Hi everyone!
For my first blog post I'm going to do a bit of an overview of my experience so far, to get you all caught up on what I've been up to over the past 7 weeks!
I arrived in Buenos Aires on June 18th and spent the first few days in orientations, meeting my host family and getting a feel for the city and the language. Even though it was only a 2-hour time difference from my home-state of Texas, adjusting to the language and change of pace left me pretty tired for the first week or so. Despite that and the cold (seasons are reversed here so it's winter right now) I immediately fell in love with the city and it's people.
Because I chose the early-start option for my study abroad program, my first few weeks of school consisted of 5 hours a day of Spanish class. It was intense, but worth it to help me get a feel for the language before I began my semester classes which are taught completely in Spanish. In addition to going to class, I had also set up an internship before I arrived in an online green marketing firm. After class each day I would make the 45-minute commute to my office where I worked for another 3 hours, exploring the world of PR and social media. Evenings were spent doing homework, going to tango classes, and spending time with friends. My time here was off to a busy, but amazing start.
I've taken two trips in Argentina so far. The first was to Iguazu Falls, in the northeastern part of the country. These spectacular waterfalls span the border between Brazil and Argentina, much like Niagra Falls span Canada and the U.S. Although I've never been to Niagra, from what I've heard Iguazu trumps it by far. And indeed, I can't imagine waterfalls more beautiful than these. In addition to the falls I saw dozens of rainbows, hundreds of butterflies and even some wild monkeys! I highly recommend this trip to anyone coming to Argentina. It is truly incredible.
We had a week vacation in between the intensive language month and the start of the fall semester so me and two girlfriends set off to explore the northwestern/central part of Argentina for a few days. We spent a day in Tucuman and ended up spending the rest of our time in and around Salta because we loved it so much. I would definitely recommend the latter as a destination if you have time. We saw the Quilmes Ruins, visited a winery in Cafayate, horseback rode through the mountains for 8 hours and explored the city, among other fun adventures.
The fall semester started two weeks ago and I have been busy adjusting to taking classes in Spanish, my new work schedule, and getting to know all the great new people who came to Buenos Aires for the fall semester. I am super excited about the months to come and already dreading the thought of going home in November. In the meantime I am just trying to soak everything in as much as possible.
Thanks so much for joining me on my adventures! Feel free to check in from time to time for updates and contact me if you have any questions about studying abroad or Buenos Aires.
Besos,
Makena
Some Pictures from My Trip So Far
The Beautiful Colored Buildings of La Boca, Buenos Aires
In the Rose Gardens of Palermo, Buenos Aires
With Some Fellow APIers after Watching the Argentina-Greece World Cup Game in Plaza San Martin, Buenos Aires
The Breathtaking Iguazu Falls in Northern Argentina
Horseback Riding Through the Mountains Near Salta in Northern Argentina
In the Mountains Near Tucuman (photo courtesy of Jacquie Tolson)
API Loves Buenos Aires! With Mark from API in Plaza San Martin (photo courtesy of Kelsie Rogers)