Where to begin..

I really have no idea where to begin. The past two months have been some of the most incredible of my exchange so far. I have so many things to say that I know I would ramble on forever if given the time- but thinking that at 1000 words/picture posting photos will do a better job than I could :)

Christmas

Everyone says Christmas is hard. Back home- I can never start the Christmas (insert: music/traditions/countdown/shopping/decorating) too soon. With the exception of a few members of my family and a couple select friends, I am the biggest Christmas-season-sucker around, and I thought spending it 5000 miles away from home would be near impossible. I kept waiting for the Christmas homesickness to kick in, hard, but I never hit that point. Christmas this year was just, well, unique. 

I never realized how commercialized Navidad is in the States until this year. There are Christmas pageants, carols, sales, cookies, sweaters, candies, lights, trees, presents, parties- you name it. Here in Argentina, however- I hardly knew the holiday was coming until it was already here. (Okay, that's not entirely true... a countdown was the background on my computer for weeks, but still.) Christmas was just SO different, and I knew I would never have another anything like this one, so I made the most of it. Instead of decorating a huge pine tree- I decorated a little cactus and a papaya tree. Instead of making snow angels and playing broom ball, I made a sand angel and went swimming in possibly piranha infested waters. And instead of curling up tight at Grandma Beske's with my cousins at midnight Christmas Eve, I danced with Vito and stood out on my Argentinian Grandma's balcony with my head on Graciela's shoulder watching the sky above Formosa light up with fireworks. It was a Christmas unlike any other, and a Christmas I will never forget. 

Besides, with my good friend Skype again- I was able to carry on at least a few of the annual traditions:

Erin Tollefson and I carried on our annual Christmas arts n' crafts over skype- bringing snowflakes to Argentina for the first time ever.

I was able to sit down at the dinner table with my family for our annual Christmas dinner fondue. (I had stir fry and pasta, with a side plate full of mango, pineapple, and papaya).










My first Christmas as a Catholic girl- going to mass with my host mom. It was a beautiful service, and completely different from Hector's back home... that is until they turned off the lights, passed around candles, and started singing Noche de Paz (Silent Night). I would be lying if I said I made it through that one with dry eyes- but it was absolutely perfect.









Me, Graciela, and Alicia (our housekeeper), baking up a storm in the kitchen. We blasted my x-mas tunes and the AC and got to work- ending up making roughly fifteen loaves of budin and twenty five loaves of pan dulce- the two staple snacks of the holiday season- in one afternoon.

 New family, New home, New Years

Christmas Day ended up being very bittersweet for me. Here in Argentina- the real celebration comes right before and after midnight (of course)- and the actual Christmas Day is very relaxed. I spent it laying out in the sun, eating an asado with my family, and unfortunately- packing my bags. The next day was moving day. Vito and Graciela, my first host parents here in Formosa, were absolutely incredible. They not only welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home- they really truly do feel like family. I will never be able to show my appreciation for all they did enough, and 'gracias' will never cut it. Saying goodbye was far from easy. 

Fortunately, my incredible luck with my Rotary exchange just kept continuing and I found myself at the house of Laly Gomez and Rosarito Rivero. Instantly I felt like family with them. My sister, Rosarito, is so bubbly and fun, and has become one of my very very best friends here in Argentina. Even on nights when we went out late and came back tired, we would stay up for hours talking and laughing. My host mom, Laly, told me right away that I was her hija and to call her mamá... and that is exactly what she has been ever since. She is a strong-willed and spunky, and runs her own business, takes care of her house, and still manages to balance a social life with ease. 

This picture above is of  Midnight on New Years Eve! On my right in the white is my host mom. On my left in the blue is my oldest host sister, Mavi, her husband, Matias, is poking his head out from behind, and their 7 month old son Gino is still awake somewhere in the room soaking in his first new year. To the right of my host mom is a family friend and, in the purple, the sweet lady who works at the corner store across the street, Venny. Family members not pictured are: Rosarito, host brother Dani, oldest host brother Mario, Mario's wife Gisella, and their son Tiago (5). 

BRAZIL!!

