The Beginning of the End

Or to see it bigger


Or to see it bigger


Or to see it bigger

6-13-10
I woke up and after getting photos uploaded, I started studying for Spanish. I spent most of the afternoon studying. I am not too worried but refreshers never hurt. I also skyped my dad and Abbey. I have so little time left. I am totally feeling bittersweet. Ellis is coming into town tomorrow for a few days which will be fun despite me being in the midst of finals. After Tuesday morning, I only have three orals. I got dinner and spent some of the evening studying as well.
7 days left. So weird. Final push we come.

Magical Realism and Dictatorships

6-10-10
I woke up and got breakfast. I applied some final edits to Abbey's edits of my paper. I headed to school where I printed my paper. In class, we discussed magical realism as well as the dictatorships in Argentina. After class, I headed home and got food. In the afternoon, I read some of Catch 22 and chilled. I had a skype date due to working internet. I hung with friends most of the evening. At night, I had dinner and talked to people then some of us went to a pool hall to play some pool.

Tomorrow: I hope to get my visa among other things.
Hope you enjoy the new look to the blog.

Sports Challenge

5-11-10
I woke up and got ready for the day. Then I headed to class. In class, we discussed our midterm for next week, as well as other topics relating to the class. After, I went and talked to my adviser about the attendance problem. Turns out because my class changed buildings that they haven't completely fix the attendance thing so it says I haven't been going to class in the right building but it should be fixed soon.

After, Mark and I went upstairs and talked to people about travel plans with people. I then headed home. I ate lunch. I took a brief nap before talking to Abbey and then my mom. After, I hung out and read and talked to friends before having dinner. After dinner, I talked to some friends and tried to work on an apartment rental apartment. I then played a game with Joe and Catherine about who can name the most MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL teams in 30 minutes. I won with getting all 30 baseball teams, 32 football teams, 29 basketball teams (forgot the Memphis Grizzlies) and 26 out of the 30 NHL teams. I was rather impressed by the amount of NHL teams I got. I then got read for bed.

All my photos from Sunday can be found here.

Some of my favs are the top

"We no longer have to rob the pharmacy" - Nahuel

4-30-10
After my night out, I woke up and relaxed for a bit. Then I headed out to my doctor and set up Remicade. It was such a beautiful day that I walked the 20 blocks to the hospital. After waiting for sometime, I talked my doctor. We set up an appointment for the 14th. Woot woot!!! After I met up with the people who will be doing the process.

I then headed out to a lunch. The lunch was a goodbye one for all the people who were in just Spanish classes. It is so strange that people are leaving already. The lunch was amazing. It was all you can eat buffet of Argentine/Spanish food. Sooooo delicious. After, Chelsey and I walked back and relaxed. Eventually, I called Kelsey and Alex via Skype. It was nice to talk to them. Among other topics, we talked about our apartment. Kelsey and Alex are planning to move in early August. Andrew and I then headed to get stuff for International Night at the university. It was fun but eventually my friend Jamie and I headed back to the residencia. I got food and hung out with friends. No idea for the rest of the evening.

Changing Directions and Apperances

4-20-10
I woke up in time for breakfast but missed the eggs unfortunately. I ate some cereal before heading back to my room to quickly shower before class. I then headed out. I took the bus with some friends. I chit chated with people before class. In class, we discussed Populism and how it got its rise. It was quite interesting. After class, my friend Mark and I discussed how some of the roads (most are one ways) are changing directions due to a major street becoming a two way. Literally a street will go one way and change the direction the next day. It happened to one of the streets my residencia is on the corner of. I then headed home for lunch.

At lunch, I ate talked to friends about midterms and what not. After, I studied a bit for my econ mid term that I have tomorrow. Ugh. Not really looking forward to it. I then headed out and got a hair cut (you should be happy mom and dad). After, I spent most of the afternoon studying minus a skype date with Abbey. I ate dinner and studied more. Took a break for ice cream. Despite my studying, I am still iffy. This is not my area of expertise so it is having trouble clicking in my mind.

