A month in...

Hey friends and fam! I am pleased to inform you that I have not fallen off the face of the earth, only down to the southern hemisphere. I have been in Buenos Aires for just over a month now. After 2 1/2 weeks of orientation, visiting different Universities, and an extremely disorganized and overwhelming class registration process, I am finally about to start my third week of classes. There is one more week of a shopping period during which time I am trying classes in three different universities. Classes are long (usually 3 or 4 hours), with a 15 or 30 minute break halfway through. One of the private universities I am studying at has a lovely modern architecture and is composed of 3 buildings that are alongside a beautiful water front called Puerto Madero, which is near some of the classiest bars and restaurants in the city. I have a class called "Political and Economic Geography of Argentina" and "Compared American Revolutions" there. The first class is mainly Argentine students and the second one, which I am still deciding on keeping, is specifically for foreign students. I am trying 3 different classes at the most renowned public university in Buenos Aires, although it can hardly be compared to the wonderful public university that I call my home back in the States. UBA has buildings for different majors spread out all over the city, and at the moment I have class in the Philosophy and Social Sciences ones. Graffiti decorates the outside of the buildings and almost every classroom. The inside is filled with posters demanding that the school remains unaffected by inflation or that show the face of a recently disappeared youth. This Monday I start my class called "The crisis of capitalism and its consequences in Argentina" with a professor who has a leading role with the Worker's Party in Argentina. I'm really hoping that I'll like that class, because the others that I have tried there have yet to live up to their titles.

Don't worry, I dont think I'll be coming back a Marxist, but certainly with some more open perspectives on things. I have learned so much already despite the fact that classes are just now starting.

More fun things: Ya'll know me and know that it doesn't take much time for me to get busy with activities. My second weekend here I went on a retreat with youth and young adults from a church in the province of Buenos Aires and had a great time and translated from Spanish into English during the sermon on Saturday night, since there was a group of about 25 Americans there. A guy who I had met briefly last year here saw on my Facebook that I was in Buenos Aires and invited me to come to his church and asked me to come to the camp to translate. I am so lucky to have met such an awesome community of Christians in Buenos Aires, and have really enjoyed hanging out with them since.

I have gone to listen to live jazz music twice, once in a library/cafe and another time in this semi-secret house/bar that you wouldn't know about unless you're deep in the music scene (thanks to my very talented musician friend). Tonight I'm going to another friend's band's concert. I've found a rock climbing gym here that I've gone to once. I will also be doing some volunteer work here with photography, which actually plays out pretty comically because I will be photographing some events in bars as humanitarian work. How does that make sense? Well it's a new bar that's hosting benefit events for some local NGOs.

Additional random updates: I got a nose piercing (Mom, even you'd like it). It's a super cute little green stud. I went to get pierces one night after a Spanish-placement exam with two other American friends. Just wanted to throw that out before I got home. Ok so this is just an enormous city and I've never considered myself a city girl, but I'm really loving it here. I do miss my people in the States and my friends dispersed across the globe (shout-out to Mexico, Spain, Italy, Jordan, Benin and Thailand). But I must say that I feel at home here. Last year I said that I want to live here at some point, and look at me now. Today, I'm saying again that I would like to live here at some point (except I'm really torn between here and Mexico, but hey, who says you've gotta pick just one?), so we'll see what happens after graduation.

I send hugs and kisses in all directions and hope and pray for the best for all of you!! Keep dreaming and be pro-active!!!