Then, for an entire month after New Years, I had the incredible opportunity to get to know the country and culture of Argentina's neighbor, Brazil. As a group, we represented 23 different countries, roughly 10 distinct languages, four Minnesotans and TWO NORTHFIELDERS! Aletha Duchene, who is living in Mato Grosso, Brazil, was also on the trip! It was soooo fun to be able to meet halfway through our exchange, catch up, compare experiences, and spend the most amazing January ever together. In 30-some days, we covered over 13,000 km and made stops at several of Brazil's most impressive cities and beaches, including; Brasilia (the capital), Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Salvador, Porto Seguro and Rio! 

 In Brasilia with the group on our first day of the trip. From here, we traveled to the Northeast ...

where we spent the rest of the month hopping from peninsulas of turquoise waters and white sand beaches,

to islands of turquoise waters and white sand beaches,

through colorful little villages,

and bustling urban centers,

... and to some more white sand beaches. 

Every place we stopped seemed even more amazing than the last, and our last destination of the trip, Rio de Janeiro (what I assumed would be an over rated, crowded city) became a personal favorite. 

We got to see that Christ the Redeemer is even bigger in person than it appears in photos

(so big that in order to get a picture you have to literally lay on the ground)

we walked the most famous street in the world for Carnival,

enjoyed the view of Rio from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain

and soaked up rays on Copacabana Beach.

It really was an absolutely incredible trip, and the memories and friendships made along the way were unbelievable. I still can't believe how lucky I am- to have seen so much of not my own country, but of Brazil as well. 

I learned quite a few things about myself along the way, too. While I had prepared myself for language to be difficult in my first weeks/months of my exchange, I had also been told that January is usually the time when exchange students hit that "waterfall" of fluency when everything comes together. Having had a background in Spanish before Argentina, my transition in August was fairly smooth.. yet at the point I had imagined being able to speak nearly perfectly- I was suddenly trying to maneuver in Portuguese. I wasn't prepared for how difficult and frustrating it would be at times, and I have to give even more credit to all the exchange students learning a new language from start. 

I also realized how much I missed Argentina while gone- the culture between Brazil and Argentina was surprisingly different, and there were certain things that I really began to miss while away. Formosa really feels like "home" to me, my families really feel like family, and Argentina really feels like where I belong. It began to sink in that if I was homesick for Argentina after just a few weeks- while in just the neighboring country- and while enjoying Brazil's best beaches and cities with 100 friends... leaving in June is going to be even harder than I imagined. 

Time is absolutely FLYING by, and now that I have my return date set (leave here June 11th at 2:50pm), it is all feeling even more real. As excited as I am to see all of my friends and family back home, I know the 3 1/2 months until then are going to sneak up on me. I will just continue making the absolute best of my time and situations and soaking up as much Argentina-spirit as possible. I said it in July, and it still holds true today: I have no idea what the rest of this year will bring. I don't know what my challenges will be, nor can I imagine what memories I will return home with. All I know is that I am ready to speak some Spanish, dance a little tango, and try to take on whatever Argentina decides to throw my way. 

home sweet home

Back at the end of October, I remember having conversations about the heat or how much people in Argentina go out at night, and being told "Oh Mia, just you wait... this is nothing." I would laugh and make a joke about 'nothing' in English must mean something very different, then... but after a few days of 90 degree temperature differences between here and Northfield and not being able to quite remember what it was like to not stay up till morning, I finally am realizing that I should never doubt a Formoseño again. The time since returning from Patagonia has gone by just as fast (if not faster) than the trip itself. While all the traveling I've been able to do so far has been absolutely amazing, I can't tell you how good it feels to be "back home" again. And Formosa really does feel that way- like home. Not in the sense that it feels like my home back in Minnesota, in fact, it doesn't feel like Northfield even slightly. It feels like home in the sense that I can give directions and know which bus line to take to get from place to place, I know which banks allow me to take out the most money at a time, and of course have the ice cream flavors at both Grido and Gnomo practically memorized (not that deciding on just two flavors is any easier that way). My family here really does feel like family and, despite being 5'7" and blonde, I feel like I fit in with them perfectly. There's not a doubt in my mind that I hit the jackpot with where I am right now- my family, my friends, my home, my city, everything. But the four month mark came out of no where this time and with the way December is going so far, I can already tell time will only pick up from here. So how bout a few highlights from the past two weeks, eh?

