Paciencia y fe

Although I wasn't the first to pair these virtues, I've found myself calling upon them countless times in the past few weeks-patience while I reorient myself to Argentinian time, something as elastic and subjective as life itself (in this way it's more genuine than American time, which constructs a fear of being late or having to hurry), and faith that I will begin to feel at home, however long that might take. That said, I have the twin hope that my life in the United States and at Wesleyan might feel as full of promise and possibility as it does right now.

I feel like there's so much room to grow here. I am making choices to pass my time doing things I find fulfilling, and I've barely even begun to explore the city. But after all the cultural and linguistic barriers I will have to break down just to survive here, will I be able to translate this experience to my life at home? Study abroad advisors say that students often experience more severe culture shock upon their return to the United States, and I'm already dreading it. I know it's fruitless to think so far into the future, but as with several other things in my life that I've started with relish but suspected were finite, I feel an enormous sense of loss before the adventure has even begun.

Yes, I will take advantage of every day I have here until I run out of money or strength, or both. This merely serves as a gesture to remember the reality of my time here before I lose myself completely in wonder.