day by day

There are multiple moments in every day in BA where I wonder "Why am I here? Why have I voluntarily put myself in an often stressful situation where I struggle with a different language and way of doing things?" Am I hard-headed? Do I forget how much I can stress about new things and uncontrollable events? Well, probably. Which is why each day is an adventure, even if all I do is go to a different barrio and take the bus like I did today with an IES friend. Today, riding the bus and getting off at the wrong stop, in a sketchy part of town, and finding our way back to the market we came to see and then afterwards finding the right bus to go back home was my adventure, my grand accomplishment.
As someone who is used to doing many things in one day and then going here to Buenos Aires, where a formerly simple task can become the event of my day, I have to constantly remember to be patient with myself. It is really starting to sink in that I will be here for the next three months and three weeks. Mentally I have always know that, but now the emotional part of what being gone for that amount of time is beginning to hit me. And this means sometimes having a mini panic attack and having to talk myself off the proverbial ledge.
I am so blessed/fortunate/lucky to have the most incredible, patient and loving parents. They are holding my hand through this emotional roller-coaster in so many ways. They are always there to Skype me when I want to, send me supportive emails and as my dad did today, let me know that Michigan won their basketball game. Their love and support knows no distance and I don't think I could do this without them. We all have our angels, don't we?

So here I sit, on my bed, listening to Marc Anthony and the ambient noises coming in from the open window, doing my best to take it one day at a time.

besitos
-j