Festival de Folklore

The night we arrived back in Formosa, Mauricio (my future host brother) had a performance at the amphitheater in town. Not knowing anything else, but convinced it would be adorable, I tagged along with Carmen (future host mom) and Jim (other American). As we found our way to our seats, we were surrounded by little boys dressed as gauchos and girls in bright colored dresses running around in every direction. The south may have been stunning, but there was nothing like three-hours of traditional dancing and singing to make me appreciate how unique and rich Formosa's culture really is. 

Mural

Back in October, I started taking these art classes at the theatre downtown. For 10 pesos a month (virtually nothing), you can take as many classes and subjects as you want. Besides the buck fifty double-scoop-chocolate-dipped-crunch-topped ice cream cone downtown, it's the best deal around. So naturally, I was just itching to start classes back up in December. Once I walked in the art institute, however, I realized they were taking everything down- and was told by Roque (the incredibly nice man that works there) that unfortunately there aren't classes until February because the air conditioning is too expensive during the summer! I was bummed but fine with this knowing how busy December was going to be and the fact that I'll be in Brazil all of January, but Roque wouldn't let me leave without being able to offer me something to do. So I am currently on a team of artists working to construct and paint a mural for a nature reserve here in Formosa! Can't believe my luck on landing that one. 

Basketball games

Formosa's basketball stadium is just a little over three blocks from my house, and I have been running around it all year long, but over the past two weeks my friends and I have really made the most of it and are becoming true Union fans. Their star player, David Jackson, is from the States and naturally Jim and I are determined to go to enough games and cheer in enough English to catch his attention and become chums. While that plan is still in action, we did end up meeting Meaghan Mikulas from North Carolina. She is married to another of the players, is super sweet, and in her very Argentinean way has already invited us to go to the beach or out to an asado! Only in Formosa, I'm tellin you. 

Asados, Poker, Mechanical Bulls and Flood Football

All separate highlights, of course, just all with the same crazy Argentinean group. One of my closest friends here in Formosa comes from a big family with even bigger personalities. They are all so extremely generous and friendly, and although I never know what exactly a night with them has in store, I can always be sure my cheeks will literally sting from smiling once it's over (so usually around 6 in the morning). With their backyard and patio as the stage, they bring the entertainment with nights of dancing cumbia, playing poker, singing karaoke, playing football in the middle of a downpour, or even renting a mechanical bull just for kicks and giggles. Fortunately Lucas and his girlfriend Cele are two of the few from my course staying in Formosa to study next fall (March, that is), so I know the memories made with this family will keep coming all year long. 

Summer Heat

The days here in Formosa can get hot. And I mean really hot. There have been a number of days where weather.com has showed an 80 or even 90-degree temperature difference between here and Northfield. It feels absolutely nothing like December, and naturally- I'm loving it. My favorite pastime has become laying out in the sun in my backyard, listening to music and eating the fresh fruit I bought from the corner. (side note: the fruit itself should deserve it's own highlight bullet point- I am pretty sure I eat my body weight in papaya, pineapple, mango, watermelon, kiwi and strawberry every week here). Add in some cool tereré and talks about life with Graciela and it becomes a truly perfect day. The sun is stronger down here, though, which meant that I got my first non-snow induced December sunburn, but it was well worth the red, and since my goal is to become more tan by February than I ever have been in August, the strong summer sun with work in my favor by the end. 

