it's only a day away

i am sitting in the milhouse hostel, getting ready to leave. not just leave mendoza like last time i was leaving somewhere, but getting ready to leave argentina. tengo que irme. i know that i will be back in this beautiful country, but you never know how long it will be before those plans are finalized. i want to cling to the pillars on the buildings and never let go; something i never thought i could feel for a country i was so annoyed with simply weeks ago. i know that i have an family awaiting my arrival, excited to see me, excited to hear about all of my experiences in person, excited to get their argentinean presents, but i cannot help but wish to stay.


i don't know what about south america captivated me, i can't seem to put a finger to it, but i know that argentina was a perfect place to study abroad for me. it takes a special kind of person to deviate from the european-spain track and delve right into a developing country, where people, places, language, things, and food are completely different than the "norm". i'm trying to speak spanish so i don't lose everything i've learned here, but i'm afraid that this wonderful journey will just fade to a memory of "that junior year when i studied abroad". i want it to be more; i want to really be connected to both of the lives i have established both here and in the united states. at the very least, i'm committing myself to building a house somewhere in this vast country when i am older. i want to be able to return to argentina and speak like a porteña, party til 8am, eat dozens of empanadas, drink malbec until i'm sleepy. i've read about this reverse culture shock, but i'm not ready for it. just as i compared everything in argentina to things in the united states when i first arrived, i'm sure i will be doing the reverse when i land in the states.

until then, i bid goodbye to la argentina and it's wonderful, vibrant, relaxing, filling life it offers. i will be sure to update with more pictures of iguazú falls when i get a chance at home. chau argentina, ha sido genial.