Mapa!

Nuestro viaje (mas o menos): http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=R%C3%ADo+Gallegos,+Santa+Cruz,+Argentina&daddr=El+Calafate,+Santa+Cruz,+Argentina+to:El+Chalt%C3%A9n,+Santa+Cruz,+Argentina+to:Fitz+Roy,+Santa+Cruz,+Argentina+to:Esquel,+Chubut,+Argentina+to:San+Carlos+de+Bariloche,+Rio+Negro,+Argentina+to:Nequen,+Neuqu%C3%A9n,+Argentina+to:Santa+Rosa,+La+Pampa,+Argentina+to:Buenos+Aires,+Capital+Federal,+Argentina&hl=es&geocode=FaAk7PwdsKvf-ynlZhyyUvm2vTECcWRH8kF8qw%3BFYre__wdVD2x-ynLYo8TwAy7vTFp3OSIXQPUMA%3BFUdjD_0d_8an-ykxQpGS_gO9vTH8rlSnWr7EAA%3BFW9vMv0djNT9-ymzCLWOAzPmvTGPODaZxODvlg%3BFaFLcf0dtuy_-ymZEEDnOawdljEgbBQ5bnF4dw%3BFZgcjP0dagfA-ynlYMggFXsaljFlmnvLl64Qgg%3BFZCrrf0dlWLx-ymfYAscxjMKljG-tOmXYw3eqw%3BFaAu0f0dGRMr_CkzilX3B83ClTGB_XB7Kozaew%3BFd7q7_0d10uF_Cm9DPlOO8q8lTGHjuiILoGzoA&mra=pr&vps=1&sll=-44.653024,-65.566406&sspn=30.566416,79.013672&ie=UTF8

VAMOS HASTA AL FIN DEL MUNDO!

Hola Familia y Amigos!! David y yo are going to the end of the world and back, starting tomorrow! :D Of course by that I mean that we are travelling to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern most point of land, before Antarctica, that we can possibly go! :) From there, we are flying into El Calafate, a city known for the largest glaciers available, and we will hopefully WALK on one! :D THEN, we will be going to a little more secluded city called El Chalten, where we may camp in the beauteous and tranquilo woods of the region! Then we will enjoy a 24ish hour bus ride to Bariloche= home of artisan chocolates known to be the MAS RICO en el mundo! :D (and yes, I will bring you some Mama! :) From there, another lovely and scenic approximately 24 hour bus ride back up to Buenos Aires, Argentina. There we will finally stay put for a couple of weeks (minus a program-planned trip to the Iguazu water falls!), until we arrive back home to los Estados Unidos on May 7th! Time has been FLYING, truly! But David and I are both excited to be reunited with our families soon. We are really excited about our last hooraw though! This trip is just the two of us, and it should be a LOT of fun and a LOT of beautiful things to see and do! Wish us suerte (luck)! We will be thinking of you all! Especialmente on the anniversary of my dear GG's death, I will be thinking of all of you, Family, and you will be with me where I am. Love ya'll so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BS.AS. is coming to a close...

For lack of extensive update, here is a request: So, I will be travelling for my last few weekends in Bs.As., therefore I will be here for the LAST WEEKEND- this weekend! So I am going shopping! Please tell me what gift requests you have, if you have them! If not, I will improvise. :) LOVE YOU! here's where I am going for easter vacation here (with david)- its a region called PATAGONIA, hermosa y tranquila! :) http://tinyurl.com/3precls

