8-25-08

It's my third day in Buenos Aires.

I met my host family yesterday. They are very nice. They talk to me a lot and say I will be speaking Spanish in a few days. They said that the students who live with them are always shy at first, but they get over it.

I do feel shy. And homesick.

I don't understand, I worked so hard in school so I could get this scholarship and study abroad. I've always wanted to travel. You should've heard me whining to my boyfriend about it a couple years ago.

They warned me that this might happen and I didn't believe them.

Everyone else seems so freakin' happy to be here, too. They're all going out every night and drinking like crazy (spending all their money). It's all good but, c'mon people, every night?

I want to talk to somebody about it - but I don't want to depress everybody.

I'm not going to quit. I know I can do this. I'll be acclimated sooner than later.

Maybe my culture shock curve is a little more ahead of everyone elses, you know? Maybe they'll be all bummed out once I start to have more fun. Ahh...! I'm an international studies major!!! What the hell is going on? I'm I going to have to change my major? I already almost earned all my credits for transfer!

I had a really bad nightmare last night - and I woke up with a sore throat and a headache. But that might have been the wine I drank.

I'm not depressed - I am a little blue, though.

Actually, I feel a little better after today. I went to class early this morning. Then I went shopping with this girl from school. I bought a cellphone. Then I went back to ECELA to ask which bus to take. And I ended up taking the wrong bus. I don't know if he told me the wrong bus on purpose (because I kind of snapped at his homie) or if I just accidentally got on the wrong bus. But either way I ended up in the middle of southern Buenos Aires. Which, by the way is the area that they specifically told us not to go to alone or even at all.

I thought I had gone the wrong way. So I asked the girl next to me to show me where we were on my Subte (subway) map. And when she showed me, I was like, "Oh, s@#%!"

I got off the bus and started walking north. I had my backpack with me and it was getting so heavy. I'd had it with me the whole time we were shopping, too. But I didn't want to call a cab. I can't be dropping pesos left and right on a radio taxi every time I get lost or I'll start to run out of money quick. So I started walking and walking and then I walked some more til I found a subte station. I was irate. The whole time this is going on I'm thinking to myself, " He told me to go the wrong way on purpose!" I was so mad. You should've seen me pouting and walking the streets of Buenos Aires. I took the subte to the stop closest to my house and then I walked even more til I was finally en mi cuarto. Warm and safe and drinking a glass bottle of coca cola and watching Family Guy en espanol.

I almost called the school coordinator and started freaking out on her because I thought I had been sent on a wild goose chase. I was also mad because my house is so much further away from school than everybody elses. Seriously, they're all like 3 blocks from the school in the same neighborhood. Meanwhile, I have to get up early every morning and take the bus to school. But I'm really glad that I didn't call her. Probably I'm just being a brat. For sure thats what they would've thought if I called. And I'm super happy that I found my own way back.

I didn't find the counter culture - I'm not all down with underground Buenos Aires. ( I gotta take some pictures of all the tags and graffiti around the city and post them.) But I do feel like I know the city a little better. And I feel more indedependent and less like a loner.

I don't think I'm going to ask the people at school for help anymore, though.

I have go do my homework for Professor Indiana's class tomorrow.

Ciao