Coming Home: Life After Study Abroad

Being home has been great and well, weird. It's a bit like walking back into a life that isn't yours anymore. Despite how it felt, people moved on with their lives while I was gone. My sister's belly has gotten so big! My brother has moved into his own place. Even the animals have gotten chubbier. While at first it was a bit disorienting, it's now become more and more evident that things won't be the same way that they were before I left. Because not only has everyone else changed, I've changed and that's a bit hard to deal with.

Sharing some Argentine culture with my family!

Luckily, the usual boredom that accompanies returning back from an exciting trip abroad will be short 

lived, because I have so much to look forward to! With a baby on the way, a million friends to reunite with and my final semester of school fast approaching, I have no shortage of things to do. 

One of the biggest things that has come with coming home though is the questions! Which believe me are not a problem because I could blabber on about Argentina for hours (oops already do!). But there are some really common questions I get that I know find hilarious because they seem so obvious after having lived and breathed the Argentine lifestyle for four months. So I decided to address the most common questions I get!

Question 1: Did you just stick out everywhere as an American?

Like most big cities, Buenos Aires is a total melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. But it turns out that Argentines, at least the ones in BA are generally very "white." Like the United States they are a country of European immigrants and the majority of the indigenous people were marginalized and live in the rural areas. So, in short I didn't really stand out from the locals that bad, until I started talking that is!

Question 2: Did you just eat Mexican food all the time?

I did a post previously on the most common foods I ate in Argentina, but generally it was a little bland in flavor compared to what I'm use to (lots of Mexican). Not to say it wasn't good but sugar and salt were the only spices we really used.

Also it was SO MUCH BREAD. Pretty much everything was breaded or involved bread in the meal. Now I love bread just as much as the next girl but it took it's toll. Besides bread, every meal included meat and a lot of it. Argentina is not a vegetarian friendly country!

Question 3: Did your family speak English?

If you haven't seen some of my previous posts, you should know that I adored my host family. They were a huge factor in making it an incredible experience. Fortunately, my host mom spoke English which allowed me to have more in-depth conversations about the culture, politics, history that would have been impossible with my limited vocabulary. But I spoke to my host Dad and sisters only in Spanish which was great practice!

Overall, I was surprised at how few people spoke English in the city. In the tourist areas it was pretty common but once you venture out you are probably on your own with whatever Spanish you can speak.


Now that it's done I'm excited to get started with my next adventure! As of right now the plan is to go to Spain/Italy? this summer. I've also applied for a Fulbright Grant to teach English in Malaysia but that wouldn't be till January 2015, if I get it. Even though I'm not totally sure of my future right now I'm excited to see what happens!


Besos,
Hayley

Tag! You're it!

I was tagged for this fun little game by Bless Your Heart.

The Rules

1. post the rules

2. post 11 fun facts about yourself.

3. answer the questions the tagger set for your in their post and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you'll tag

4. tag 11 people and link them on your post

5. let them know you've tagged them 

Since I'm answering two sets of questions, I think that's enough fun facts for one post!

I'm Tagging:

What Katie's Baking

Adventures of An Army Girlfriend

Carolina on My Mind

Catholic Girl Problems

Confessions of a Northern Belle

Fashion Meets Food

living. loving. learning.

The Bitchy Waiter

Sratty Pearls

Sweet Carolina Girl

Savvy Sratty

Questions for me:

What's your favorite nail polish color? 

Probably taupe I feel like it goes with everything! My favorite is Commander in Chic by Sally Hansen

Best book you've ever read?

This is so hard! Pride and Prejudice because I can never get sick of it.

If you could stop time for 1 hour, what would you do?

I would go around and see what my friends were doing. 

Silver or Gold?

Silver!

You favorite thing in your closet?

My current favorite thing is my red blazer but I also love my blue combat boots!

What's your favorite song?

Trapeze Swinger by Iron & Wine (so beautiful you'll cry)

Last concert you went to?

Death Cab for Cutie (it was awesome!!)

Do you have a case on your phone? If so, what does it look like?

Just a black otter box

Favorite make-up item?

Sephora dark red lip gloss, always makes me feel hott!

Is there a show you stop everything to watch?

Pretty Little Liars!

If you could insert yourself into any movie, which would it be?

Pride and Prejudice I would take Keira Knightley's place as Elizabeth Bennett!

Questions for you:

What is your least favorite color?

Cupcake or cake?

Who's your celebrity crush?

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Facebook or Twitter?

If you had 24 hours to live who would you see first?

What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

If you had one wish what would it be?

What is your favorite flower?

Pop, Soda, or Coke?

Flying or invisibility?

Enjoy!