I can’t believe tomorrow will mark one week in this lovely city. This week has been exciting and different. It has been a slight challenge to become accustomed to the different dialect of Spanish spoken here, even considering that I am a native speaker.

I did not post upon arrival because I was having computer issues, so I will describe what my arrival was like. When I landed at the Buenos Aires I was a bit overwhelmed and confused. But everyone was informative and I was able to find the bus I was looking for. There I found 15 other students that were all headed to Rosario and were in the same program that I was. They all seemed to know each other so I was a bit shy at first, but it didn’t take long to make friends. Rosario is a big city with tons of traffic, but it grows on you. It’s funny that I don’t feel like I expected to feel. That is, I wasn’t nervous or afraid, instead I feel like i’m family in a familiar city. I guess this is because people from the program are nice and my host family is awesome.

My host family is an older couple who are possibly the nicest people I have ever met and incredible cooks. Every night at 8 we have dinner and talk. They are very proud to be Argentinian and love their city. Just last night after dinner they showed me pictures of Argentina and told me of all the beautiful places I must see while here. They are also interested in knowing what Salem and Oregon are like.

In my short stay here I have seen beautiful architecture and other sights. I have visited el monumento de la bandera, Parana river, and several plazas (which are very abundant here). I have seen stunning artisan work and have enjoyed delicious local cuisine.

I am excited to learn and explore Argentina and hope that five weeks is enough to fully experience Rosario.