Day Number One

 

I should start off by saying - I MADE IT! I am in my new home for the next six months. It is completely unbelievable that I will be here for this long. From the brief tour of the city of Córdoba I had today, I think I can adapt to living here. Probably one of the most comforting parts was flying here and seeing all the mountains in such a closer reach. It feels like home (or I should say where I grew up). Instead of being in such a foreign place, this city can be like my territory I am used to, only on the other side of the equator!  

Day one is probably the most difficult of all the 

days in a trip. Why do you ask?

FIRST - Travel 

It's always challenging. Whether it be a delayed flight, lost baggage, passport trouble, a kid kicking your seat, or a smelly plane, something always goes wrong. It's so frustrating because most of the time, the problem is completely out of a person's control! For me, I always try to be prepared, so when an issue comes up, I can be easily frazzled. Now, I am not going to rattle off all of the issues I had coming down here, because I don't want to discourage anyone from taking the opportunity. It's just that a person should be aware that for a day, they need to give up their pride and do what is asked of them. 

An unusual lesson I have learned about travel though is how easy it is for people in the United States to have the ability to visit various countries. Now, I am not saying that every family can just drop a hat and go whenever they want - not at all. However, I see my friend from a small country in Europe trying to get approval to come to Argentina and her visa keeps getting rejected time after time because something is missing here and she needs to do something there. Absolute chaos. What if she doesn't get an opportunity to participate in this program simply because her country is not as credible as the United States?

When I asked her how she dealt with all of the stress of not having her visa accepted after months of trying. She said that she was used to not being recognized because of her country's status but it is alright because she loves her country. Additionally, she mentioned that if she is meant to be in the program, it will happen. So another tool to have when traveling is faith to know that everything will work out in its own way. 

What else gets under my skin during the first day of 

a new life? 

SECOND - Culture Shock

This should not be a surprise to anyone. Anybody who has done extensive traveling will know that culture shock can wear a person down. Of course, I thought I would be prepared. I believed I had enough competence to pull it through. However, before even leaving the airport in Córdoba, I was just ready to sit down and cry. As I was having problems, figuring out whether or not I would actually be able to enter the country, the initial language barrier was so difficult. The accents here are quite different from the ones I am used to hearing at school, in Costa Rica, or at my field experience. Plus, the speed is so fast, that my head still feels like it is spinning a little bit from trying to comprehend everything. When I would ask people in general around here to repeat what they said, a lot of the time they would just say it in English. Yes, that can be quicker and possibly more helpful, but that is not why I am here. I am here to expand my Spanish and the first step in doing do is having to work through some tough conversations. I think part of that process will be me having to establish with people that even though they want to work a little bit on their English, I would prefer for them to stick to Spanish. For a while I might feel like the obvious tourist, but I want to develop to a girl who can function on her own in this new city.

What intimidates me when I am wanting to be brave?

THIRD - "New Kid" Syndrome

The Andes Mountains

Yes. That is right. "New Kid" Syndrome. I definitely made that up BUT it emanates how I initially feel. I am the girl who sticks out because people don't recognize me. I am invited to make myself at home and be myself, but it is hard when I feel like I am intruding on people's already established lives. Am I supposed to be friends with certain people? Is it encouraged to do more with my "family" so I can get bearings before completely jumping in? Plus, there is a certain loneliness that I have with my first day. I am settling in and am tired and need time to personally reflect on my current situation. I am without all of my friends and family from home - it's up to me to be the creator of my new life. While I am sitting here on the couch, I am just itching for it to start. I can't wait to start meeting people and getting into a routine. For now, I will accept that I am just lucky to be here.

Now I did not write this to complain about my day. It hasn't been a bad day. It's just been new. I can relate this process to climbing a mountain (like the Andes!). The change is scary, but it's the journey to reaching the top that really makes an impact. So as I am sitting here, figuring out what I should do for the night, I appreciate the opportunities and know that I have the strength to make it through! 

I will continue to share all of my experiences here so stay tuned! And I'm Kjerstin, signing off for the night.