More PHOTOS!!!

Sundays are great! :D They consist of two things, asado and football.

Stage 1 of asado

Stage 2

Stage 3

Let's eat! :D

Just don't forget the TV! 

My first elado (ice cream) in Argentina! I think it's the only place you can get amazing tasting dulce de leche and chocolate ice cream! :D Great combination!

And of course, don't forget the football!!! GOALLL!!! Go Boca Juniors :D

The First Week!

This is the view of Salta from my house. It's at the top of a hill so we get a gorgeous view of Salta and the Andes beyond it. It's hard to get a clear picture, but there are actually a lot of mountains on the horizon! :D

I have been living in Salta for exactly one week from today. I can't get over how friendly the people are. They have welcomed me in the greatest way possible, and I am so exited that I have friends and and an amazing family. School is still a challenge because I never understand the teachers, unless it's Math because numbers are a lot easier for me to follow. School isn't bad though, and you can't blame me for liking a school that only has classes from 8am-1pm Monday through Thursday. Plus, all of my classmates are amazing! This week my grade was preparing for a promo event to raise money for their senior trip, which sadly I won't be able to go to, I actually leave the week before. The day before the fundraiser event, after school on Friday, we set up the different rooms, for example, the casino room, pillow fight room, paint room, the Buffet counter, and of course, el casa del terror, which we call the haunted house. I got to work in the haunted house which was a blast. We set up tables and covered them with black cloth, there was a rocking chair, strobe lights, and a smoke machine. The haunted house went great. Saturday morning I got to hide under a table all day, bang some cans, and secretly grab people's feet as they walked by. HA! We actually made 20 kids cry, but who's counting?

Las Chicas!

My family is great! My father is strangely the Argentinean version of my father. They both smoke cigars, think they're funny, and get teased a lot, plus when they get teased, they laugh it right off. :) My mother is very loving and very protective, as are all Argentinean mothers. My brother is also very similar to Will (bro #1). They both are sweet and caring when they want to be, but also tease and hit you a lot. And last but not least my sister. Rosario is great! We've gotten to the point now that we can communicate without a dictionary, which is funny because the first day, she was the hardest to understand, but now, she's the easiest. We've also gotten to the point where we can laugh and joke with each other :D Last night we went to a black and white party and I got to meet all of her friends. Her friends are great, and I love how even though the are 8 of them, they are all supper close, which I don't is very possible in the States. This black and white party was not only my first experience dancing, but it was also the first time I stayed out late. When I asked her what time we were going to the party, she was like "probably 11", and my mouth dropped. She said 11, which meant we didn't leave the house until quarter to 12. We got to the party and there was a dance floor with black lights, strobe lights, and EVERYONE was dancing. Unlike a dance party in the states, people never sit down, they dance until they drop, which happened to be at 3:30am.

And as you can see, were both total goofs! :D

I can't believe it's only been one week. It feels like forever already. I am so happy I am here! I love everything about Salta. The people are great, it is beautiful, and by far the best experience of my life. My host family is going to Florida (Disney) and Mexico for 2 weeks on Thursday. Great! Now, I will miss both families!

Chau!

Short Days and Long Nights

Yesterday was my first normal day. I got to experience the normal day to day routine. In Argentina, everything lasts a lot longer and goes on much later. We wake up at 7am when it is pitch black outside and FREEZING outside, eat breakfast (which literally means "break" "fast"!), and head off to school. School ends at about 1pm, then we go back home and eat lunch. Then you have siesta time. Most people think siesta has something to do with a fiesta, but it is the exact opposite. It means nap time. In my head I´m thinking, "Wait, they actually expect me to nap!?". But in reality, if you don't nap, you cant last for the rest of the day. Then you have tea time and after at around 5 or 6, you go run errands, hang out at a friends house, or go do any sports you might do at a club outside of school. Then, the family returns to the home around 9pm, and we eat dinner around 10. Yesterday, I didn't nap, and I almost fell asleep at the dinner table!

