Going home

OK so I have to admit that I haven't done a great job of blogging while in BA. I apologize to all those eager readers out there.
Well...it's my last day in BA. My plane leaves at 11pm tonight. It seems unreal that I have been away from home for four months already. As I reflect on my time here in BA there have been so many great memories...so many new experiences. It has been a really intense semester-academically, emotionally, physically. I'm sure I will look back at this semester in a few months and realize how much I've grown.
There are so many things I am going to miss about BA: flagging down the 132 bus each morning, paying 90 centavos for a ride, watching passengers cross themselves when we drive past a church, hearing castellano every day, seeing portenos relaxing at the park, the many outdoor cafes, seeing Christmas decorations in a bathing suit boutique, eating dulce de leche with my toast each morning, going out till 5am on weekends, and so much more.
What I won't miss is smelling smoke at restaurants, clubs, bars, seeing couples make out excessively on street corners, and stepping in dog poop. But who knows...maybe in a few weeks those are the things I'll remember about BA. :)
Last night the group presented our final presentation to the faculty. I think it went really well. After the presentation was finished I realized how much we have learned this semester. I was really impressed by all my classmates, and really proud of the group as a whole.
I'm not really sure what to expect when I go home tomorrow. I hope to keep in touch with my friends from IHP, especially if I have difficulty dealing with the reentry process. I have a feeling I will be overwhelmed by the holiday craziness in New York. I don't think I'm ready for the cold weather. I've been wearing flip flops and tank tops for 8 months straight. It's gonna be a difficult transition to start wearing hats, gloves, scarves, coats, and boots all of a sudden.
I'm excited to see friends and family this weekend. I have a lot of catching up to do. I still haven't quite figured out how I'm gonna share my stories with them. I know people will ask "How was your trip? Was it amazing? What was the best/worst part?" I'm not sure if I'm ready to answer all those questions. To be honest, the past semester has been more than just a trip..it's been a pretty life-altering experience. I've gained so many new perspectives and I'm leaving with so many new questions. I think the most difficult part about studying abroad is what to do when I go back home. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Buenos Aires: Week 2 and 3

Things I need to write about when I have a chance:
Tango night
La Plata
Weekend at Ranch-gauchos, rural school
San Isidro neighborhood day
Plaza de Mayo
Riding public transportation
Nightlife and eating out
Plans for Thanksgiving
Retiro, Puerto Madero, La Boca

Pictures from Vacation and Kruger National Park

Elephant blocking traffic

Swaziland´s rolling hills

Herd of elephants

Warthogs at the lodge

Zebras next to my room

View from top of Table Mountain

Giraffe in Kruger Park

Me and my mom in Cape Town' sunset cruise

Buenos Aires: Week 1

Hola! I am now in Buenos Aires. I just moved into my new homestay family and I am so happy. I am living with a 21 year old sister, 13 year old brother, mother, and 5 other foreign students from the U.S. and Holland. It´s an international mad house.

The weather here is lovely. It is spring time but unusually hot. I am excited to go out and see the beautiful city. I am practicing my spanish daily so hopefully it improves by the time i leave in a month.

I just returned from a week vacation with my mom in Kruger Park. We spent 4 nights in a lodge in marloth park. We met a lot of interesting people from France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium. It was really nice and relaxing. It was amazing to be so close to nature and to see so many wild animals in their natural habitat. We were lucky enough to see the famous big 5-buffalo, rhinos, lions, leopards, and elephants. We even got to see giraffe, hippos, wild dogs, zebras, kudu, bushbabies, and more more. I even got to feed zebra and kudu from my own hands!!! I will be sure to put up pictures soon. We spent two days on a safari in an open vehicle (just like the movies) and then a whole day driving to Swaziland, a neighboring country. We saw the rolling hills and beautiful scenery as we drove all across the country. It was wonderful.

I was lucky enough to here the good news about the election while at Kruger Park. I was so surprised to see the emotional reactions by people in SA. Even when I went to swaziland the man at the immigration desk congratulated me on obama´s victory. the election has a tremendous impact on my status as an american traveler. I will keep you updated on people´s reactions but so far it seems to be overwhelmingly positive in the international community. People are very excited and hopeful to see what happens next.

I will try to keep you updated while I am in BA. I am having a great time so far. Tomorrow is the first day of our classes here. Hope all is well in NYC. Please feel free to leave comments!

Cape Town: Week 4

This will be my last post from Cape Town. Tomorrow is the start of my weeklong vacation. My mom is flying in tonight so we can travel together. We plan to go to Kruger Park near Johannesburg to do a safari for a week. I am so excited to see her. After everything I have been through in the last two months it will be great to see a familiar face .
The last few weeks have been so amazing. I have experienced such a mix of emotions: excited, enthusiastic, happy, depressed, frustrated, angry, helpless, empowered, and confused. Cape Town is an amazing place with a history of inequality, poverty, reconciliation, change, growth and uncertainty. It isn't a place that is easy to convey in words. I have met some amazing people from extremely diverse backgrounds who are so open to communication and dialogue. At the same time, I have encountered a lot of racism, hate, violence and anger during my time here. These are the things that are hardest to deal with. It is very difficult to encounter poverty, illness (HIV/AIDS, TB), and violence at such a personal level with people who suffer each day. But out of these encounters i have been inspired by people's courage, strength and resilience. Being in Cape Town has opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities where people can rise out of amazing struggles and grow. I hope I can bring the inspiration and hope I have witnessed here with me when I return home.
I am sad to be leaving the Bo-Kaap because I have grown so close to my family. I will miss my host sister so much. I can't image what it will be like to say bye to everyone who I have grown so close to and who have been so supportive of me the past few weeks. I am dreading the good byes but at the same time I am relieved to be starting my vacation. After next week I will be on a plane yet again to go to Buenos Aires. I wonder what adventures await me there.
This is a bittersweet good bye to Cape Town. I have had so many amazing memories: the food, shopping, weather, beaches, mountains, children, friends and family. It will be hard to say bye but I know I will be back again some time. Sorry for being so sappy but I am realizing that the first half of my semester is over. I am starting a new chapter after today. I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog so far. I will try to put up more pictures (especially of the safari) when I return.
Take care!! keep reading!!

Cape Town Photos

sea point, cape town (near the hostel, day 1)






host brother, cousin, mom, dad at the waterfront on our way to robben island




beautiful mountains






u.s. consulate in cape town. I cast my first presidential vote!

Cape Town: Week 3

It is already halfway into the semester. I don't know where the time has gone. I am starting to feel the stress of deadlines. I have so much I have to do by the time I get back in December. I am trying not to let the stress of school work and fellowships distract me from my experiences here. I am really enjoying my homestay and the city as a whole. I just need to manage my time well.
I went to a Sami Yussef concert with my host sister and Corrine last night. It was great. Quite a unique experience. He is a Muslim singer who is world famous for his religious music. The entire stadium (with thousands of people) was full of mostly Muslims. Corrine and I stood out to say the least. He is really talented. I am glad I had a chance to share the experience with my host sister.
Tomorrow is Robben Island. I hope it doesn't rain.