Hermosa

I am starting to really enjoy mi vida en Argentina. I think it started with Spring Break, the opportunity to leave this massive city and travel, without many time constraints or to-do lists, was a very liberating experience. David and I traveled to Chile, via bus, up and over the Andes terrain. We stayed there for 4-5 days, sleeping in the spare bedroom of a very nice, young, generous couple we met through CouchSurfing.com. It was free and more informative about Santiago, Chile than any hostel would have been! We struck gold with this couple and fell in love with Chile. Clean metro stations, public art, mountains, fresh air, nice people, chess in the parks! (for DAVID), comida rica! (POR FIN), and overall much more laid back experience than we had been having in Buenos Aires so far. Next we ventured toward Mendoza, Argentina, with the rest of our EAP group. We stayed all together in a hostel, and seeing everyone return from their own trips during the week made me realize how much I have grown to care for these people. It was an hermosa reunion. We then went wine tasting, rented bikes and did more wine tasting, and ate parilla- as usual! It was also a bit more relaxed than the hustle-bustle/NYC-look-alike Buenos Aires offers us. Pero, while we were gone, especially in Chile, with all of its ancient Catholic influences and 400 year old churches, Lent happened. Although I do not consider myself incredibly religious, I do feel spiritual. And I took this opportunity to better my last month and a half in Argentina and find something I could sacrifice from my daily life here, something I've become dependent on, that was not serving me well...I gave up COMPLAINING (quejando). Ever since I arrived I feel it is easy for me to make judgments and criticisms sobre este pais, esta ciudad, la gente, el clima, et cetera...and giving up THAT (complaining) is the best thing I ever did for myself. Ever since, I have felt more positive, happier, more loving, more appreciative of everyone and everything around me. I find different ways to see and say things. I keep negative thoughts to myself until I get rid of them or forget them. It is fabulous! Its really changing how I experience this city. <3 I also feel like things are just coming my way because of my new attitude. This week we unexpectedly played soccer with a group of Argentines, and I scored a goal! When I was stressed, David and I were able to watch a movie en el cine (a calming activity). Last night we stayed at a friends apartment, instead of going to a bar, and it was so tranquilo, facil, y divertido...just what I was looking for...I am going with a flow now, and enjoying it, and I could not be happier. Tambien, mi amor, David, has started a blog. I am a follower of it, so you can link into it via my or his facebook. He is a beautiful, eloquent, and honest writer, and estoy muy orgullosa de el para empezarlo. As usual, missing family, friends, and California. Much love to all. Thank you for reading. <3

La Familia

I have been feeling really homesick the last couple days and two things helped cheer me up today that I MUST share: 1- Valentines letters from my familia! I LOVED them! Thank you so, so much, and I cannot wait to give you real abrazos y besos (hugs and kisses)! 2- When I arrived to my host family's home for dinner this evening, after a long day at school and in the city, I found that 2 of her daughters, her son-in-laws, and three of her grandsons were here for dinner!!! Pregnant womyn, nursing womyn, warm food, coca cola, babies, games (hide-and-go-seek mainly), 10 conversations at once, chistes (jokes)- about each other, about movies, about ingles vs. espanol, etc! There was even a womyn here from Ohio who had studied abroad in Kitty's house (my host mother) last semester, been introduced to her son-in-law's brother, and was now dating him! She loved the family and is now a part of them! It was nice to talk to an American that was familiar with not only Argentina, but THIS family! Although I didn't say much, I sat at their table, listening and laughing for about 3 hours...I was nearly silent, but occasionally they would direct a comment or a joke to me, or ask "me entiendes?" (you understand?)...to which I would usually respond "mas o menos" (more or less!)...I felt very comfortable and mostly just used it as an opportunity to soak in some family love, since I am missing those dinners of my own back in California SO BAD right now...Era perfecto...It was perfect...Just what I needed tonight. :) Last weekend a few of us went to a beach called "Mar del Plata;" famous beach of Argentina...five hour bus, lots of clouds, and still got sunburnt! But I'm glad I can say I've been... On Saturday I am going to a huge Carnaval celebration about 3 hours from Buenos Aires (Carnaval is a celebration like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, which I missed by a week when I was there 3 years ago! It is huge in Brazil, but I hear Argentina holds the 2nd best celebrations! It is to celebrate fat Tuesday, the Catholic holiday before the Lenten season- forgive me for spelling that incorrectly, Grandma!). One day trip, all night fiesta! Should be exciting/exhausting! NEXT WEEKEND= SPRING BREAK! After taking my final, David and I are going to take a bus to Santiago, Chile (yay! a new country! and somewhere I have wanted to travel to since my trip to Peru last year!) where we will spend our first four days of break, then to Mendoza, Argentina for a winery tour and vacation with the rest of the students in our program (cost is included in our pay already!). I am really excited for both these things. I have never been to Chile and I have never been wine tasting!! Where better to go than the city that is said to have created the world's best Malbec! People say Italian immigrants brought it here and this is the best! :) We shall see... I am already tired, but I am very excited for all of this. Wish me luck! I am thinking of my family and friends so much lately, and missing everything about California! But I am hoping I will enjoy more and more as it goes on...I have a lot to learn (spanish and other-wise!), and I am ready for the journey... BESOS A TODOS! XOXOXOXXXX