Home two weeks!

What a lovely time to be home in the States.

The winter weather (albeit we’re short a few inches of snow, to my liking), the cozy car rides, the mistletoe, the Christmas trees, the annual neighborhood Christmas party, the sleepovers with best friends and cousins, the overeating at every turn...even the dryness of skin from dry winters and washing dishes after meals with extended family. All of it puts me in mind of the countless blessings I’ve encountered in the past months--with special emphasis on the past few weeks.

Adjustment has not been a simple process. I drink coffee now, here, which I did not do before; now, though, I miss the strength and fantasticness of the coffee in Argentina. I do not eat red meat now, and, with the choices available to me here, do not even miss it. I will not have opportunities to sunbathe or swim or go for a beach day, not for a while. And the countryside as I whiz through Western Pennsylvania on my way home from family Christmas today assaults me with the color grey, rather than the verde of Argentine summer.

All the same, it is lovely to be living with my family again. I realized that although it was a cool, growing, learning experience to manage and wrap my mind around my own apartment, I tired of the loneliness rapidly. I welcome life with sisters and parents again, and look forward to living with a family on my next leg of the journey, and with roommates in college. It will be good for me to have people around.

That’s another thing I love about this year--it’s still going. That was only three of my twelve-ish plus months of freedom to globe-trot, experience, broaden my mind, be stretched, face fears, make strides, and grow up. People often ask if the time in Argentina was a success; if I had something to compare it to, I would have a better answer. The value of this Gap Year will truly set in once I have all three internships laid out in front of me, with the quintessential 20-20 hindsight glasses of retrospection, and can make a complex mental Venn diagram of the ins and outs of each discrete experience. Until then, I am processing and pondering as well as I can. And savoring the memories.

Firsts on landing on US soil (/tarmac)

First touch: hyper-air-conditioned airport

First smell: uber-sanitized, chlorine-squeaky-clean airport floor

First sound: Spanish sans-Argentine accent; George Winston's "Winter" album on the PA system

First sight: the mega size of the airport in Miami

First thought: CHRISTMAS!

First thing that made me smile: God giving me lost-suitcase complications to fill the four-hour layover, then having the suitcase show up on its own in Chicago when I arrived, four hours later

Nutrition Information

Serving size: One Anna Shalom's enough for poor Latin America

Calories (or, in England, Energy): What remains after late night Argentine life :)
Calories from alfajores and dulce de leche: innumerable

Total fat: From ice creams, pizzas, and fruit smoothies; dang I will miss the Argentine versions of all those things

Sodium: Not as much as can be expected in Colombia, where they hyper-salt everything, but more than I am accustomed to--empanadas, meat, pasta...

Total carbohydrates: 80% white sugar, 20% fresh baked breads.

Protein: I ate much meat here, but the minute I step on the plane I will eat no more. I do not eat US meat. It's all wrong, from flavor to industry. Can't stand it. Here it sure was tasty--not sure I'll miss it exactly, but it tasted good while I had it, the real stuff. :)

Vitamins and minerals: Whatever happened to make it into my food through fruits and veggies. Mmm.




As you can see, I'm rather tasty, and content with my time in Buenos Aires--especially from a dietary perspective. :)

Packing everything but the sunburn

I cannot believe it is my last night in the apartment. WOW.

I have emptied cupboatds and drawers, the fridge mostly, and the pantry. Food left over goes to friends, roller blades to my big bro F, and some clothes that will do others more good go to said others. I love giving gifts.

I am starting to truly look forward to/ desire to be at home, with the cold, with White Christmas, and with you all. Mmm Christmas!

I am bursting at the seams to share with you all that I have been learning here, all the while by His grace steadied by His hand.

shalom to you all in these ultimate few days. See you soon! :)

Beautiful

My friends are beautiful. The most recent time I had this realization was at approximately 8:42 this morning.

After arriving at V's house last night (we were making up for lost time--had been apart the whole week and weekend!), sharing a scrumptious V-original dinner, and chit-chatting until bedtime for the kids and ourselves, I went to sleep very content. In the morning, amongst the whirlwind process of prepping the boys for preschool and elementary school, I found it equally enjoyable to tag along and be part of their family for a little bit longer.
After we dropped off the two boys, V and I walked leisurely towards the Subte to get downtown; she to work, I to my apartment. We walked arm in arm to the panaderia (bakery), and bought ourselves some incredible facturas (sweeeeeeet breads) for breakfast, regardless of the astounding calorie count they most definitely contained. The crunchy, flaky outside; the softer, dulce-de-leche moistened interior...nothing like it. Nothing like it.
Off in search of chocolate milk, we enjoyed our facturas ("like Ratatouille" she says, the movie in which the character Ratatouille enjoys every bite as he savors it and sees fireworks). Arm in arm again, singing worship songs in the glory of this sunny, not-too-hot morning with facturas and the gorgeous company of a really good friend.

That's beautiful.

One week remains: Or, Things I have not learned

As my time in Buenos Aires draws to a close, I often find myself just sitting on a bench in various places; people watching peacefully, pensively recapping the past three months of Argentine life.

On Wednesday, I sat in Plaza San Martin and pulled out my notebook and pencil. It was a chilly evening--good for thought--full of the freshness of the day after an incredible heat and humidity. There I came up with the idea of writing what I have learned here. Shortly thereafter, I came up with a better approach: what I have not learned here. It expresses a different set of hints about my life here, so I hope you understand it. Out of the box thinking :)

Things I Have Not Learned, Here In Buenos Aires
-how to spend an afternoon alone; there is always a friend available
-how to wear high heels in the city
-how to prevent myself from eating all the ice cream in Bs As
-how to read my body when it's saying it can absolutely take no more and must sleep
-how to cook complete meals; generous friends and eating out
-how to avoid the allure and beauty of the flowers sold on practically every street corner



This shall be a week of mix-n-match events, trying to fill it to the brim with people time. Hope your wintery Decembers are going pleasantly!