but they only wanted the girls to sit out. Additionally, there were constant derogatory remarks and inappropriate jokes. My Spanish is pretty rudimentary, but it wasn't difficult to decipher the meaning. Once we started playing it was clear that neither Cat, Fanny or I should expect to receive the ball. At one point I miraculously got the ball, only to be quickly tackled by my own teammate. SWEET. After a while we decided that this was not a fun way to spend an afternoon. I understand that in many countries it is not socially acceptable for women to play soccer or other contact sports with men, but is there really a need for open hostility? This type of event is so frustrating, but also reminds me that not too long ago things were pretty similar world-wide. I am so thankful to the incredible women in the United States and throughout the world who endured so much in their fight for equality. I have a lot more to say on the subject of equality, but I'll save it for another venue :) Right now I just think it's lame that dudes couldn't play with the girls.

The weather is finally starting to really warm up and we've had some beautiful days. Typically a week consists of three to four sunny days, a day of rain and overcast the rest of the time. It's still so strange to think that it's spring when intuitively I think of fall. I started a new Spanish course yesterday and so far it's going well. I cannot believe that next week is my fifth and last week of classes in Argentina. After that, I'll travel for a week and then leave for six weeks in Peru. An adventure for sure.

Thus far my trip is awesome. However, I'm constantly shocked by how fast my money disappears. It's almost like there is a hole in my bank account...is that possible? I don't have any extravagant purchases, but everything adds up pretty quickly. Oy vay.

I'm still trying to recover from last week's sinus infection. It's a slow and snotty process. Really should try to find some antibiotics, but I'm a bit discouraged by my previous adventure at the pharmacy. Anyone have a some good home remedies you can suggest? Too bad I don't have a neti-pot here :)

Time to get down to business and finish my tarea para manana. Also need to translate my cover letter into Spanish for the volunteer program I'm doing in Lima. I think that my cover letter may become much much much more basic in the process :) Hope you are enjoying fall and checking out all the pumpkins for me! Missing you all and hope to hear from you sooooooooon!!! Te quiero mucho!

A short but efficient post

Submitted UPenn BSN/MSN application today!!! WOoo hooooo!!! Thank you thank you thank you to the awesome peeps who read my sketchy drafts of essays during the past few days. Without your help I might still be trying to figure out what the heck to say :) I really enjoyed my visit to Penn last month and I love knowing that I already have a friend in Philly...and she's a nurse...and a Penn grad...and a camp person...and a runner...and GLUTEN FREE!!! Seriously, Penn sounds like a pretty good place to be :)

Still need to finish a few more apps, but the rest should be easier. Why don't they ask the same questions for all the essays??? Not a very efficient process. Oh well.

Still sick :( Mystery meds helping with congestion, but ready to be done with this crap.

Finish my second level of classes tomorrow. YIKES. Tomorrow's exam will cover more regular and irregular verb conjugation (two types of past tense), a bunch of vocab, verbal skillz, and my absolute least favorite, POR Y PARA. Why why why do they need two words and why are the rules so complicated?? After tomorrow I have two weeks of classes, a week of travel, and then I'm off to Peru. Cannot believe how fast time is passing!

MUCHOS BESOS POR(?) TODOS!!!

Una semana y muchos actividades

How is it already October 15th? It feels like I just arrived, but also like I've been here forever. On Saturday I went to the Argentina v Peru fútbol game with my roommates and some other people from school. The game was at 7pm, but we met at 3pm for a variety of interesting activities. First we boarded a bus and drove to the stadium. Well, we thought we were going to the stadium. In fact we drove in circles for about an hour and ended up vary close to where we started. Apparently it was supposed to be some kind of city tour, but no one knew that so we were busy talking to each other instead of looking out the windows. We eventually arrived at a park where there were some pre-game activities...sort of like tailgating. Everyone recieved a ticket for either a free Coke or a free beer. After beverages were distributed we were free to mingle with some other people at the park. This was more an exercise in avoiding the overenthusiastic Argentinian men than socializing. Eventually we boarded the bus again and went to the stadium. We had about a half hour walk from the bus to the actual entrance of the stadium. Along the way there were at least four security checkpoints where we were frisked and our bags were searched. Due to the rowdy nature of fútbol games they do not sell alcohol at the match and drunk people are not allowed in. Random breatholizers were given to ensure everyone's sobriety. Along the route to the stadium there were also a million places to buy jerseys, tshirts, hats, balloons, noise makers, etc. As our group weaved our way through the festivities we clutched our belongings close to prevent anyone from snatching our purses, wallets, etc. Among the chaos I somehow dropped my ticket. I don't know how it happened, one minute I had it and the next I didn't. YIKES. By some freaky miracle I found my ticket on the ground a few steps away. Thank God! Not sure how I would have handled going through all the pregame stuff only to miss the game.