"one serving"

Graduation

It took me two tries, but I am officially done graduating from high school! I walked out the doors of Colegio Nacional for the last time this morning after the ceremony and couldn't help but to think back to my real graduation back at NHS. The two ceremonies were almost nothing alike. Of course there were the inevitable similarities between every graduation: the principal or superintendent that gives the long welcome, the parents that patiently wait through the list of students until their child's name is called so they can cheer loudly and snap a dozen photos, and

my diploma

the student speaker that begins their speech with "Well, class of (insert year), we did it." Here, however, there was neither the graduation song nor caps thrown in the air at the end. Instead, the ceremony went something like this: at 8:15, students began to gather in the courtyard of our school. The 'patio' (or big open area with a stage on one end) was covered in plastic chairs and had been decorated by sheets of fabric strung overhead. Of course millions of pictures were taken as people gathered around the classmates they would soon part with, and the excitement in the air was mixed with that all too familiar feeling of nostalgia. About 15 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to actually begin, the sky opened up and everyone climbed over each other to escape the pouring rain. The students then took full advantage of the extra 45 minutes without power to take more pictures, chant more songs, and clap and dance all over the patio. Finally, the lights came back on and the ceremony began (see long welcome/waiting through list of students/sentimental speech, above, for info on that) but instead of patiently sitting through all of this- there were chanting and clapping, constant cheering, and 'the wave' was even pulled out a few times as student after student went up to receive their certificate.  It was nice to see Colegio Nacional was as much of a chaotic fiesta the my last time there as it was my first, and while I can't deny that I'm happy to be on summer vacation for a number of reasons, I think I might actually miss that crazy place. 

It's Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas (sorta)
Although it seems impossible to believe this is December, and that X-mas is just (check the countdown) 15 days away- I love that I am finally able to blast Christmas carols and hang lights in the middle of summer without getting the usual eye-roll from Sam! And though it seems bizarre to see the decoration-section snowman-free, the fact that there are palm trees hung with ornaments completely makes up for it. I think that if Christmas weren't completely new and different this year, the homesickness would kick in a lot more- but I won't EVER have a Christmas anything like this one again, so I'm going to make the most of it.

Sam and his ginger beard, a christmas tree, and santa ornaments... ah the holidays

Plus, with my very good friend Skype, I was able to take part in the Estenson holiday traditions this year as well! Last Sunday, I sat down with my computer and skyped the fam as we had part 1 of our family Christmas. We hung up our santa and angel ornaments (a tradition our family has- throughout the year we keep our eyes peeled for a santa for Sam and an angel for me that represents our year in someway. Sam's ornament this year was a Santa with a yellow lab, in honor of our new dog, Abbey, and mine was an angel that I had bought with Erin and Lizzie on our spring break trip down to Mexico) we set up our Dickens' Village, and mom even read me a Christmas story by the fire. It was exactly as it always is each year, (which is also a clear display of how Grandma Beske passed the sentimental/tradition loving gene straight through Mom to me) but I couldn't help but to be reassured that despite not being there this year, that there are some things that will never change.  I love those three so incredibly much- I think I could travel the world twice and still not come up a better crew.

to the south and back

Argentina just gets more amazing everyday. I knew even before I left that this trip would be hard to put into words once I got back, I just didn't realize how near impossible it would be for me to summarize the highlights.... mainly because I didn't think just about every point would be a high for me. The truth is, however, that when you take 80 outgoing, energetic, adventurous people from all over the world and put them on a bus to travel throughout gorgeous Patagonia for three weeks, you can't expect anything but a good time.

Córdoba

We arrived in Córdoba mid-morning on Tuesday the 9th and we spent the first couple hours in a shopping mall in the city getting to know each other. About a fourth of the crew I had already met during our weekend at Iguazu Falls, and since in the exchange-student world a weekend is all the time you need to become best friends, it was fun to reunite with so many of them. A few hours (and my first McDonalds experience in Argentina) later, we were loaded up on busses and headed for our first stop: Puerto Madryn.

Puerto Madryn

Though the drive was a long one (1,500 km!), time passes quickly when you're playing games or watching movies or turning the bus into a make-shaft disco and getting to know people from all over the world... and the final destination was well worth spending a night on the bus. We took advantage of a chance to stretch our legs immediately after arriving and spent the evening exploring the coastline, grabbing a bite to eat at a corner cafe, doing an already much-needed YouTube abs workout to try to battle our alfajore intake, and enjoying some quality girl-talk as we fell asleep (okay, crashed) in our rooms. 