Missed class and fingerprints scanned

4-13-10
I overslept due to my phone's alarm being on vibrate. I totally forgot to change it. This resulted me missing class. Luckily it is the first one I have missed of this particular class so I have a grace. I met up with friends for lunch after fighting the rain. After, we headed down to the center of town to do the first step of the visa process. It was a relatively easy first step. We got our numbers, paid the cashier, then went to our passport info put into the database along with our fingerprints scanned. I headed home after.

At home, I did homework as well watching some shows. I talked to Abbey, as well as talked to a woman from Corbis about potentially working with them over the summer. Our convo didn't last too long due to her having trouble hearing me but we are in email contact so we will see what happens. I need to explore various options still. Most of the evening involved relaxing. I also ate dinner before watching "The Last of the Mohicans."

In some cool news, Bill Clinton will be among the speakers of Bryan Series. I will definitely be trying to get my hand on a ticket to that one if not for more.

Fall is coming, such a strange feeling

4-4-10
I woke up. I did some homework and read. I went out and grabbed lunch. Fall is coming here, it is surprising a bit cold. It came unexpected. I came back from getting some food and socialized with people. I then watched the "Fantastic Mr. Fox." I loved it and it definitely was a true Wes Anderson film. It was humorous and a brilliant adaptation of the classic Ronald Dahl book. I then had a Skype date with my mom and brother which was nice to talk to them face to face since I hadn't in a while. After, I continued with some homework which I finished due to the limited I had. I then chatted with Abbey for a while. I grabbed dinner and read for a while. I started to watch the "Informant" but it couldn't keep me interested sadly because I thought it would be entertaining.
Now to bed.

In other news, iTunes is now playing music, just needed to be upgraded. Windows is still telling me its a fake. Donovan McNabb has been traded to the rival Redskins. That was a move I did not see coming and I am interested in seeing the results of. The Red Sox are currently dueling the Yankees. We aren't playing great, especially Beckett which isn't good for me since he is on my fantasy team but we aren't playing bad. We can still win this game. Let's get them.

Weekend Recap (13-14)

3-13-10
I woke up and relaxed most of the morning. I then grabbed some food and ate. Then a bunch of us headed to the subte station. We got off and walked to a train station. We met up with people from the group. Then we headed onto the local train to Tigre. Tigre is a major delta here. It was pretty. We got on a boat and explored the delta. It was pretty but we didn't do much. After a while, it was more of the same. We finally got off the boat.

We then walked around and explored the area which was chill. There was a lot of stores. I took some photos (which are on my Flickr). Eventually, we headed home. I chilled and relaxed. Then eventually some of us headed to my favorite Mexican place here. Despite the long wait, the food made up for it. I quite enjoyed it. Then headed home. I went out and met up with Desiree and Leslie and their Argentine friends. Then we headed to a cool electronic club. It was nice to not to hear hip hop, as much as I like to dance to it. Eventually, we went home.

3-14-10
I woke up and relaxed. I then got my stuff together and met up some of the people in my program. They are going to Mar de Plata next weekend. I went because I wanted to hear prices. I decided against it. I am now trying to figure out what to do about Semana Santa. I eventually headed home. There I did some homework and talked to friends. I am starting to think about my life off campus and I get more and more excited. I then had a Skype date with Abbey. After, more homework before grabbing dinner. Then I chilled.

A Class Too Big for a Classroom Too Small

3-9-10
I woke up in time for breakfast for the first time. I then got ready for school. I got there relatively early. So I hung out. I then headed to the classroom. Luckily I got there early because my class was overly crowded. There was around 35 people for 20-25 seats. It was crazy. Finally it started. It is a a class about Political and Social Change in Latin America. I am excited for the subject.