We finally got in, and although our seats were at the TOP of the stadium, we still had a great view. The game was awesome. Neither team did much in the first half...they did incredible things that I could never do with my feet...but neither team looked very cohesive. In the second half Argentina's play improved and they finally scored a goal. Has anyone ever seen Messi play? This man can move his body and the ball in ways I can't even imagine. That is some serious skill. With twenty minutes left in the match the sky opened and we nearly drowned. It sounds funny, but I've never seen so much rain in my life. HUGE drops poured down on us and no one was prepared. It was like jumping in a lake, fully dressed, then going and standing in a shower while trying to watch the game. LOCO. We huddled together until finally a few of us decided to move in search of cover. Unfortunately 5,000 other people decided the same thing at the same time and there was a swarm of people heading for the exit. I feared there would be a stampede, but thankfully we survived. Just as we got under the walkway into the stadium we heard the crowd go wild. We had just missed Peru's goal! OY! As we tried to fight our way back in the crowd went wild again and then manic euphoria erupted. Argentina scored in the last minute to win 2-1 and hopefully secure a place in World Cup 2010. Incredible.

As the rain continued to dump on us we swam out of the stadium and into the streets. I wish there was a way to describe the amount of rain we had in just forty minutes. The bottoms of parked cars were submerged. We didn't bother avoiding puddles, just plowed through them. We dumped all of our electronics in a plastic noisemaker and tied it closed in hopes of saving phones and cameras. No part of me remained dry. When we finally got home we took hot showers, donned sweats, drank hot tea while watching the highlights on TV. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0CEcWeO664. The video doesn't do justice to the weather, but it gives you an idea. It was awesome. So incredible and so wet.

Unfortunately spending several very cold hours in the rain led to a sinus infection. I've been sick for several days and it sucks. Yesterday I finally ventured to the pharmacy to attempt to purchase medicine. Not exactly sure what I got because I left with two packets of pink pills that did not come in a box or with instructions. Where is Tylenol Cold when I need it? I googled the meds and learned they are decongestants...not perfect, but hopefully will help. Yikes. Going to the pharmacy was frustrating, but also gave me an idea of what it must be like for a non-English speaker to go to the doctor or pharmacy in the US. When I'm sick I want comfort. I want a warm bed, hot tea, and some extra care. Trying to explain to the pharmacist exactly how I felt was like trying to catch sand at the beach. I had an idea of what I wanted to say, but then everything seemed to slip away and I was left pointing to my nose and my head and making sniffling noises. It's easy to take for granted the ability to share a language and express ourselves to our peers, teachers, families, etc. I left the pharmacy feeling frustrated and overwhelmed and had no idea what to do with my purchase. These types of experiences are why I came here. I hope that being able to speak, or at least try to speak, Spanish will help patients feel comfortable and able to explain what they need. Hopefully my experience will also remind me to take the time to ensure the instructions are clear and understood. Anyway, just an overall interesting experience and I really hope to be well soon!

It's Wednesday and my application for the accelorated BSN/MSN program at Penn is due tomorrow. YIKES. I'm so close to being done, but I'm having such a hard time wrapping up my essays. Oy. I visited the campus last month with Bess and it was beautiful. I loved the school and the nursing program seems awesome. Must finish this app so I can at least have a chance at getting in! Please send some good vibes my way :) Miss you and love you all!

p.s. Cal had a bye week...hopefully they spent their off week practicing touchdowns.

whoa. another week gone by.

