one month

I´ve hit the one month mark of my Argentinian adventure, and as I think about the past 31 days, they seem to have flown by and stood still at the same time. I think that at the end of my stay here I´ll look back on this first month as the hardest of the five - leaving home, adjusting to life here, overcoming lonliness and defining what I want to get out of my time in Argentina. It was a hard month, yes, but it was such a good one too. It was filled with learning and growth; it was not only an important month of my trip, but a significant month in my life. Oh the lessons I´ve learned...

That it´s good to not have everything go my way all of the time; growth comes when things are hard. That I need to be more patient. That I would never want to live in a big city permanently, but it is a fun thing to do while I´m young. That my life in Minneapolis is so full of love and rich with friendship that it fills me up, even from thousands of miles away. That traveling isn´t as fun without someone to share it with. That I´m strong. That I really want to learn how to salsa dance. That Buenos Aires is a truly fabulous city, but it will never be my home. That although I´d feel lost without Andy´s love, with him I have not lost myself. That it´s important to live life with intentions rather than expectations, and treat each lesson handed to you with the care and attention it deserves.

Man, living abroad really packs it in. Maybe a lesson a day keeps the ... swine flu away? Anyway, it kind of feels like I´m in college and I´m majoring in Life Lessons with a double-minor in Challenging Myself and Patience. It´s been fun, and I´m excited to see what other lessons life adds to my ever-growing list ... and how all of this contributes to Post-Argentina Lia. Argentinalia. Argentinacita. Argentinaliacita. Argenliacita.

I think it´s time for bed.