After class, I headed home to enjoy a nice free meal at the residencia. I hung out most of the afternoon. I did some of my Spanish homework which was so weird to get back in that habit. Then around 4ish, I headed out. I went to my friend Stephanie's place. There we went to a somewhat abandoned meat market. There is an occasional butcher there and there were three guys playing cards but not used to its full purpose. I took some pictures I will post later. Then we walked around and talked photo. It was a lot of fun. Eventually I headed home.

I then had a nice Skype date with Abbey. I then grabbed dinner. After I relaxed before Chelsey and I headed to a friend's apartment. There we chatted and listened to music. Then we headed to a club. It was a lot of fun. We eventually headed home.

On another note, my photos from the San Telmo Market have been uploaded. Check them up

Recape of the weekend

2-27-10
After getting to the university, we met other people from our late start program along with the people in charge. Then we headed to a classroom. We introduced all of ourselves. A lot of the people seem interesting and it seems a good group. We went over the rules, policies, what to expect etc. It sounds like a potentially good semester. Then we headed out to lunch. We ate and got to know each other. In typical fashion, our meal lasted three hours but it was enjoyable. Then Jake, Joe, Christina, Kelsey and I headed out with another girl. We saw her apartment and chilled for a bit before heading to our residencia. We hung out there for a good. We all watched the news about the Chilean earthquake.

Eventually, Joe, Kelsey and I headed out and grabbed some pizza for dinner. We chat and had fun. After getting back, Jake, Joe, Christina, Kelsey and I showered and got ready for going out. Some other girls from our program came. We were going to Amerika, a huge gay club here. We finally found it and went in but the other girls from our programs bailed. So it was just Jake, Joe, Christina, Kelsey and I. We had so much fun dancing and laughing at the many crazy things there. Eventually, it turned into a foam party which was crazy fun. After a long night with many laughs, we headed home.

2-28-10
I woke up late. I showered and got ready. Desiree and I met up for lunch. We ate at a nice Vegetarian restaurant. After, we walked around a open air market for Sundays, where she looked at the various items for sale. Then we grabbed some delicious ice cream. Back, I posted pics from last night and uploaded some others to my flickr. I will let you all know when they are ready. I had a skype date with Abbey. Eventually, after watching USA lose the gold for Hockey, some of us headed out to eat dinner. It was very simple. Eventually, we headed back to relax. I met an NYU girl (NYU houses people in our building for their program) who went to Campbell Hall and knows people I do. Small world yet again.

Finally....

2-26-10
So I while waited to get into my room, I met other people who were starting yesterday but they all got here yesterday. A girl name Kelsey from Atlanta, boy from LA name Jake (who knows some people I do, of course), a girl from San Diego name Christina, and a boy name Joe from Wisconsin, among others. We sat around and talked. We grabbed lunch, a pasta at the residencia. We finally started to get moved in. Though I am suppose to have three roommates, I only have one. His name is Andrew, he is from near Bakersfield. He did the early start version so been here for a month already. It was nice to finally see the bottom of my bags.

After finally getting everything in or at least comfortable, I took the group minus Andrew around. I had to run a camera errand so they joined so I could show them the subway and things like that. I quickly bounced the stores again and asked for updated prices. Eventually, after getting the info I needed, we headed back. We all relax and tried to deal with the wifi, which sucks with everyone using it at the same time (hence why I am typing this at 8:40 in the morning). I asked some of my photography buddies online for advice on what to get. I have settled on D200, a discontinued but nice camera. I skyped with my Mom which was nice.

Then eventually, it was dinner time. It was pizza but "homemade". It was nice and got to meet other people who have been here. We all chilled after figuring out the game plan for the evening. Some went to bed, because they were out last night. Me and the newbies headed to a bar called Bar 6. There we enjoyed some drinks and just talked. They are quite fun and I am quite excited that it is finally happening. After a while, we called it an evening because have orientation at 9:30, another reason to be up right now.