I cannot believe I have already been here over two weeks! The time is passing so quickly and I am shocked when I realize my time here in BA is almost over! Right now I have booked two more weeks of classes and living in this apartment, then I have two open weeks to travel before going to Lima. I'm considering extending my classes and apartment stay by one week, but not sure yet. I spent some time digging around in my Lonely Planet this week and I am certain I want to visit Península Valdés (duh...if I were an animal, I'd be a whale, therefore must go see the whales), El Calafate (ice, so much ice) and Ushuaia too. I think I can do that in a week...but we'll see. Need to make some plans. Will hopefully be going to Iguazu Falls next weekend with roommate and want to make a weekend trip to Mendoza too...so much to do!!! In the mean time I'm still not finished with my nursing school apps...OY. It's so hard to sit down and actually make structured progress on an essay when I'm in such a different setting. MUST NOT PROCRASTINATE...however, I am doing it right now :)

Had a great week in classes, but it's still so hard to feel like I can communicate. On Wednesday I went to an awesome salsa class with some peeps from my school and we had a great time. On Thursday Cat, Teddy and I went to an event at a bar/restaurant called Spanglish. The purpose of the event is to give people a chance to practice their conversation skills in either English or Spanish. There were about 15 tables and each table had a native Spanish speaker. There were about 15-20 English speakers (mostly European and some Americans) and we were initially assigned to tables and then rotated to different tables throughout the night. A bell would ring that would signal the first five minutes of conversation in Spanish, then after five minutes it rang again and we switched to English. It was cool to talk to people who have lived their whole lives in Buenos Aires or somewhere else in Argentina. The Spanish was frustrating at times, but it was also great practice. It was really interesting and I think we'll probably go again next week. 

Today is a big day. This afternoon I'll join about fifteen classmates and we're going to see the Argentinean national futbol team play against Peru. These are always exciting games, but this is one of the final World Cup qualifiers and Argentina really needs to win to secure a spot in South Africa. I've talked to several locals about Messi, arguably one of the world's best players, and he's pretty controversial here in Argentina. He has lived and played most of his life in Barcelona, and many people here don't feel like he's really part of the Argentinean national team. It's very interesting that he's lived nearly his whole life abroad, but still plays for Argentina. In any case, should be a great game and I'm really looking forward to the experience!

p.s. also sending some huge hopes out for Cal today...Dear Golden Bears, I know it's been a rough two weeks but I really believe you are better than we've seen lately. Stay calm, be confident and please score a touchdown today!!! Roll on you Bears :)

¡MARTES!

Today has been a great day. I have afternoon classes this week, from 2-6pm, which is not ideal, but does give me time for other things in the mornings. Yesterday I got my courage up and knocked on the door of a pilates studio and when the woman answered I used my very basic Spanish to blurt out everything I'd memorized about signing up. She looked at me for a minute and then clearly responded, ¨I speak English." It was a bit deflating, but at least I tried to speak instead of just assuming she'd understand me. Anyway, today I attended my first class and it was fantastic. Not only was it free, but I was the only student! At first I was nervous because my plan was to just watch what the other students did and copy them, but obviously that did't work. Rosita, my instuctor, was awesome and patient as I tried to understand her instructions. Her English is slightly better than my Spanish so we each got some great practice. I look forward to my next class :)

Since arriving in Buenos Aires I have read some great books. I brought Life of Pi and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo along thinking they'd last me a while...but they haven't. Both are excellent books and I recommend them highly. Dragon Tattoo took a bit of time to get into, but once I was sucked in I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the next book. I finished both books the first week and thankfully I met a girl last week who was trying to lighten her pack and gave me the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini (author of Kite Runner). I started it last week and finished it this morning in a puddle of sobs. Another excellent book, but very heart wrentching. For anyone who like either this book or Kite Runner, I highly recommend Three Cups of Tea. It is so interesting to read different accounts of what has been happening in Afganistan and Pakistan during the past few decades and all three books have a few overlapping events...and all three are excellent. Anyone else have any good recommendations? I've devoured over a thousand pages of text in the past two weeks and now I have no more English reading material. I did buy a book in Spanish, but I'm a bit intimidated to start it...oy.

