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This album is very special to me because it is a compilation of photos throughout our entire semester in Madrid. Whenever I can, I like to carry around a separate little point-and-shoot Olympus film camera, taking it out to bars and restaurants or anywhere I might need a flash.
After a few days of delays, protests, a few too many alfajores (amazing argentine pastries, see above...Cachafaz is my favorite brand), 5-10 Choripan sandwiches (my favorite Argentine lunch) countless emotional goodbyes, and a 14 hour flight, I'm back home.
My last week is drawing near. After four months of Ups and Downs, awkward icebreakers which led to incredible friendships, and unforgettable nights, I have a week left here in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your last week.
Lisa Maria Montano Ortiz (Pictured on the right)
As a latino male, I didn’t expect the type of culture shock I would experience in Buenos Aires. While the pasta and pizza joints on every block are a wonderful representation of Argentina’s Italian influence, I’ve seen and met a lot of people that lead me to believe that Argentina is evolving into an even more culturally rich country. There are new and old incomers from South American neighbors like Colombia, Ecuador, and other Latin American countries.
Finals are nearing and emotions are stirring. My time here in Argentina is almost done. Can you believe that? I can't! I wasn’t quite sure how to deal with the nearing end of my program. I felt like I needed some time to reflect on the last few months and think about how I wanted to close out my last few moments. This was a good enough excuse for me to pause studying and take the ferry across Rio de La Plata straight into Uruguay.
When I was really young I thought it was funny how the Zoo in Seattle had an exhibit with the same type of Elk that would wander through my field back home making a nuisance of themselves. They were such a mundane part of life that I couldn’t imagine them being interesting to anyone. Living on these islands for the past three months strolling by sea lions every day on my way to school and shooing away Darwin’s finches as I eat my lunch, I have to wonder if those who grow up here feel the same. Do these islands feel as special as they really are?
