My two months of preparation have seemed like a journey in itself–a journey towards another journey if you will. Between the road trips and shopping trips, working as a babysitter for four beautiful children, and spending time with my family, the day has finally arrived. Tomorrow I will be boarding an eleven hour flight out of JFK and landing in Buenos Aires at approximately 4:40AM.
Battling with my procrastination tendencies, I am still not packed as I write this. Some may call me crazy, but I, as delusional as it may be, like to call it living in the moment. I have been home for two months and I like to think I have spent most days wisely. Of course Netflix has taken me to the dark side on some days, however I have used this time off to take a deep breath and look around at my world and what it has meant to me, how it has defined me. I have had the opportunity to visit my dear friends at their schools and see how different our college lives are. In somewhat of a new health kick, I have been able to try new recipes at my leisure and enjoy my mother’s delicious home cooked meals. I have been able to research Argentina and their customs and current events, practicing my Spanish in the shower or with whomever is so lucky. Looking forward to the warm weather I so deeply crave, I have tried to appreciate the snow and ice and at times it was possible. Building snowmen and blowing freezing bubbles with a three year-old would make anyone’s day.
And of course, in my last minute fashion, I started to work on the “important things.” Yesterday I picked up some Argentine pesos and when I was making sure they were all real the teller was a little offended, but I hear you can never be too careful. Today, I enrolled in property insurance and placed an order through xoom.com so I could pick up money once I get there. But I believe all this preparation and delayed panic won’t really do me any good. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Nothing will compare to breathing those buenos aires.
Victoria Nieto
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<div><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Victoria Nieto. I am a junior at Ithaca College majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications with a minor in art. My hope is for you to be able to see Buenos Aires through my eyes as I immerse myself in the beautiful country of Argentina. I hope to see more than I can remember and to remember more than I have seen. For me, these memories will be everlasting.</span></div>