Before coming to class today I made a new friend. SO EXCITING. My awesome friend Cori put me in touch with a friend from high school who has been living in Buenos Aires with her husband for the past three years. We met at a place called Tea Connection for an awesome lunch and awesome conversation. I feel so so so lucky to have such great people in my life to help me meet even more great people! I am looking forward to spending more time with Jenny while I'm here...I'll even overlook the fact that she's a Stanfurd grad :)

Finally, I had a great day in class...even if I did yawn a bit to make it to 6pm. Another student at the school was able to unlock Anmol's old iPhone and now I am on my way to the Claro shop in search of a sim card. In just a few hours I may be reconnected to the world via telephone. What a crazy day. Anyway, hope your day was also great and that there were at least a few little things to keep it bright. I miss everyone and look forward to hearing from you soon! ¡Te quiero!

p.s. My UPenn essay is due next week and I'm dreading writing my final essay. I've procrastinated for ages and now must just get it done...uuhhhggg.

Futbol, Argentinian Style

This is a short post, but I'll update with more info later. Only a few minutes of internet left in the day.

Hoy, yo juego futbol in el parque! It was awesome! I met up with a few people from school and we joined a local pick up game for almost two hours of futbol. I was the only woman, which was a bit intimidating. Once we started playing it was hilarious. We had people of all ages, from nineteen to over sixty years old! I hope I can still play at sixty! We played in the park and we all took a turn falling on the lumpy, uneven ground. We also had to watch out for stray dog poo...gross! Anyway, it was so fun to play and to see how the men reacted to a woman in the mix. I scored two goals and our team won 5-4. I also received a few marriage proposals...apparently it's pretty rare for women in Argentina to play soccer :) I look forward to more soccer weekends! Anyway, the weather was awesome and I spent the whole day outside running around and it was AWESOME! Things are looking up :)

Settling In

I cannot believe I have been here nearly a week! Sometimes it feels like I ve just arrived, and sometimes it feels like I have been here for ages. So far I am safe, healthy and generally happy :) I moved into my shared apartment on Sunday and am still getting settled in. I welcomed myself by making a mega-veg meal with zucchini, eggplant, portobellos, onion, garlic...and QUINOA! I was so excited and surprised to find quinoa in the market! It was delicious, though quite an undertaking in my small kitchen that is shared with five to eight other people. When signing up for my accommodation I was under the impression that I would be living in a small and semi-quaint apartment with one or two other women. I imagined we would be great friends and make great food in our small but functional place. Ideally, I imagined the adorably small and perfect studio my sister Kim shared with Moira in Siena, Italy. In reality I am living in a eight room apartment with a fluctuating number of other students. While I was a bit disappointed at first, it is a nice house and it is clean and eventually I will remember everyone·s names. Also, I have a great little balcony window that overlooks the street. Right now it is frigid outside and I do everything possible to stay warm, but soon it will warm up and I can open the window and sit outside! There is one other girl there from the US (near Chicago) and she will be here until December. Hopefully we will continue to spend time together!

I started classes yesterday and they are going very well. My professor is Juan Manuel and he is an excellent teacher. We have five students total and class is from 9a-1pm. The structure is relaxed, but really good. I am impressed by how quickly we pick up information when surrounded by Spanish. I spend a LOT of time looking things up in my English-Spanish dictionary, but that is to be expected. In fact, my wee dictionary has become one of my favorite posessions. I have spent a great amount of time in the grocery store looking up foods in Spanish and looking up Spanish words in English. I also ask a lot of questions :) The unfortunate shop keeper who comes in contact with me is rarely spared fewer than five questions...most of which probably make no sense. Yesterday I spent over an hour in a small natural foods store with Marco, an elderly grocer who spoke no English but was very patient as I rambled and fumbled with my dictionary. Gluten free foods have been surprisingly easy to find because Argentina requires companies to label all gf items. The regular stores always have at least a few items...crackers, cookies, etc. and natural foods stores have many more. Yesterday I found cakes, bread, empanadas, quiche, pie crusts, bread and many other items. These stores also sell lots of nuts and dried fruits so I have managed to maintain my weird food habits quite easily.

