By Jillian Medina
We said goodbye to three interns this week, and I am realizing I only have two more weeks… retriste. Every weekend we visit a new area of Argentina, and this weekend we were able to venture into Uruguay! Next weekend, I will also see Brazil and Paraguay! I never imagined any of these excursions, experiences, and connections to happen. I am astonished by how much I have done with the most amazing group I could have asked for, for my first solo international internship.
I am especially proud of my determination to be content and stay present. Following the events on April 17th, I felt extremely anxiety ridden and pessimistic about an insecure future. However, I wouldn’t let these fears and doubts hold me back, and I kept in mind the quote from author Elisabeth Elliot, “Sometimes fear does not subside and one must choose to do it afraid.” Regardless of this incident, I had concerns traveling to a foreign country, and now I am visiting three more! I am so appreciative of how far I’ve come in terms of relinquishing control for the future and soaking in the Argentinian high context culture: adopting a fluid perception of time, emphasizing relationships, and enhancing my emotional expressiveness.
However, “the project is never finished,” and I still have two weeks left to continue challenging myself. I want to continue practicing Spanish and attending events to engage in conversations with locals or other foreigners. For example, I’ve been meeting weekly with a local named Santiago. In 20-minute intervals, we will swap English to Spanish conversations. The other interns and I have also made efforts to find hostels on our weekend trips to meet other travelers. In Salta, we met a group of ten, some from Argentina and others not. With them, we were able to go to a Peña, a live music event, showing Folklore, a local genre.
The only destination that I wanted to visit before coming to Argentina, which I am missing now, is Mendoza. However, after spending time speaking to Argentines and traveling the country, I have so much more on my bucket list! Before beginning my trip, I felt six weeks was an eternity to spend without my family in a foreign country. Now– I cannot wait to come back to Argentina.
Interestingly, I now have connections in my hometown in South Florida and Argentina. Many have offered their houses to me if I wanted to come back for a visit or another exchange. Coming back to FSU in the fall, I want to plan my next excursion! I absolutely want to see Argentina in the summer, so a small winter break trip would be ideal. Additionally, I look forward to my ethnographic paper and reflection course when I return to FSU. I have had a very progressive study in Argentina with my research question. I’ve been able to interview counselors, locals, and lawyers for their input on a high-context culture and its interactions in their professional and personal lives.
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