The next morning we were up bright and early at 5:20am with an incredible day of sights ahead of us. Our first stop was at Puerto Pirámides. Here, we piled out of the busses, strapped on some lovely orange life jackets, and boarded the boats to go whale watching. Admittedly, I thought we were just in store for a nice boat ride and pretty view of the coast, with the chance of seeing a whale or two in the distance... but just a few minutes out on the water and we were snapping our cameras like crazy at whales not more than 10 meters away. Before heading back home, we stopped at Caleta Valdés where we saw one of the world's largest colonies of adorable, chubby sea elephants laying out in the sun. Back in Puerto Madryn that night, a group of us decided to get a game of ultimate frisbee going down on the beach, and once we realized that it was far too windy, we improvised and our game of frisbee turned into a two hour game of beach-rugby and one of my favorite nights of the trip. It was the perfect way to cap off our stay at Puerto Madryn before heading further south to El Calafate!

El Calafate

After another nightlong road trip (highlighted with satisfying my craving for microwave popcorn and stopping at a penguin colony!) we arrived in El Calafate, Argentina. Of all the amazing cities we stayed in throughout the trip, El Calafate ranked way up there. The clear touristic highlight of the trip was spending a day at the Perito Moreno glacier- the only growing inland glacier on earth. We took a million pictures of the glacier and the Cerro Fitz Roy mountain peaks from our cruise boat and from land, where we could really get a good view of the calving. Call me a sucker for the simple stuff- but as amazing as this day was, it was equally matched by the ways we spent our free time: tanning and playing frisbee at the base of the Andes, grazing through the souvenir shops and local art fairs, and making an "American breakfast" of french toast, scrambled eggs and bacon in our cabin.

 From El Calafate, we took off for EL FIN DEL MUNDO, Ushuaia!

I know I just said El Calafate ranked way up there, but I think hanging out in the Southern-most city in the world took the cake. If you look on a map, you'll see that the very tip of Argentina is actually not connected to the rest of the country, meaning that you have to drive through Chile in order to get to Ushuaia (more importantly, meaning more stamps to our passports and adding dolphins to our list of spotted wildlife!).


Though we didn't arrive in Ushuaia till late at night, it's far enough south that the sun was just setting behind the mountains and we got a perfect view of the city and harbor below lit up like a little Christmas village.
Our schedule for down in Ushuaia was really relaxed and open, with a few trips around the city or to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, allowing us lots of time to explore on our own and use the phrase "we're at the end of the world, why not?" as much as possible.

Lake District: Esquel, Bariloche, San Martin de los Andes

Before I knew it we were packing up our suitcases and heading off to the next stop. The drive from Ushuaia to Argentina's lake district is a long one, but almost two days, over 2000km, and about a dozen games of truth or dare later... we arrived.

Throughout the next five days, we traveled between Esquel, Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes. I don't know (or know if I want to know) how many pictures of the mountains and lakes I took- but every turn our bus took around the winding roads gave us a view that topped the last in sheer beauty. We went to National Parks, a chocolate factory, walked up and down the streets window shopping, and my personal favorite: swimming at the base of the Andes. 

The other exchange students on the trip were incredible and I feel like I've known some of them for years instead of just a few weeks. I met people from every background who, after this year, are going to head out in every direction.. but for this trip, we were all together to have a good time and see a little more of this awesome country. And it was better than I ever even imagined. 

ps- I've loaded all my pictures from this blog and a few more onto another tab titled (creatively) "photos"

patagonia, here i come!

Today I leave for the long anticipated Rotary trip to Patagonia! I have (finally) packed up my suitcase and backpack, have gone to the bank to pull out the extra cash I'll be needing, and have said so-long to my classmates. Now all I have to do is sit and wait for my bus to come so I can be on VACATION! 

I'll be gone for just under three weeks and will have no idea how to sum up a three week vacation to Patagonia with friends from all over the world once I get back. SO, instead I've decided just to post the itinerary of my trip here and be able to spend more times on the details and highlights upon my return! 

