My New Life

Tomorrow will officially mark the one month point! 4 Saturdays ago, I got off the bus in La Plata and began my adventure. Today, I finally feel like I can call this 'my new life'.

I feel like everything decided to just fall into place, and all of the confusions and complications went out the window. It's a really good feeling, like I have been freed, or let go. There have been many events that I believe contributed to this freeing feeling...

I started my first Spanish class yesterday! I loved the teacher, and I hear from all of the kids that she is amazing. Despite the fact that I felt like I was back in Spanish 1, I think this class is going to be really helpful. I have it every Thursday for about an hour, and I am the only one in the class, so I pretty much have my own tutor.

Also, all of the money confusions are now worked out. For a long time my family has been trying to work out a way for me to have money while I am down here, and during the process of figuring it out, I ran out of the money I had. I have been borrowing money for the past week, and it has been really difficult to communicate what was happening with the banks because my host parents and my real parents don't speak the same language. But, long story short, we had a translator and were able to get everything worked out, and this morning I finally got money to be able to buy what I need. Which leads to the next contribution to my progression...

I had a few hours of free time at school, so Renzo took me downtown to look for a memory card for the camera that he let me borrow. We not only got a memory card, but I found super cute vans to wear, and I got a watch for when I start running every day. Thennnn....

I went back to school and had my first piano class! Another beginning to a new routine. Friday piano classes. I got a song to practice and I got to play a little bit. Of course, I'm not anywhere close to good at it, considering I haven't played since I was 12, but I know I'm going to like that I started to play the piano again. Music is going to become a big part of my experience down here, which I am definitely really happy about.

Piano ended at 2:20 and Emilio had classes until 4:40, so it was looking like I was going to be stuck at the school for 2 whole hours. For about an hour, I sat in one of Emilio's classes and thought about if I could go home on my own when I wanted to. Every day I go with Emilio, and the thought of me trying it by myself was out of the question. It is sort of scary I'll admit, like nothing I would have to do at home. I have to wave down the bus, then I tell the man 'uno con diez', I put 1.10 pesos in the little machine, I ride the bus for about 20 minutes, ring the buzzer thing, and get off. Then I walk one block to my house. Something that regular city people do. But I am not a city girl at all, let alone one that can speak Spanish. But I thought that today would be a perfect day to try, so I asked Emilio for the house key, and I was off! Everything went smoothly and I have now officially taken the bus home from school on my own.

So the next progressive step I made was finding a package in my room from my parents. It had my ATM card, which means that now we REALLY won't have any money problems, and it was also proof that when they send me packages in the mail, they will arrive safely. Along with my card, I received plenty of family pictures and I decided to decorate my wall with them. Now my room has more of a home-y feeling...like it is really MY room. Also, just for kicks, I took some pictures of my newly decorated room with my newly memory carded camera :)

Then, after decorating my room, taking pictures, setting my watch, and lacing up my new shoes, my host dad walked in my room with my new cell phone and charger. So then, I got to add cell phone to my list if accomplishments! All it needs is credit to call people and it will be ready to go...I know that a phone is really going to come in handy. You know, because I am now riding the bus by myself and all.

So today was full of accomplishments and smiles...and tomorrow I can say I have been an Argentinian girl for one full month.
Even though the days felt slower than ever in the beginning, I feel like I can say that time has flown by. I don't know if it feels like a whole month already.
But I may feel differently tomorrow!