A New Life

I know it's not the most clever of blog names, but I couldn't really think of anything that would encapsulate what I am doing. I am living a totally new life. Sure, I'm still "me", but as much as the psychologists love to rant about how much genetics affect your personality, I feel totally different in my new surroundings. I think the separation from your friend and family networks and your typical behavior patterns seriously alters who you are. Certainly I still like the same things and operate from the same philosophical foundations, but I don't think I felt the weight of the world turning upside down when I hugged Priscilla goodbye (thanks for the ride again!) at SFO Int'l. But it did.

Why didn't I feel it? Maybe it's because I was too upset about the internet I paid for at SFO not working in the Mexico City airport while I sat there for 10 hours on an hour of sleep, playing Worms until my eyes hurt and eating less than stellar food from "Chili's" (it was only during the last 3 hours that I remembered the existence of 2 films on my computer which I thoroughly enjoyed: Corpse Bride and Milk). Maybe it's because I was too happy about having three seats to myself on my flight to Buenos Aires, and actually getting real sleep on a plane for the first time. Most likely, though, it was because I was freaking out about my Spanish skills being adequate enough to get me from the airport to barrio (neighborhood) "Florida" without costing me a fortune in the pesos I wasn't sure I'd be able to get out of an ATM.

Fortunately, according to "plan" (I'm never 100% sure of plans made in Spanish), someone from ADRA was there, and I got to experience for the first time the joy of having a placard with my name on it. My fumbling Spanish was enough to not make me look like a complete idiot (I think), as we conversed about politics, my previous visit to Argentina, and of course, futbol. Interestingly, he was for neither Boca nor River, but a lesser team (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superclásico, if you don't know what I'm talking about). We went to the offices of the SDA Austral Conference, which looks more like a prison hold than an office, and I met the ADRA director whom I had been e-mailing. I think I only embarrassed myself once, by answering "si" to a question/statement that clearly had a response set more complicated than "si" or "no" (a common occurrence). We went over logistics (more "plans"), and then he dropped me off at the Gambetta's--Juli's (my ex-girlfriend) cousins--who have been extremely gracious to have me in their home for these two weeks. Even though Juli and I are not together, after our trip here last year they still feel like my 2nd family, and it is great to be with them again.

As for right now, most of my days are pretty empty. It is ironic that right now, while I have an excess of free time in the longest summer I will ever have (both literally and figuratively), I probably have the least interesting things to say. But that will all change very, very soon. This Sunday I am travelling to the place so great they named it 4 ways: Puigari, Libertador San Martin Entre Rios, la villa, la UAP (Universidad Adventista del Plata). I'll be attending an ADRA conference (which I'll probably understand 20% of), along with meeting up with my ACA (Adventist Colleges Abroad) friends, over the week, and then taking an incredibly long bus trip to Salta, the beautiful city to the north where I will be doing my work. My world is turned upside down right now, but I think by the time I get there I won't even recognize my world at all.