• Nov 9: Córdoba – Puerto Madryn. Departure at 14:30 hs making stops in Río Cuarto; Santa Rosa de la Pampa, Río Colorado and San Antonio Oeste.
• Nov 10: Puerto Madryn. At mid day arrival to the cabins and rooms distribution. During the afternoon we will make a city tour visiting seaside promenade, quay and monument to the Tehuelche Indian in Punta Cuevas where we will have an magnificent view of the city.
• Nov 11: Puerto Madryn. Full day excursion to Reserva Provincial Península de Valdés. Walking round the Florentino Ameghino isthmus Patagonical Fauna Interpretation Center. Arrival to Puerto Pirámides and travel by boat for incredible experiences: Sea trip for seashore sightseeing and observing the magnificent Southern Frank Whales and sea wolves on their natural habitants. Return to the quay. Lunch. In the afternoon we will go to Caleta Valdés where we will find one of the world´s biggest sea elephants colonies and where we might have the chance to see „Orcas“ (wrongly known as killer whales).
• Nov 12: Puerto Madryn-Calafate. Departure at approx. 07.30 hs visiting Trelew and the Reserva Faunistica Cabo dos Bahias where the biggest continental colony of Magallanes Penguin is living. There besides watching their particular uses and behaviours we will have the opportunity to see the most spectacularly calmed and deep blue sea unique in the patagonic seashores. Around 18.00 hs we will go towards Calafate stopping in Comodoro Rivadavia (for having dinner), San Julian, Piedrabuena and Esperanza.
• Nov 13:  Calafate. Arrival at mid day. Lunch. Free afternoon for resting or walking around the city whose main turistic natural attraction is the spectacular „Lago Argentino“ which consists of the melted water from the argentinian glaciers.
• Nov 14: Calafate. Excursion to the Parque Nacional los Glaciares: Departure approx. at 08.30 hs. We will travel around the shores of the Lago Argentino where we will be able appreciate in just 80 km the vegetation which will  change from praries to forrest, besides the enormous snowy peacks. With a little bit of attention inside the  leafy woods we might have the opportunity to watch deer, fox and native birds such as condors. After making a stop in the park administration we shall proceed to the final destination „El Glaciar Perito Moreno“ (the only growing inland glacier on earth). Lunch and free day to walk around the viewpoints located in front of the glacier which has a total length of 5 kms. Return to Calafate at approx. 18.00 hs
• Nov 15: Calafate. Day to make optional activities like Trekking in the „Glaciar Perito Moreno“, Cerro Fitz Roy and Lago del Desierto, excursions by boat to the different lakes and glaciers such as Spegazzini, Mayo and Upsalla. Furthermore you will have the chance of visiting cave paintings  from the local indians.
• Nov 16: Calafate-Ushuaia. Departure at 04.00 hs hs towards the city of Ushuaia making stops in Rio Gallegos the argentinian custom, the chilean custom and Rio Grande. The attractivity of this journey is that for 4  hours  we will pass through chilean territory because it is the only terrestrial access to the province of Tierra del Fuego. Then for an hour  we will go by ferry through the Strait of Magallanes. The arrival hour to the city of Ushuaia depends on the duration of customs and immigration paperwork of the international police  but it is estimated that the arrival will be during the late night.
• Nov 17: Ushuaia. Free Morning for resting. Lunch. Travelling from the city Ushuaia up to the  „Cerro Martial“. At the end of the afternoon you will have the chance to go shopping (tax free).
• Nov 18: Ushuaia. Excursion to the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego: walking around mountain roads between leafy forrests which contains local flora like lenga, cohiue, nire, canelo, and more than 30 kinds of bracken and 400 kinds of moss besides the uncountable amount of wild flowers. After observing the beautiful panoramic views of Canal de Beagle its mountainous islands and the limits between the argentinian and chilean islands will arrive to the majestic Bahía Lapataia where is the ending of the road we are travelling through „ruta nacional numero 3“. There we will have reconaissance walk with a specialized guide. Return to the city and free afternoon to take a boat excursion over the „Canal de Beagle“ (Optional).
• Nov 19: Ushuaia - Esquel. Departure at 06.00 hs towards Río Gallegos by the same road we have already travelled to get into Tierra del Fuego Island. Stop in Rio Grande, customs and Río Gallegos where ww will have dinner. After dinner we continue the trip to Esquel.
• Nov 20: Esquel. Arrival during afternoon. Free day for resting.
• Nov 21: Esquel - San Carlos de Bariloche. Departure during the morning visiting the Parque Nacional los Alerces. The trip starts at the park administration where you will listen to an informative talk and later you can visit the interpretation center and the museum of Los Alerces. After that we will continue to the shores of the Lago Futalaufquen where you will keep on walking surrounded by the vegetation limited by the lake already mentioned until we arrive to the „Pictografias Rupestres“ and the „Mirador Aborigen“. Return to Esquel where we will have lunch. We will visit the town El Bolsón, after that we will  continue the trip to Bariloche. Arrival during the evening.
• Nov 22: San Carlos de Bariloche. Excursion by the Circuito Chico and Punto Panorámico from where we can appreciate an magnificent view of the Lago Nahuel Huapi and its islands and the background of the snowy peaks of the Cordillera de los Andes. Then we will visit the famous international hotel Llao-Llao. Return to the hotel during the afternoon.
• Nov 24: San Carlos de Bariloche- San Martín de los Andes. After breakfast we will leave towards San Martín de los Andes by the route de los 7 lagos, visiting Villa la Angostura, Lago Espejo, and Lago Falkner, arriving in San Martín de los Andes approx. at  19 hs. This excursion is depends on the route. 
• Nov 25: San Martín de los Andes - Córdoba. Departure after lunch, with stops in Piedra del Águila, Neuquén, 25 de Mayo, Santa Rosa de la Pampa y Río Cuarto.
• Nov 26: Córdoba. Arrival to the City of Córdoba at 13:00 hs.