Not too much else to report. This evening I will go with a group from the school on a city tour. I have walked around the city a TON, but am still excited to learn more about the history and the culture. It is also a great opportunity to meet more students here at the school. I have been so fortunate in my life to have incredible incredible friends and rarely have I felt isolated and lonely. Traveling alone in a country where my language skills are very limited has initiated a bit of those feelings. I know that I have not been here very long and things will certainly improve soon, but right now I am a bit lonely. I am hoping to continue to make friends within my language program and hopefully a few local porteños too (duh, who woulnt want to be my friend??). In the mean time I remember and am so thankful for my many many friends throughout the United States and the world. I miss and love all of you so much and look forward to seeing you again soon!

¡Muchos besos para todas!

YUM...the story of being hungry and not finding the restaurant I was looking for, but insted finding something better!

I did not plan on blogging today, but WHAT A DAY!!! I made a friend (yay!), explored the city for a few hours with her, learned to ride the BA subway, said goodbye to my new Aussie friend Jeannine (boo), finished off all my super delish chex mix (seriously Bess, this biz rocks), and explored some more. All of that was exciting, but one of the most exciting parts was dinner. People here do not do dinner before 9pm, most do not eat until after 10pm. Last night I tried to eat around 7:30 and couldn t even find anything open. Anyway, this is not the point. The point is that to stall for time until a reasonable dinner hour I snuck some free wifi outside a cafe and caught a few emails. Super fun. Then I consulted my trusty Lonely Planet for a dinner spot. I was quickly enticed to a place called Providencia that is only a handful of blocks from my hostel. After a long day of walking I was ready for some serious vegetables. My search was fruitless. I looked and looked, but 5995 JA Cabrera does not exist. Very disappointing. I even got up the courage to practice my pathetic Spanish on a poor shopkeeper who patiently listened to my babbling. Still nothing. Hungry and tired I decided on another place and began the schlep to food. Along the way I spotted a chalkboard covered in multicolored chalk that said things like "organico", "vegetariano" and "verde". My interest was piqued. Inside I found an awesome place that was not only a restaurant, but also sold dried beans, nuts, quinoa, oils, spices and even scarves. Holy moly. I landed in veggie heaven! I am still uncertain if I state my food issues clearly, but I figured I at least had a chance here. After several rounds of "Tengo un allergia de gluten, de pan, de trigo, hmmmmm, de harina...", I think I got the point across. I had an AWESOME main course of cheesy veggie quinoa risotto and enjoyed it thoroughly while reading my newest book, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. Dinner para uno is much much better with a book. Dinner was so fabulous that I even inquired about dessert. I ended up with a bomb "pancake" of sorts. It was thin and dense and apparently made of seeds and such...similar to the texture of a Lara bar. It was rolled up and stuffed with incredible things like shredded apples, honey, seeds and crunchy walnuts. It was a chocolate pancake and it was dusted with cocoa powder and it rocked. Everything was washed down with a super yummy glass of ginger lemonade. Seriously people, this was muy delicioso. BONUS, all of this for a grand total of 70 pesos, or roughly $20US. I will be back to Buenos Aires Verde again soon. Very soon.

For now I am stuffed. I missed my incredible friends and family today, but overall it was still a great day. It was awesome to share even just a small part of it with another person and I am looking forward to starting my program soon and making some friends. Tomorrow will be another day full of walking and I need to rest up.

Pierdo todos mucho. Te quiero!

Today I am thankful for good luck and great friends.

Whoa. Today is day one...or dia uno. Left the relative safety and security of Manhattan yesterday and today I am tucked into a funky hostel in Palermo, Buenos Aires. It was a long trip, but thankfully relatively uneventful. Once I found my hostel I went for a quick walk and out of the blue I ran into a completely gluten free bakery. I was blown away! I only had a few pesos, but I purchased and quickly devoured a beautiful dulce de leche filled cookie and it was wonderful. Did some more walking, paid an outrageous price to withdraw money and finished the day with an awesome veggie filled salad. Overall a yummy day :) Tomorrow will hopefully be filled with a few wee adventures, a new coat/sweater (who knew it would be cold?) and an electricity converter. Now it is time for bed...buenos noches mi amigos!

Today I am grateful for helpful strangers at airports