Conclusions

So my semester in Buenos Aires has come to a close. It's hard to believe that it's been 5 months since I left Indiana.

On one hand, I'm a little sad that the experience is over. I feel like I could've taken better advantage of my time here.

On the other hand, I'm proud of what I've achieved and thankful for the fun I've had. And I'm ready to go home. I fly out tomorrow night at 10pm and will land in Chicago O'Hare on Wednesday morning at 9am. (14 hours total, if you consider the time differences.)

Some reflections:
- I've learned a ton this semester, most of it outside the classroom. My Spanish finally has a native-like identity. It's about as Argentine as it can get now, and I couldn't be happier about that.
- I've built and strengthened friendships with several people- Bianca and Ariel primarily.
- I've learned how to live with people who don't like me; how to deal with people that don't like me because I'm American; and how not to let people's stares get to me.
- I've experienced (and survived) some hardships I'd never encountered before- getting pickpocketed, getting ripped off because I'm American, etc.
- I've overcome some very basic but very real fears- using public transportation, asking directions in a foreign language, traveling across a city of many millions by myself.
- I've learned not to mind several foods that I used to wrinkle my nose up at.

All that said, I think the biggest and most important thing I've learned this semester is gratitude. Gratitude for:

- the familiarity of home
- my family
- my friends
- my university
- my car
- clean air
- air conditioning
- washers and dryers
- dishwashers
- the efficiency/practicality Americans are famous for
- the constancy of God's love and care

Some updates

Since the last time I updated, the following things have happened.

- I took my 2nd midterm in the UBA. I still don't know the grade for it (nor for the first one, which I took about a month ago now...), but I think it went well. Here's hopin' my grades are high enough that I can skate out on the final exam.

- My good friend Ariel came from Córdoba to visit me and Bianca here in Capital. He's staying until at least the 17th, maybe even longer.

- The only thing I have left, academically speaking, is a Latin final.

- I went to the Museum of Natural Sciences. It was neats.

- I also made a trip to see a Russian Orthodox church, the Basilica of the Most Holy Sacrament, the Plaza of San Martín, the Torre de los Ingleses, and a memorial to the fallen soldiers in the conflicts in the Falkland Islands.

- I discovered a guy who sells awesome ice cream for 3 pesos! That's about 75 cents American, and there's one scoop each of 3 different flavors- dulce de leche, vanilla, and strawberry.

- I won a contest in Flacso called "The New Word I Learned." What we had to do was write new words we'd learned here in Argentina in a notebook and the student who put the most words won a prize. And I won! They said I was the first person to put more than 150 words, which I was more than a little bit proud of. :)

- I'm more excited than ever to get back to Indiana and my family and friends there!