three month anniversary

i've been in kind of a funk the past week or so. i've almost hit the 3 month mark, so i guess it makes sense that my emotions and feelings have been all over the place. right now, i'm firmly convinced that i want to go home. it's not like i don't enjoy mendoza, i definitely do, but i'm frustrated with my life here. how, you ask? i have a great family, my own room in the house, a nice park to run in everyday, barely any class, 4 day weekends, endless bodegas and wine at my fingertips, and enough dulce de leche to keep me satisfied until i turn 80. however, i've finally gotten to the point where i have been honest enough with myself to really see mendoza (and life in argentina) in both positive and negative ways. i'm not homesick per se, just really missing some of the luxuries of home and school. i feel as if argentina is such a tease...i am not in a third world country (hi emma) or in an extremely americanized/westernized place. instead, i am in the middle: living in a developing country with some splendors of home. i know that if i was to pack up today and leave, it would be sad to say goodbye to my host family and friends that i have made. part of me keeps thinking of home and school and what i'm going to be able to do when i go back. the other part is reminding me that i am already 3 months down, and have less than 2 months to go...so i should make the most of my time here! i can't exactly put my finger on what i miss from home (because let's be honest, i don't miss the workload at school..), but i do miss the simple ability to have conversations. everyday i come home, do some homework, eat dinner, go to bed. wake up, go for a run, go to school, repeat. i miss having friends constantly around me and i miss having seriously good conversations with people, while walking to class, in the union, at practice, at dinner, and before bed. i enjoy being independent here because it has definitely taught me a lot (ie, don't go running with an ipod or you'll get mugged), but i do miss the opportunity to surround myself with people i love to be around. i miss the college campus life, the camaraderie, and the school spirit. i miss being able to just walk into a friend's room or apartment without having to ring the doorbell and talk to their parents.

i'm getting frustrated with myself for feeling this way because i'm lucky to be here! i'm trying to remind myself that i will not have this opportunity again, so i may as well make it look like i am having fun and enjoying myself even if i'm not. some of my other friends here have been feeling the same way (as i found out today), so i guess i'm not alone.

final exams are coming up for me...maybe a contribution to the defeated tone of this post?? i have an oral exam on halloween (a holiday that they don't celebrate here...womp.), two papers due by the end of october, a final on november 15th, and then a spanish exam on the 23rd. the ifsa-butler farewell dinner is the next day (thanksgiving, how nice of them), and then i'm officially done. almost exactly 5 weeks til i'm done with the "study" abroad part. then i have roughly two and a half weeks to pack up or travel to buenos aires (i'll keep y'all posted on what the plans are for that), to fly out on december 11th, and arrive stateside on the 12th.


hope the autumn season in the states is treating everyone well....it's almost 7:30pm here and still 86 degrees out. happy summer from argentina!