It is Winter at the moment, which means freezing temperatures at night, and semi-warm temperatures mid-day (by semi-warm I mean 12ºC). As long as you stand in the sun you´ll stay warm, but the sun isn't out much. The sun doesn't rise until 8am and it sets at 5:30pm. It is strange to get use to since the seasons are opposite. I went from heat waves, to toes that wont get warm!!!!!

Salta la linda

(The view from the restaurant, horses and the Andes)

Sunday was my first day in my new home. When we arrived in Salta, my heart started racing. I was nervous and at the same time, very exited! When we got off the plane, and walked around the bend to gather our luggage, a bunch of people were standing on the other side of the glass with balloons and welcome signs with our names on them. In that moment, I new I was home J I greeted my family and then we were off. On the way to my house. They explained that they are going to speak only in Spanish for the first 6 months, but when I don't understand something, they will help me in English.

After eating lunch at 2:30, we talked for a while, I unpacked my things, and then my sister Rosario took me to a friends house. The house of another AFS student that is staying in Salta from Germany. There were a lot of other kids there. Our host families wanted us to meet some of the kids we would be going to school with  us so we wouldn't feel too alone on Tuesday. I love how people greet each other in Salta. No matter who it is, you kiss them on the cheek, even if that means walking around a room of 20 people, you kiss THEM ALL on the cheek. They asked me so many questions, all at the same time, I thought my head was going to explode. Good thing is, I can understand a lot more Spanish then I thought I would. So, all of the people who said I was screwed, were wrong :p My host family was surprised at how much I understood. Eventually I had to tell them to stop repeating themselves too much cause I actually understand what they´re saying. LOL. But they caught on. As long as they talk slowly and use their hands, I can communicate with them. I am also shocked by how much Spanish I am taking in. I can already tell that I am learning a lot!

BEFORE PICTURE

In Argentina there are many traditions. Sunday night they made asado. Asado is grilled meat and it literally melts in your mouth it is so delicious!!!! We ate dinner at 10… yes, at 10 PM !!!!!!!!!! And when people say that in Argentina they eat a lot of meat, they´re not kidding. On the side, they have normal salad, but the first course is one kind of meat, then the second is more meat, and more meat, and more meat! I´m not complaining though because all of it is delicious.

(AFTER PICTURE)

On Monday, I finally got to sleep for longer than 5 hours. I woke up and had toast with dulce de leche for breakfast. Then, we went to visit the horse at the jockey club. We gave him sugar cubes and grassed him for a while. Then I got to try my first taste of Mate with family (I got to have my first taste at the AFS camp in Buenos Ares). Mate is the famous herbal tea they drink in Argentina. It contains twice the amount of caffeine then a normal cup of coffee, which explains how they are able to stay up so late. There are 2 different types, one sin asucar (without sugar) and another with sugar. The one with sugar is what kids normally drink at parties. When it has sugar, it is seen as "less Argentinian". I´ve tried both and its actually not that bad :D Just takes some getting use to.
  The are many rules of edicate when drinking Mate. For example, there is one person who pours the water into the cup. Then that person will mix it and pass it to the person who wants it. That person must drink all of it and quickly so the other people don't get impatient. Plus you never touch the straw, that is the job of the poorer.

After that, we drove to a nearby town to eat lunch. My father is best friends with the owner, who is also the president of the jockey club. The food was amazing and again the people were friendly and welcoming :D It had an amazing view of the Andes. There is snow on the mountains right now because it is freezing!!! I wasn´t expecting it to be this cold. During the day you will get hot if you stand in the sun, but if your not in the sun its freezing.

