Preparations and Transitions

This is the blog I'll be using to update my advisor - and friends and family - on my adventures and experiences in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'll be in BA for a little over three months with International Studies Abroad (ISA) taking a month-long language class and then two months volunteering at FundaciónCor. I'll be receiving academic credit for both the language course and the volunteering through Northern Michigan University's Spanish and Education departments. I was so excited to find a program that allowed me to spend the majority of my short time in country working with native speakers, and children too! I know this will be a great asset when I start my student-teaching and job-hunting.

Looking outside at the many feet of snow in Marquette makes it hard to believe that I will be in a completely opposite climate in just a few weeks. I received my acceptance letter from ISA on the same day Marquette got its first big snowstorm of the 2009-2010 winter season, so definitely saw the humor in "escaping" the frigid U.P. winter for the balmy capital of Argentina. Even so, it hasn't quite yet sunk in that I will be leaving Marquette, and its weather, behind for three months to find myself completely immersed in Argentine culture and language.

So far, I've got all of my paperwork in order for ISA - health release, host family application, phone interview for my volunteer placement. Because I'm only going for three months, I won't apply for a student visa, but that also means that I can legally stay in the country for only 90 days. This means I'll be leaving Argentina briefly after my program finishes - probably to Chile or Uruguay - and then returning to do some more traveling. Even though I won't need a visa to go to Argentina, I will have to pay an entrance fee of US$131; thankfully that payment is good for ten years, so I won't have to pay it again once I reenter the country.

Along with thinking about the clothing and other necessities I'm going to pack, I've been thinking about what I might want to bring to enhance my volunteer experience with FundaCor. According to past volunteers, the possibilities are endless, but also very much left up to the individual volunteers. I wrote in my application that I would be willing to tutor kids taking English language classes - I'm certified to teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) - or work with them on cooking healthy foods, since I love to cook vegetarian and vegan foods. Past volunteers said that I should try to have some sort of plan in my head, because volunteers at FundaCor are given a lot more independence than we might expect. I really want to bring some of my EFL books and cookbooks, but I'm afraid they will weigh me down. At least I still have some time to think about this, since I haven't really started packing yet (don't tell my mom!).

I'll try to keep this blog updated prior to my departure, but I know I'll also be trying to get as many winter-weather activities in as possible before I leave. ¡Hasta luego!