My partner, Grace, and I arrived early this morning after a full day of traveling and twelve hours or so in the air. Thankfully, our travels were altogether uneventful. Since arriving, we have moved into our apartment, met the team, completed orientation, and stocked our fridge with groceries. I would say we have had a productive first day. Even though it has only been a couple of hours, we are already getting to know the city.
My first impression of Buenos Aires is the kindness of the people. Even though our Spanish is a bit rusty at times, the citizens of Buenos Aires, the porteños, have been very helpful and inviting. We have already made a friend who works at the bakery down the street while picking up media lunas, a traditional Argentine pastry. She aspires to be an English teacher and wants to practice speaking with us. We plan on visiting the bakery again to see our new friend and pick up a delicious breakfast for many more mornings to come.
Our neighborhood is a mixture of many different groups of people. Many of them are foreigners like us from Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Thankfully, we do not stick out here as much as I thought, that is, until we speak. Our accents seem to give us away immediately. Nevertheless, we have only been called gringas once, and so, I count this as a success.
Of course, I would not be able to experience any of this if it weren't for the countless amount of people that have supported me. Friends and family have come together to give financially and pray fervently. I am grateful beyond words for this opportunity and grand adventure.
This trip is a culmination of everything that makes me, well, me. I am passionate about sharing Christ, about speaking Spanish, about teaching English, and about living the Latino culture. Frankly, my expectations for this trip are high. Of course I realize that Buenos Aires will fall short of perfection, but I do hope that at least some of my dreams will be realized here.
P.S. Check out my teammate's blog if you get the chance at gj2ba.blogspot.com
