Eager to leave

In 10 days I leave for 5 months in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For the past two months I have been home for "summer break" even though it is February. Although my time at home has been very relaxing, I am ready, excited, and nervous to start the next semester.

I am excited for the chance to travel and learn because I believe that the best way to learn about people, culture, history, etc is by experiencing it. I am most looking forward to the home stay in which I will live with and talk to a family who does not speak English. I got a little bit of information about my host family the other day. It is an older couple who are "young at heart" who live in Palermo, a town/district filled with museums, restaurants, and parks. Score! The father works with technology and both spend time working at a local orphanage.  Living with a family will give me a true taste of what family life is like and will show me some of the values of this new culture. I am also looking forward to traveling around Argentina to [hopefully] Patagonia and Iguazu Falls. Both of these places are known for their striking and breath-taking beauty.

Then there is the whole aspect of taking classes. These will include some Spanish language, culture, and  history classes, as well as literature and possibly some Tango/rhythms of Argentina classes. I am most nervous about this because although I have taken Spanish for many years, it is still difficult. My classes will be taught solely in Spanish and I will be required to keep up with the other students, including the natives. I look forward to the opportunity to learn about Argentine education (since I am an ed major) and also to learning about the people, the history and culture of such a beautiful and unique country.

Please pray for safety for my friend Christa and I going down on the 22nd and for God to prepare our hearts for whatever he has in store for this adventure/opportunity. I pray that we will be able to call Buenos Aires our home for the next 5 months. Thanks!