Love and Wine

2-22-10

Woke up even later, due to my late night last night. I showered and got ready for the day. I went out and grabbed food and relaxed which was pleasant. I then headed to my hostel. There I waited with others for our van to pick us to wine touring. Eventually it showed up, late due to "Argentina time."

Our first stop was not at a vineyard but a place that specializes in more desert liquors and what not. After describing the different possibilities, from chocolate flavor, absinthe, vodka etc. We all had various samples. I tried Dulce de Leche. It was pretty good. I bought dulce de leche cream to have on bread. I am excited. It is a big Argentine treat.

Our second stop was a vineyard. They explained their process. This particular bodega has been around for 400 years more or less. It was interesting to learn all about wine. Then we got to try samples. The first sample was alright, a young wine (straight to the bottle). The second bottle from the oak (sat in a barrell) was much better. They showed us some of their higher name brands, including one that costs 280 pesos (around $70 US) because it won wine of the year in 1999. They have very limited left so we didn´t get to try that out. I bought the second one to have some random night.

Our third destination was another style of vineyard. It has been around for 60 years. They had different style of process. The wine was alright. I defintely perfer from the oak wines more. Then our fourth stop was an olive oil factory. We got to learn how they make olive oil which was interesting. We tried some samples. It was hard to put down. Some of the locations were beautiful that my withdrawal hit me. We then headed back to the hostel. I rushed to an internet cafe to have a Skype date with Abbey since it is our 1.5 years. (WOW). It was lovely. Eventually, the money and time went bye bye. So I headed out. At my hostel, I read and relaxed. They made a special local dish for dinner which I enjoyed. I ate with a guy from Buenos Aires and a girl from Israel (I want to go there). After I have read. No idea what else later.

Tomorrow I fly (well paraglide).

"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name"

2-21-10
I woke up just a little too late to miss breakfast. I sat and talked with some people. I then showered and got ready for the day. I headed to the bus station to buy my ticket back to Buenos Aires. I enjoyed the walk, though still going through withdrawl of my camera. After I got back, I relaxed for a while. Then I decided to go out and grab food. I read in the city which was pleasant. I then had a nice skype date with Abbey. After I got back and relaxed some more. Then met some people I would be riding with.

We got in the van. The ride took 30 minutes, and then some time in the desert, where it looked like they were going to leave us out there to survive. But eventually, we reached the horses. They were beautiful creatures. Yes I knew this before but it was nice to be reminded. I got on mine which was one of the biggests if not the biggest. As we headed out, mine stayed near the front of the pack most of the way. It had some issues with the other horses but I managed. It was gorgeous going through the countryside (kinda deserty) by horseback. I hope to do it again one day. Unfortunately there was not much of a sunset. But the night sky with all the stars made up for that. Eventually, we reached full circle and got back to our starting place. There we had a delicious BBQ and wine. Argentine steak is really hard to beat. A bunch of us talked about various things. We finally left around midnight and got back around 12:35. Now time to sleep.

Barry White Blasting in McDonald´s

2-6-10
I woke up around 9ish or so. I checked emails and relaxed. Finally Michele and Natalia and I headed out. We dropped off some laundry and then headed to breakfast. We chatted about various topics, it was enjoyable. We then tried to go to the market to make some purchases, but it was too rainy. We then took a cab to a bus station. We are planning to go Pisac, a place of ruins, tomorrow and then went to the pharmacy because the girls are a bit under the weather.



On the way back to the hostel, I saw a bookstore I plan to check out this coming week. I read and watched some shows. I continued to relax before having a lovely Skype date with Abbey. It was nice to talk to her. I then got my laundry and some dinner. I ate chicken, rice, fries and noodles. I ate my dinner with Michele. It was nice. I then facebooked and watched the rest of the Harry Potter with some Brits. After that we plan to watch another movie then no idea.



