Hello my fellow readers! I hope your week has been a great one. I’ve heard the weather over in Tampa has been overwhelmingly hot! Meanwhile, I’m all bundled up trying to keep warm here in Buenos Aires. This past week has dragged on forever. My friend Niko left to go back to the States, my study abroad group and professors arrived and my classes began.
Ever since my friend left and I’ve had the apartment to myself, I started a workout challenge that has been kicking my butt! I’ve always heard that squats are a girl’s best friend, so I figured why not start one of the squat challenges? I also incorporated an ab and plank challenge which leaves me laying on the floor after I finish. Hopefully this pays off by the end of my trip. Try it for yourself!
On Sunday, I was picked up by one of the assistants at my school here and she took me to a restaurant to meet up with my group. There are nine other students in my program and they’re all from USF. We are all majoring in different subjects such as medicine, math, business, criminology and international studies, but we all have a love for the Spanish language! We are taking two classes here: Conversation and Composition as well as The History, Culture and Politics of Latin America. We have class Monday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 and then again from 3 to 5 p.m. In between my classes, another girl and I go for a three mile run around the most beautiful parks in the capital! I honestly can’t get enough of all the parks and lakes that are near where I live.
Lake in El Paseo De Los Granadores
Our school isn’t really a school; more like a small classroom on the second floor of a building that holds other offices. However, it is very cozy! Halfway through the class, we take a break and we are able to drink water, coffee, or tea and snack on the cookies that the school provides. This was very surprising to me. I’ve never taken a class at USF where they gave us free snacks and drinks! Because the classes only have 10 students, we are able to really get to know our professors. If you don’t understand something, they go over it again and give you one-on-one instruction. It’s a very laid-back environment that really facilitates learning.
I am very intrigued by my History, Culture, and Politics class. I’ve already learned so much about the Mexican Revolution in a matter of three days. The class requires a lot of outside readings, but every week we have scheduled visits to various museums and historical sites in Buenos Aires. This week we toured the National Congress of Argentina and tomorrow we are going to one of the oldest cafés in Buenos Aires as well as La Casa Rosada (Argentina’s version of the White House).
On the steps of the Argentine National Congress in Buenos Aires
The FIFA World Cup is right around the corner! We are already getting a taste of what’s to come. Argentinians take their soccer very seriously and when their home teams play, the streets are flooded with people screaming and waving their flags and jerseys. Next Wednesday we are attending the Argentina vs. Trinidad soccer game and I am so excited! It’s a friendly match and the energy of that game doesn’t even compare to what the World Cup will bring!
I am going to leave you all with a few photos of some of my favorite statues and street art I have encountered this past week. Can’t wait to update you all again next week!