Tuesday was my first day of school. The school uniform is a Little crazy. You have layer upon layers of clothes you have to wear! I thought I would be more nervous for school but I really wasn't. I think its because everyone is so friendly. The director of the school introduced me to the class and then the second I sat down, they all asked more questions. Actually they asked non stop questions from 8am to 1pm. I didn't mind, but once it was finally 1pm I was more then exhausted. I am in class C, which is economy. Unlike in the US, you have one class and the teachers are the ones who move from class to class. Most of the teachers scare the crap out of me (excuse my language!). Not only are they scary, but I also cant understand what there saying. I copied down all of the class work which was a lot easier then I thought, but I still didn't understand it. I think I have homework, but I have no idea where to start. I guess this is just a part of the total immersion. I know I will understand it eventually, but right now I just need to be flexible. Later this week, the school is throwing a huge party to raise Money for their class trip. The top 2 grades go to Baleloche, a city near Slata, for the end of the year party. For example, I will be working the haunted house. Plus there will be other games for the little kids. Should be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to it :D

Sorry about spelling or grammar! Not only am I using a Spanish computer, but I can´t think in Spanish or English properly. Tonight, my host brother is going to help me label everything in the house. Were going to put the Spanish name and the English name. My host sister is going to New Zealand on AFS in January and my host brother is going to college in Miami to play football (soccer). This way I can learn all of the names faster, and it will also help them with their English :D

Today is the Day!

            Today is the day!! Finally! After more than a year of preparation, nothing feels better then this moment. The plane took off and my new adventure went with it. Said goodbye to my lovely family at Bradley International Airport this morning. Surprisingly it wasn't as bad as I thought. We were all too exited. I love my family and sure will miss them a lot! Good thing is now my dad can relax, there is no more paper work left for a while and I actually have my Visa! I landed in Atlanta and quickly made my connection flight. Getting off one plane and to another in 40 minutes wasn't as hard as I thought :) Dad would be so proud! Then landed in Miami, on time, got my baggage (Thank God!), and arrived at Embassy Suits Hotel for the AFS Argentina gateway orientation. 

            There are a few things I realized in this past week. First and foremost, goodbyes aren’t really “goodbyes”, they’re “I’ll see you later” or “Hasta luego”. You never actually say goodbye to those you love. Secondly, I am the luckiest person in the world. I have been given the most amazing opportunity to grow and learn. I have an amazing family who isn’t sad that I’m leaving; rather they are excited and happy for me. Plus, waiting for me in Salta, Argentina, is a beautiful loving family who has truly opened their lives and their warming arms to me. After I Skyped them the other day, an overwhelming feeling of relief came over me. They were so kind and welcoming, and by the end we were all joking and laughing. For my “biological parents”, there is nothing more relieving then knowing I will be in good hands.

            I am VERY excited! I know for some people that is hard to believe, but putting your home life on hold for a year really isn’t that bad. Most of you know I shut down my facebook. Last night, my family gathered around me to watch as I deactivated my facebook, almost like they were watching an action movie with their eyes popping out their head in awe. In other words, hilarious! They actually found it shocking that I could press a button and disappear from the facebook world. If I have one piece of advice to give to everyone, it is, “Don’t let facebook run your life. Once you start living your life for facebook status’, you know there is something very wrong”.

            I feel as though I am very prepared for this year. I know many people who have done this before, I’ve had the AFS experience before when I went to Panama last year, and I have a background in Spanish and traveling. It also helps that I am expecting the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. I know that learning a new language is exhausting and hard, plus being away from friends and family can be lonely and sad, but I am ready! Instead of focusing on those little hard moments, I’m looking at the bigger picture. In one year I will return to Hartford, CT as a different person. I will grow, learn, and experience more then I can possibly imagine at this moment, and I will be able to speak another language. So I am grateful for this chance! More grateful then anything I have ever been given!

            I can’t wait for the orientation in Argentina, to meet new people, and make new friends. At this moment, this is still surreal. My brain literally can't comprehend what's actually going on, which is a very strange feeling. I know that when I board my International flight tomorrow and actually land in Argentina, it will feel a lot more real. For the next four days or so I will be somewhat awol. 

           I arrive in Salta on Sunday, and go to school on Tuesday. I can’t wait to finally meet my host family! The excitement is overwhelming! J So off I go! Hasta Luego! Argentina here I come!

(((During the orientation in Buenos Aires, we are not allowed to have any outside communication, therefore this is the last update until Sunday.. or later)))