I have decided that I am going to go to Mendoza and maybe Cordoba instead of going to Patagonia. I am doing to save money and since I prob will come to South America another time to see what I won´t see this journey, I will go to Patagonia then. This way, I can go horseriding and other things.

Waking up to Fireworks

Day 14 (1-24-10)
After a much needed sleep, I was awoken to the sound of fireworks. First of all, why are there fireworks going off at like 9 something in the morning. Second, today is a really cloudy day and hard to see much. I got up and checked people´s responses to my epic journey yesterday. I checked the Peru Rail website to see when their office was opened till so I could figure out my plans. I saw that it was open till 12. When I looked at the time it was 9:30. I quickly showered and all that jazz and left my hostel. Grabbed a cab and headed off to the office.

It was a mad house with many people complaining about what happened. I ran into people who I had met on the train. We talked about our various plans. An Argentine couple from our train, who served as translators, helped me, anAmerican girl named Sophie and a couple from Vancouver cut and get bumped up in line. The Argentine and Canadian couples asked for their money back because they couldn´t do it any other time. Sophie and I decided to go Wednesday. We got our money and bought new tickets. We have to take a cab to where we got on the second train yesterday because the full rail is shut down. So I hope Wednesday works.

After we got that all figured out, then we started to walk to the main square. Along the way, we stopped at this place that Sophie volunteered at, to found out where to get the cab on Wednesday. I asked about their volunteer program, it seemed pretty good but costed almost $800 for two weeks and I think the other one that I was waiting on was cheaper. We then parted ways to meet up on Wednesday. I then went back to my hostel. I was able to briefly talk to Abbey which was nice so we could catch up on each other´s Saturdays. She got to go to Bath and have a Jane Austen full day. I am happy for her.

I then went to get lunch. I went to check if Martha and Danielle were at their hotel but no they had left for Puno. So I decided to treat myself after a stressful day yesterday. I went to a resturant called Jack´s Cafe. It serves breakfast all day. I got scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. It was quite yummy. Then I went back to my hostel to relax for a bit. I then grabbed some dirty clothes and took to a place to get them washed and dryed. I relaxed for a bit more.

I then went to Skype with my mom since it is her birthday. It was nice to talk to her. I also got an email from the other volunteer program that they will be expecting me in the morning. Woohoo. I was then able to Skype with Abbey. It started to thunder and lightening here. It sucked because it looked like it was going to be a nice day. I won´t miss this weather in a few weeks. I ran back to my hostel. I relaxed for a bit before running to my clothes. Since then I have ate some stuff and packing my bags to leave the hostel in the morning. I am hoping for a good night sleep but we shall see.

Preparing for the next leg

Day 8 (1/18/10) continued:
I went out to the supermarket and bought myself a Caprese sandwich. I then walked back to the hostel and ate with some of people I am friends with. We chit chatted for a while. Then two older brothers from San Fran joined us. We all talked for like 20 minutes or so. Then we decided to head out. We ended up at a wine bar. We got two Argentine bottles for seven of us. We talked about travels, video, photography, and more. It was pretty fun. Then we all headed back and then slowly made our way to bed.

Day 9 (1/19/10):
Today was a pretty simple day. I woke up and grabbed some breakfast and drank some orange juice. I chatted with some of the people in my hostel. I showered, brush my teeth and got ready for my day.

I then headed out and took some pictures for 30 minutes or so. I finished off my first roll here on the Holga. I hope the pictures turned out. I eventually meandered into the internet cafe. There I looked up more volunteer programs since I was hearing very little responses. I figured I might actually have to go the places and ask in person. I skyped with Abbey which is always wonderful. We discussed a possible weekend getaway in September which would be amazing. Then I headed to the grocery store and bank. I got some fried rice for lunch and stir fry for dinner. I headed back to the hostel.