Did I mention I'm excited?! 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home! I hope you all make the sacrifice of eating an extra scoop of mashed potatoes or slice of apple pie for me :)

the little things make my day

I feel like there are so many things down here that I get so excited about doing, just because it's in Argentina! Not saying that isn't a perfectly good reason to get excited, but often times it's just little things that absolutely make my day. Now this blog isn't about anything particularly impressive or thrilling, and I know that all of you probably have much better stories to tell about your daily lives... but I have a blog. So I guess I can just write about whatever I like, and at least to ME the little things have been pretty exciting.

First little thing that makes my day: I'm friends with taxi drivers. Blondes are rare in Formosa, and since I usually have to take a taxi into town, it didn't take long for me to become a familiar face. Now, there are many times when I'll be out running or walking around town and hear *honk honk* "MIA!!" While in the States, I probably would have found this a tad creepy- here it never fails to make me laugh. 

Second little thing: I spent Halloween on the beach! Had it been any other day, this probably wouldn't have phased me, but it wasn't until I was sitting there with some friends talking about holidays in the US when I realized that was the first and possibly only time I'll ever need to put on sunscreen when I go out for Halloween. 

Third little thing: Not that it was ever really on there in the first place, but I can now check of running a 5k in Argentina off my to-do list! Normally I get up and run before school to avoid hitting the afternoon heat, but with this having been my first day back to school in a while I forgot to reset my alarm. So a couple hours ago I decided to suck it up and just go run, and I'm so happy I did! As I got closer to the track I realized there was a really big crowd (especially for a Monday afternoon) and curiously went to check it out. Turns out I had arrived just in time and that there was a 5k race for Día de los Muertos.  They invited me to compete, and, happy to have people to pace myself with and eager to add another experience to my list, I quickly agreed. I'm not sure if it was actually me being in good shape, or just the combination of music, montage of CC memories running through my head the entire time, and adrenaline that made me kick it into gear, but I ended up coming in third! Now if only race-participation shirts were as popular in Formosa as they are back home... 

Tomorrow is Día de los Muertos, so no school again! Turns out I'll graduate from high school down here having never been to 4 consecutive days :) Instead I'm going to go shopping with my friends in Paraguay and then hit the beach again for the evening. Then just 3 more days of school and I'll be packing my bags for Patagonia! 

Besos y abrazos a todos,

Mia