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)))