I ate my lunch and watched some tv. I then read some of my book and printed my boarding pass. I got online to check things and had another Skype date with Ms. Dean. We swapped Time Traveler's Wife quotes. Unfortunately, we could not do voice to voice the whole time because of a weak internet connection. I discovered a few places in London I want to go that I have never been before. So I hope to go there whenever I shall make my return to that fabolous city. Eventually she had to go because of things to do and I had a guy kind of creepying. He is quite awkward. I then ate dinner and chilled and packed for Cusco.

"Have you been to Greece?"

I am currenty doing this at an internet cafe with a working keyboard.
So back to day 5
Since I posted about that, I took pictures and videos of people dancing. I then headed to bed but felt relatively lame doing so since everyone in the hostal seemed to be going out but I was tired and had an early morning in front of me. The Floridian girls who I met turned out to be just as lame as I was becaue they had to catch a bus in the morning. I struggled to sleep but finally did.

Day 6 (1/16/10)
I kept waking up during the course of the night, from people coming in from a wild night or the person in the bunk next to mine having the worse snore EVER!!!!!!! I woke up a bit earlier than I had to in hopes that Abbey would be online but she wasn´t but I took care of sme emails. I got my stuff together and a bottle of water before the cab picked me up.

I got to the airport with no problem at all. Checked in and got through the security. Stopped in a store to buy some postcards. They had a lot of books in English I considered but I resisted. They also had a Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and a Ruby Tuesday in the airport. Legit. I went to my gate and wrote my postcards that I plan to send tomorrow. I then boarded and then fell asleep for most of the flight despite a movie that I wanted to see was showing. I woke up and read and filled out the forms. I got through passport control no problem because I didn´t have to pay an entrance fee (though I will prob have to pay an exit fee from what I hear). I exchanged some money and grabbed my ba. I met up with the driver I orgainzed through my hostel.

The city reminds me a lot of California. It is right on the coast. I can´t wait to explore it. The hostel is in a neighborhood called Miraflores which isn´t the center but I don´t mind. I plan to go there on Monday. The hostal is a pretty cool building with lots of rooms and games and movies. I talked to some people. I relaxed and went on the computer in the lobby. Turns out the keyboard is broken so I have to point and click every key which is better than nothing but still a pain. Luckily Abbey was online when I was. We skyped voice to voice because they have a headset for it.

After we chatted for a while, I walked to the beach. There I met two Canadian couples. They were very nice and I explained my journey and its possibilities. They said Bolivia, if you are smart, isn´t that bad. So that is a possibility but I will touch on that later. I took some pictures (will upload some to Facebook sometime, though they will be better if I can play with them on photoshop first, if you can wait). I then walked around and bought a water bottle and walked to my hostel. I met an Australian, some Greeks (who asked everyone if they had been to Greece, it was a running joke by the end of the night) and a man from near Rome. We talked about our respected journeys and shared advice. I then read my book.

After reading I napped for a bit. I got up and ran into an American couple, a Canadian and a half American half Peruvian boy and we all went to dinner. It was a lot of fun. I got a frozen lemonade and streak and rice and vegetables. I love South American food. We headed to the hostel but made a stop to buy some beer. We hung out with most of the people in the hostel, playing games, taking photos, talking about our trips, singing to the radio playing random American music. Then I headed to bed.

Day 7 (1/17/10)
I woke up at various times this morning but pretty much slept till ten which was amazing. I got up and talked to the Australian and Italian guys. I then hopped online and so did Abbey we had a great Skype date where we talked about her wild night (wish I could have been there, though I had fun). My mom called me for all of five seconds but then she got on Skype. After Abbey and I said bye. I talked to my mom about things. We tried to figure out what to do with my month of whatever. We discussed some volunteer work and we looked at places. I found one in Cusco I liked and would enjoy. It would be working with children which I love. I emailed them seeing if I could volunteer for 2 weeks from like the 25th to the 7th. Then I can get to Mendoza and get back to Buenos Aires from there. It would eat up 2 weeks which would be nice and I could help and play with kids. So I hope I can do it.

