Getting the hang of it

I'm slowly but surely figuring things out. I'm not entirely sure why but this city seems hard to me. There's an energy of gotta go gotta go gotta hustle...but that might just be me projecting. It's definitely a work in progress. I feel like this mural I found while out exploring the city

Ready to go. There might be a lot going on around  me but I have the peace of mind to be successful. At least that's how I feel in the moment. I have been getting messages from people who support and love me, which has more of an effect on me than they know and that I even realized it would have. 

In other news, I've been walking around the city quite a bit. Here are some pictures from a recent excursion

                                 

                                                                                              

                       

                                    

                                                                                        

From the top: a monument near the national bank of Argentina, a surprise concert from the municipal police wind band in the botanical garden, a cool alleyway and another concert from the Israeli philharmonic that I actually planned to go to because it was awesome and free. The next up and coming adventures will be my first big test and moving into a hopefully permanent apartment. I feel good things coming. I happened upon this sign on my way back from eating dinner with some new friends:

I'm pretty sure what it says is a good omen: Soon you will enjoy the city more :)

Things have started

Classes and things and stuff. Everything!

I've been walking around the city a lot. Not taking public transportation has the benefits of saving about 10 pesos a day, moving around and seeing a lot of the city.

I've been looking at apartments and trying to find ways to make money (despite being technically prohibited from working) This means that I'm afoot pretty much about 3 or 4 hours a day, including the time that it takes me to walk to school. Everything seems quite difficult now but this is what I wanted. Adventure!

Here is the "Obelisco" which is near my new apartment

I'm also sure that I will look back on this and think the exact same thing that I think now about what I've already accomplished: I don't know how I did it but I did. 

Estoy aqui!

And so my trip began

 finally managed to get everything packed away :)

After a harrowing 25 hours of flying, running to gates, not getting let on to flights, losing things, finding things and barely making it, I finally arrived in Buenos Aires! Everything would be pretty much perfect if I hadn't lost my luggage...and there wasn't this burning pain in what I think is my right lung....

 

Oh well...

My apartment is artsy and awesome and full of interesting people. Most of us are from my program but there are a few new folks.

 It definitely gives me sort of a hostel vibe

I spent today figuring out how to exchange dollars into pesos via the unofficial rate..which entails knowing a guy who knows a guy and then sketchily meeting with him at an agreed upon time/place. This might be questionably legal but it also means I get 2 pesos more per dollar which is a great help, especially where I'm at.

Tomorrow I have a Spanish test and the first meeting of the GSP folks which should be really exciting. There are people coming from the GSP programs at Bologna university in Italy and Freiburg in Germany...it's going to be a pretty diverse group. Looking forward to it :)

8 days left

A lot has happened since I moved to Berlin.

Cafe below where I lived for a few weeks in April 

I finished working my internship. Learned a lot!
Did okay in my classes, wrote papers, took tests.
Hung out with friends and such (though not as much as I'd like)

recently found out that I'm not going to be getting the scholarship that I applied for AND AOK insurance agency is forcing me to pay for insurance while I'm abroad while providing none of the benefits.

....not so A-Ok...

I have to stop and think for a minute...maybe it was all a mistake? If I can't afford this, I'm not entirely sure what I'll do. Well....there's nothing else to do but press on, I suppose. I can do this. I can do this.


Things are starting to get interesting. BRING IT, LIFE.

At least I'm headed here for four months. After that, who knows?

Financial situation

I've got to be honest with myself:

It is very, very possible that money could be what stops me from completing this program. I have enough money to complete Buenos Aires but then that's it. I will have literally zero dollars :(

Trying to figure out a scholarship to apply for

possibly a loan

working in Argentina/India probably not the most lucrative idea...

My one dream in the world is to be able to study without focusing on having to support myself, for once in my life. Mostly just to see what I'm capable of when I don't have a 20-30 hour work week on top of classes.

Anyways to that end, I made this website page to help raise funds:

http://www.gofundme.com/21ee3o


It's taken a lot to get me to the point where I'm asking for help (because I've done everything thus far by myself and was hoping to keep it that way) BUT I guess we'll just see what comes out of it.

Amicis semper Hora

One of my best best friends from SF came to visit me. She stayed two weeks and it was wonderful. Just like bringing home with me wherever I go :)

Its been a while since I had a weekend to myself. Lots of people are coming to visit! I'm really liking it though. School is getting a bit overwhelming but, I've managed to read all of the texts and do all of my homework

These are other amazing friends from SF. Oh how small the world is. I feel connected to each and every one of them. And of course, every one of you, reading this 

I might be a bit stressed out and emotionally drained from the various things going on in my life but I always have to remember: Amicis Semper Hora. Always time for friends.

Catching up

One of my best friends came to visit me for the last two weeks. It was like being home again, at least in some capacity. To really commune with someone, that is what makes life great.

I am in NO way complaining about it (because I wouldn't have had it any other way) but now, I have a lot of other things to focus on that I was neglecting: reading, coming up with thesis ideas, cleaning, unpacking...yep.

I managed to keep afloat, reading-wise, while she was here. In addition to moving from one place to another, and going to work and showing her around a bit. I think I did okay. And now to get back to it.