No llores por mi Argentina......

Merry Christmas from Iguazu Falls
What a true whirlwind of a past week........I have left Peru, traveled almost 40 hours on bus to go to Santiago, Chile, arrived to Buenos Aires, Argentina, traveled to Uruguay for a day and spent Christmas day in Brazil and am leaving tomorrow to the mountains for News Years............lots of movement!!!!!
But I´ll slow down a bit and give a small, breif play by play description of this madness adventure that I love that I call my life.

Leaving Peru was a sad mixture of emotions for me. It was hard for me to leave. I mean one really doesn´t realize how much a year can impression its way into the makings of your heart. Leaving for me was full with some sense of relief and excitement and happiness for my new life that I am looking forward to.......but at the same time in between it all I had carved out a little life for me in Tacna with my important people, relationships and small daily routines that make you feel like you have a home amongst it all. I did feel as though I had left my heart in Tacna and always want to consider it home for me, and always want to stay in contact with certain people that really made an impression on my life for that year.

My bus journey to Santiago was probably the worst ride of my life and I have sorta already blocked it from my memory. I should have known how horrible it would have been as Patrick barfed across the boarder of Peru and Chile 3 times.....I guess it was bad luck....I dont even know where to begin....I guess only 3 details of the journey really stick out a) my ankles got SOOO swollen, so swollen that that wouldn´t even fit into my birkentstocks which are the widdest biggest shoes in the world b)the bus company was a scam, and I almost got kicked off the bus for refusing to pay an extra bus fee of 20 bucks for entering into the city of Santiago c)walking at night in dowtown santiago searching for a hotel room with everything I own strapped to my back in a crowded market and then seeing a Sheraton and spending 50 dollars on a room with bloody swollen feet.

So you can all imagine the excitement I felt as I was reuntied with my scott in the Buenos Aires Airpot. This city is amazing and Argentina is the craziest place in the world. I love it. But dude, it is weird. I guess I have emotions of true shock, as they say. I mean being hit in the face with this quick pace, giant city life. It is a truly beautiful city, reminds me of Paris, and somewhere else that I cant quite figure out. The people are really friendly, I haven´t met an un friendly person here. They are very nice at complimenting Spanish.....I mean unlike Peru where I felt horrible at Spanish 90 percent of the time....man here people are just throwing out nice things on every corner!!! Dude everyone here looks like super models. talk about super fashion and europe. I dont stick out at all!!! if anything, im darker than the average joe. or shall i say the average jose.....one thing though that is really annoying is that they love to say everything that are the best at......here is the list of things i´ve heard in my 3 short days here a) BA has the widest street in the world b) they have the best ice cream in the world c) they produce the best meat on the continent of America d) girls hockey is the best in the world e) and they have the best doctors and med schools in america....i asked about cuba and they brushed it off.. They love themselves and their country.

I have had a great time being here with Scott´s family. We are traveling maniacs. I´ve have one full day here in Buenos Aires and then I have spent a day in Uruguay and then for Christmas we all traveled to Iguazu falls which are on the boarder between Brazil and Argentina. I cant tell you the amazement of these falls, I mean it was the most impressing, beautiful, breath taking experience of my life.....huge falls, in the jungle, amazing...... if you have seen the movie The Mission....it was those falls and that exact area where it was filmed and took place in real life. On Chrismtas day we went to the Brazil side and did a little hike all around, it was so cooooolllll. But definately being in the jungle and sweating like a pig and eating fresh pineapple, doesn´t give one a feel of celebrating Christmas, but who cares because man was it amazing!!!!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

PIPPIN AND CHAUNCY

Patrick in Peru!!

So it is official, my little bro is here, finally!!!!!! Well sorta....he arrived last night, and now he is gone again, in Cusco with Scott until the 16th mas o menos. We are having a hard time recognizing each other lately. I called him about a week ago before he left, and he answered and I asked for him in Spanish, and then he said something and I responded in Spanish, and then finally we realized who we were! It was a gringo speaking Spanish mix up...and then when I went to the airport to get him, late.....(I swear for the first time in peru the flight was not only on time but early) and by the time I got there, everyone had cleared out and lights were off in the airport, I saw this hairy shadow and thought hmm....where can my little bro be, and he saw what he thought was a little girl running around crazily, but it was just me searching for him....then we embraced! He came to school with me just for one class today and everyone thought he was Jesus, it was cute.
SO my travel plans have been finally somewhat decided. I mean we are decided up to the point that Scott and I have our tickets for home.....it is March 9th--save the date!! I will be arriving to PDX with Scott. We bought out ticket flying out of Quito, Ecuador. SO basically we will be in Argentina and have 2 months to somehow travel up to Quito. It will be a fun adventure.
Today was my last day of school, it feels really weird. I almost cried saying good-bye to my Inical little kids. I just have to do grades, and then basically it is over. It is pretty hard to believe. It took me about 4 months before it really hit that I had moved here, and now I think it will be the same going back, life is weird like that. You've just gotta roll with the punches.
I drempt last night that I was back at home living in Portland and applying for a job at a Bookstore and the guy said he'd give me the job if I made a fruit salad for him and I was like Mom let's make a fruit salad! In the end he liked the fruit salad and gave me the job. It was pretty sweet, let's just hope that my job search back at home is that easy.