Back in Town

Well Friends, This Is It. This is the part where I take all of the wonderful and not-so-wonderful and hopefully-life-changing experiences I've had in the past three months and put them to work making a brand new life for yours truly. So - the question is, what exactly DID I learn in South America?

Well.

1. The ability or lack thereof to speak a language has little or no reflection on a person's intelligence or other personal qualities.

2. I love Argentina.

3. I am happy when I know what I want and am still willing to give it up.

4. The idea (more than the reality) that a country is poor changes its way people see themselves; their lives, their history, their relationship with other countries, and whether or not they need public transportation.

5. Exercise allows joy and clarity to enter my life.

6. I would like to study English, environmental science, Spanish, music, and world history of politics. And teach.

7. Explaining knowledge and experiences is the best way to get more.

8. I have a testimony of my own spirituality and my ability to receive revelation for me.

plus....

Salami is almost as good as blood sausage, "Jarmines" means Jasmine, empanadas are fast and easy, mate cocido is less potent than regular mate, the northwest part of Argentina is actually more like Bolivia and Peru than the rest of Argentina, people make racist and sexist jokes in other countries too, they're just funnier, Salsa dancing is beautiful and really fun, I love high mountain "folklore" music (pronounced folk - lor - eh), Shakira writes good songs, one president can make education "cool," capitalism may not always help public education, people outside of the U.S. have to pick their careers a lot sooner than we do, traveling 20 hours on a bus makes you really happy to get where you're going, it is in fact possible to get sick of going on trips, people want to understand what you're saying but also to feel understood, social conscience is something we choose to accept or not when its offered by life, awareness of human and organizational fallibility is deflected by prosperity, I am addicted to granola bars, photography and shopping can both be stress relievers, almost all spanish words that start with al are arabic in origin, people in other states and countries usually get married at 28 (not 19), argentines put whiskey in their ice cream, it's important to plan in advance trips to places you have never been, people in less prosperous countries have a lot few courses to their meals, I was more happy to see my family after three months than I could have imagined, Skype is the best way to talk to people in another country, allow for more luggage space than you think you'll need, disorganization is part of the scientific process, and

9. I talk too much.

Thank you for reading, please comment.