Today marks two weeks of studying abroad in Buenos Aires, and the end of an eventful week. We started out this week of extreme highs and lows with a beautiful little weekend getaway to Mendoza. A city known for its bodegas (or wineries), Mendoza did not disappoint. We arrived Thursday evening and had a nice dinner after a decently long travel day. One of my favorite things about Argentina culture is something known as a "sobremesa," where everyone stays at the table after finishing eating for purely social purposes. My roommates and I stayed at the restaurant for an entire 2.5 hours just talking. This cultural difference helps make every evening enjoyable, even when there are no big plans going on.
The next morning, we woke up early to head to the San Martin Park, which is the largest in Mendoza, and we ate brunch at a cute outdoor cafe. Afterwards, we explored the mini artisan market, where I bought some jewelry. The , we went on a half-day winery tour that we booked through TripAdvisor. Everything went very smoothly, and the tour guide could speak english. We visited three different bodegas and one olive oil factory, and it was a day well spent. The bodegas were absolutely stunning, and it was really interesting to see the intricacies of the various wine cellars and production process. We also got to taste some delicious bread and olive oil variations as an afternoon snack. Our exciting day came to an end with a beautiful sunset that we got to watch from the rooftop balcony of our final bodega.
Life suddenly moved on after our blissful weekend in Mendoza, and I really felt the shock during our 8 am physics class on Monday morning. It was difficult to snap back into a school routine, but playing ping pong and pool every day between classes definitely helped. If you told me two weeks ago that one of the highlights of my experience abroad so far was playing pool (a game that I had never played before) with classmates, I would've thought I went insane. However, playing little games has helped me bond with the other students, and even meet locals who attend the same university. I also spend most of the free time I have at the nearby parks, where there is an abundance of mini soccer (futbol) fields. Soccer tennis is now an essential part of my daily routine, and it is definitely a rewarding activity. It makes me so happy that I was able to incorporate the sport I love into my experience abroad, especially in the most passionate futbol country in the world.
The week picked up again on Tuesday night with a Tango show that was included with our CEA study abroad program. The venue was absolutely breathtaking, and the dancers matched the venue with their immense talent. I wish photography and recordings were allowed during the show because it was truly one of a kind. I will definitely be investing in tango lessons during the remaining time I have left here.
However, the night quickly plummeted after we decided on keeping the party going at a boliche (similar to a nightclub). After a couple hours of dancing, my heart dropped as I noticed my purse's zipper was open, and my phone was nowhere to be found. When preparing for a considerable trip like this one, lectures on preventing your belongings from being stolen are inevitable. I was always incredibly cautious with keeping my bags within sight and within my grasp, which made it even more distressing to find out my phone was stolen. After a brief mental breakdown, I finally calmed down enough to complete the necessary steps: tracking the location, putting it in lost mode, erasing its content, and calling my cell phone provider to discontinue the number. As this only happened less than 24 hours ago, I am still in a state of distress and shock, but I know that this happens to so many students abroad and that everything will be okay. This was a huge lesson (though one I wish I didn't have to learn) about how you really can never be too cautious with your belongings in a country such as Argentina, and I will take this knowledge and experience with me for the rest of this trip and my life. The good news is that it really can only go up from here, and hopefully by next week's Wu Wednesday, I will have things figured out!
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