I’ve been reflecting on this adventure. I say adventure because my time here was more than just a semester abroad, and more than just a trip. I did not want to be a typical exchange student, and I definitely resolved not to be a tourist in a city I would call home for five months. I am now super sensitive to the way Americans are perceived abroad: from the crass Republican grandpa who announced to everyone on my flight to Lima that Obama was a terrorist spy to the drunken teenage girls swinging their cameras around in boliches. Yet there are always people who soften the American stereotype of beer pong, Black Friday, and morbid obesity.
When I came home and people asked about my semester, many were satisfied with an Argentine Christmas present and a quick flip through my photo album. I could tell them the stories I’ve shared in this blog, point out the historic places, or play some popular music. But it wouldn't fully convey my experience. And although I am glad I updated this, what I miss most are the little moments with people who helped me feel like I had a family there.
I met my host mother, a farm girl who moved to the city after her divorce, willing to come to salsa classes with me, jokingly in search of a boyfriend with rhythm…an ultimate family that played in wind, rain, sand, and even a dust storm with a spirit of the game that reminds me why I fell in love with the sport…a salsa community that encouraged me since my first awkward steps…an Argentine girl and her family eager to translate cultural differences and welcome some flustered Americans into their home…an Ecuadorian dance student who takes an insane number of classes, and will do so for years to come because it is his passion…some American girls who supported me through oral exams in Spanish and nights when all I wanted was a root beer float…and a group of crazy, frisbee playing, salsa dancing Colombians who were patient enough with my Spanish to give me an excuse to make Christmas cookies.
It was frustrating, and at times humiliating, but I learned a lot about myself and about the world. I'm less shy and more open. I am not afraid to explore by myself. I appreciate more and want less. As we rang in 2010, I realized I had only been in this country for half of 2009. I didn't recognize any of the music on my friend's 2009 mix! But I'm so grateful to have had this experience and I look forward to many more adventures to come!
Tuesday, January 5
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Woot woot I'm the one that supported you through the Spanish oral exam!!! Your blogs put into words what I feel...at least as much as words can convey. And I had no clue about any American music or cultural happenings when I got back. My cousin made a joke on Christmas about "waking up in the morning and feeling like P.Diddy" and everyone laughed but me...and when they looked at me, I asked why it was funny. And then they realized I had no idea it was part of some new song that's out here.
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