I arrived back in the US on November 9, and time has flown since then. It seems like just yesterday I was being picked up at the airport. The day that I left was quite memorable, scrambling to fit everything into my suitcase, getting to the airport 6 hours early because I had to leave my housing assignment, and throwing away lots of shoes and clothes because my baggage was overweight.
After living in Buenos Aires, a vibrant and exciting city, being back in Florida feels very boring. There honestly is not much to do or see here. As for reverse culture shock, this change from an urban cultural hub to a dying retirement community has been the hardest change for me. I have tried my best to keep active, even making trips to Orlando and Tampa, but neither city really compares to Buenos Aires.
My biggest fear with coming back was that it would be hard to fall back into a routine with my friends, but that fear was unwarranted. Spending so much time with the people that I care about most has made my return much easier. The connections I formed in Argentina were nice, but my friends here at home and I have a much stronger bond that has made everything so much better.
I am so grateful for my time in Argentina, and I hope to be able to return to South America in the future. I have begun looking into programs, such as the Peace Corps, so I can come back to the area and have a different kind of experience. I do think that my experiences studying abroad only showed one side of Argentina- living in a grand city, traveling to beautiful locations, and going to class in a wealthy neighborhood. I do hope that when I return that I can experience the northern regions, which are more rural.
I want to thank International Programs and ISA for all the support through the entire process!
Chau for now.
Emily
