I haven't posted in over a month. I could give you a thousand excuses, but the truth is I am lazy. I have also been incredibly busy. Being incredibly busy and incredibly lazy is something most exchange students can relate to. The craziest thing is it has almost been 3 months in this amazing country. I have so many new experiences to talk about and so many new friends that I have shared those experiences with. But this post will center around my trip to Patagonia with around 40 other exchange students.
I live in Chivilcoy, Argentina which is more or less in the center of the country around 3 hours away from Buenos Aires. For that reason, I had to drive drive 3 hours to Buenos Aires to get on a bus for 17 hours to Mendoza (a beautiful city to the far West side of the country). There we toured a vineyard and had a wine tasting. We also explored the Altas Montanas. We then went to Puerto Madryn where we got to spend the day on the beach. Calafate was the next location staying there for 3 nights. We visited Perito Moreno while in Calafate and were able to hike on top of the glacier with a guide. Then we visited Chalten for a few days to do some more hiking and to see a few more glaciers. We then went to Esquel to visit El Parque Nacional Los Alerces. We ended the trip in the well known tourist town, Bariloche and returned home.
I have a problem with losing things. Anyone that knows me well enough will tell you this. Halfway into the trip, my debit card was eaten by an ATM. The bank was closed and we left early the next day. I made an urgent phone call to my mom and we canceled the card on the spot. The next day we were in Esquel when I conveniently dropped my wallet in the street. You have to realize that a wallet dropped on the street is basically impossible to get back in Argentina. Luckily, a man from Costa Rica found it and brought it back to his hotel where he messaged me on Facebook to let me know he had my wallet.
Yes this was a quick summary of the places I went to while in Patagonia. That is because the best things were the new friends I made and bonded with on the trip. We are from all over the world:
United States, Denmark, Germany. Iceland, France, Slovakia, Belgium and more. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing new group of friends that will last a lifetime. It is funny how relatable things can be between exchange students. You are in the same country experiencing the same things and can truly understand the other person. You are able to find a common language between friends and relate to the rollercoaster that exchange is.
My favorite part of the trip was being homesick. I know that sounds a bit odd. Around the middle of the trip, I felt homesick, but not homesick for the United States. I was homesick for my town Chivilcoy in Argentina. This was a bizarre realization, but a good one. I am feeling like a real part of this community here. It was easier to be in "the moment" in Patagonia and I will admit it has not been easy adjusting back to school and everyday life. However, I am doing well and looking forward to new experiences in my amazing country.
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| Puenta del Inca |
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| Chile/Argentina Border |
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| The Captiol |
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| Hiking in Chalten |
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| Porito Moreno with Alta |
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| 1 million years on the bus |
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| Pride for Argentina |
Chau for now,
Ben