I then said bye to my mom and heading into the Miraflores area. I bought an orange from a nice lady but she turned me down when I asked if I could take a photo of her. :(. It would have been a good one but I had to respect her wishes. This will be difficult. I continued to walk around and take some photos on both my D80 and my Holga. I walked through a park and then stopped in an internet cafe to type this. Now to continue walking and get some food. Post sometime soon.
Paz

"All of the Sudden I Miss Everyone"

Day 1: 1/11/2010
After a late night of packing and what not, I had to wake up early because of my flight to Dallas leaving at 11:30. I stirred and tried to fight my alarm clocks but eventually walked up stairways in a zombieesque fashion. I grabbed a bowl of cereal and waiting on Skype to chat with Abbey. Eventually, she showed on schedule, fresh from her first day of class. While we chatted, I had to finish my packing which I did. Eventually we said our goodbyes but planned to Skype more before I leave for Chile, Peru and hopefully Bolivia.

After loading my bags into the car, my mom and I headed to the bank to deposit a check. Then we fought the pounding rain and got to the airport. I checked in and said my goodbyes to my mom. Security was a relative breeze considering all what is going on and what is being said. I walked around the terminal. During this I realized the first thing I didn't pack, a Flipcam. So I went to get one, only to find out there was an issue with my new debit card so I had to pay with another one. This was a scary and stressful moment. I called my bank to find out the issue. Apparently the airline I am flying to Peru was booked twice. So I called the airline and they demanded lots of information, including proof of the double purchase. This I could not do since I was minutes away boarding. I called my mother and explained what happened and everything needed and she took care of it (I am fairly certain). I don't understand why they couldn't do anything about it since they have the records right there. This was unneeded stress.

I boarded my flight but once I was aboard, I had a breakdown. The reality of the study abroad finally hit me. I started to fight tears that had been building up for years. I realized all who I will miss and I felt helpless. This will be a difficult journey but I must make it work because there is so much to look forward to on the other side. I must be strong. While on the flight, to distract my mind, I started reading The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager. At the rate I was reading, I thought I would finish by the time I arrived in Buenos Aires (this did not prove true). For lunch, I had a decent chedder and BBQ chicken sandwich and then wrote up to here.

After I finished righting all that, then I napped until final decent. In Dallas, I roamed around and tried to get online but no success. My mom called with an update on the situation (I think it is all good now). I walked around the airport looking at books (including L. Ron Hubbard's books) but didn't find anything that I felt like getting (I may regret that). I grabbed some food. I then heard the PA announce my flight was to board soon so I sent out my final goodbye texts and a welcome home to Abbey for when she gets back from London. After I got on my plane, I again was hit by study abroad and had a breakdown, so I put my nose in the book to distract me. I then worked on the customs forms and then wrote in my journal (which I am typing up now). The movie selection is pretty weak so I watched mostly repeats of shows I watch. I need to remember to download some movies or shows before I head back to the US. Then I tried to sleep.

Day 2: 1/12/2010
Last night, I struggled to fall asleep due to having a lot on my mind. So much change, so fast. But eventually I fell asleep (don't know for how long). I woke up but tired to go back to bed but no so luck. So I watched more show re runs before returning to my book. After a while, we hit a bumping patch going into the final descent so I kind of got a little sick feeling. We finally landed with me still feeling dizzy and shaky. I disembarked and headed into passport control. There I had to fork over $131 because apparently this is how much it costs Argentines to get a visa and so they want revenge. But I think now I won't have to pay again till 2020. I grabbed my bags and converted my money. I went through customs with no hassle at all. Then I got myself a taxi and paid in advance so I wouldn't get scammed. I noticed instantly a temperature change (I switched into shorts post shower). I got in my cab and headed into the city. It is huge. So many buildings and people. Eventually I got to my hotel. There I waited like 40 minutes before I got into my room and headed almost instantly into the shower. Then I relaxed for a bit. I plan to explore in a bit

