Living and studying in Argentina was like living in a dream. I don’t mean to say it was perfect, or entirely wonderful, but knowing that I was thousands of miles away from my home and my family seemed like an entirely unreal concept. I remember taking walks around the villa by my university, not recognizing the constellations and star patterns that my dad had taught me. I was in a completely different hemisphere and surrounded by a radically different culture. For the first few months of studying at the UAP (la Universidad Adventista del Plata), I was made fun of for my Spanish. Although I was placed in the most advanced spot for my Spanish skills, my Argentinean friends found my accent–Central American Spanish–absolutely hilarious.
I had many nicknames in Argentina. A few that I can recall are Mexicana (for my accent), Elizabeth, Chonson, chica rica (rich girl), and chica capitalista (capitalist girl). My friends bestowed upon me the last two nicknames because: a) I was “estadounidense,” and b) I was woefully ignorant about the significant socioeconomic and cultural distinctions between Americans and Argentineans, or South Americans in general. For one, dining out in Argentina is an elegant affair. When I invited my friends to a local coffee shop in their town, they told me that they weren’t wearing the right clothes and that they had to save up more money before they could go out. Meanwhile, the American students treated it like a Starbucks, where they went every day in sweatpants to study for their next exam.
Another difference was the way I learned to greet people. To greet someone in South America, male or female, you kiss their right cheek and give them a hug. When I told my friends that in America we only shake hands, they shook their heads and called us frío (frigid). Argentineans, and Brazilians even more so, are some of the warmest, kindest, and loudest people I’ve ever met. After visiting Rio de Janeiro, one of my friends remarked: “I would rather eat a meal with four Brazilian strangers than four of my closest friends.” My roommates, both Brazilians, shared everything they had with me. They were loud and terribly affectionate, and when I returned from personal or class trips, they would scramble to hug me and tell me how much I was missed.
I experienced many wonderful trips during my time in Argentina. My class traveled to Perú, Iguazú (waterfalls that border Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina), Buenos Aires, and Río de Janeiro. I found out I had family in Argentina, so I took several trips to their hometowns in Buenos Aires and the Santa Fe province during the school year. Best of all, I took a personal three-week tour of Argentina. I celebrated Christmas at the End of the World in Ushuaia, backpacked Patagonia’s Laguna de los Tres to see Mt. Fitz Roy on New Year’s Day, and swam in the warm waters of Montevideo and Punta del Este in Uruguay.
During my flight to Argentina, my first and only goal was to learn Spanish. Now that I’ve returned, I realize I’ve learned so much more. I have learned how to work with a second language through the lens of a radically different culture, how to relax and enjoy life at a leisurely pace, and most of all, the importance of making and maintaining friendships with people all around the globe. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to go abroad, especially to such a place as Argentina, where I’ve met people and had experiences I will never forget.
— Emily Johnson (Class of 2021, Global Studies & Spanish)