This Boy Can Dream

Yesterday after waking up from a pleasant sleep, I got up and grabbed breakfast. Around midday, I headed into the city to see if I could find a cheap decent flash for my D-80. After getting some good advice from the people at the store, I know what I am looking for, an SB-600 or 800. Unfortunately could not find one cheaply, I have decided to try later, maybe even in Buenos Aires, where the exchange rate works in favor. I then proceeded around downtown to do some minor looks at stores. I considered getting black nice pants but I can do that down in BA. I also did a look in Borders for a book that I had some difficulty finding. I typed it into the search box with a result of "likely in store." I dashed over to the Metaphysical section, where I FOUND IT! Great Success. I had not found this but one store. Despite not getting other things I wanted, I got one thing I had been searching for without ordering it! I then headed home. There I had lunch, read and relaxed. I got to talk to Abbey and others via Skype.

My friend from Julia, who lives in Seattle as well, texted me and asked what I was up to for the night. I said no plans. So she told me to come to a friend's house where they were chilling. But first I went to my aunt and uncle's house. This turned into a hilarious episode where my grandparents wanted to go a Japanese restaurant, but the other adults knew it was bad but didn't want to the bubble. Eventually they let up and confessed that it sucked. So we decided to order Chinese food. While we waited, my cousin and I watched Jersey Shore. That show is ridiculous. Then we ate and chatted. After we all parted ways. I stopped at a market and grabbed a six pack to contribute. Eventually after getting a bit lost, including by accidentally turning into a cemetery, I found my way and showed up just in time to catch the tail end of Inglorious Bastards. Wonderful movie I must say. There, was my friend Julia, a Guilford student named Aaron who I have shared a class, there was Guilford alum, Dan Miller, who was my predecessor as Photo Editor for the Guilfordian as well as two of Julia's friends, Josh and Anna.

We then headed to a restaurant, where some people got food and others beer. Our waitress was convinced Anna looked like one of her good friends and tried to prove it to us via Facebook on a blackberry but it wouldn't work. It was a pretty hilarious episode considering it kept getting worse and worse. She pretty much dug herself six feet deep. Dan and Josh, who is also a photographer, and I talked camera stuff which was cool. I am def jealous of Dan's gear. From the restaurant, Anna and Dan left and Aaron, Josh and Julia and I went to Julia's house where we drank and watched Fired Up! This movie looked sooooooooooo stupid when I saw the trailer but we all could not stop laughing. It was a pleasant surprise. It was a lot of fun. Then I headed home where I went to bed.

The Day of Band Aids

Today started off with my Remicade treatment. Got to the hospital in Bellevue where I chilled than met with doctor here where we talked about study abroad and socialized medicine and how it pretty much kicks ass. Then I during my two and a half hours of Remicade, I read a good portion of my book, probably will finish tomorrow morning before my dentist appointment (UGH). Afterwards, I went to drop my prescription and film. Than grabbed lunch before I left for the travel clinic. There I learned a lot about the places I am going and what to watch out for. It shall be interesting. I have to stay clear of the jungle so I don't get yellow fever. I ended up getting 6 shots, three per arm which sucked but they only lasted for like 5 minutes.

After I got back, I went bowling where I pretty decent considering my arms were stiff from the shots. After three games, I went home only to get texted by my cousin Hank. We met up at his house and him, his sister, Ellis and I went to a restaurant/bar where Hank's friends met us. It was really chill. Ellis, who is going Brazil, and I talked about our respected trips. Then we all met this older couple from North Carolina. The man is a big basketball person who coached Stephen Curry and some others. Pretty cool. Even cooler is that the guy, Joe Frazier, went to Greensboro College. So we talked Guilford basketball. Such a small world. We all talked for like 30-45 minutes and he and his wife bought us all a round of whatever. It was really chill. Then I had a Skype date. Then bed.