Category: Advice

Homesickness

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

This past week has been a bit more difficult for me. I have begun to struggle a bit and feel a lot of the effects of culture shock. I was informed that culture shock is a cycle that will likely occur multiple times while abroad. I have talked with a lot of friends here and have found that many of us are going through the same thing. Some in different programs, some at different times, and multiple times so far, but without fail we all go through it.

I knew culture shock was inevitable, but I hadn’t heard anyone talk about how defeating it feels. For me, it has started to feel l like a very lonely process. There are people around me whom I trusted and am so grateful I have talked to, yet it still feels quite lonely. It feels really weird to be so far away from everything I have ever known. What is really hard for me is learning the different cultural pieces that come with a new country, along with the different languages. I greatly miss talking with a stranger in the street about some mundane thing. Here, it is much more difficult to relate and be understood.

Being abroad and struggling with culture shock has made me much more grateful for the community I have in the United States and empathy for people who are no longer able to live in their native countries. It is so very difficult to try to fit into a whole new world and I cannot imagine how difficult that could be for people under different circumstances.

In order to combat the feeling of homesickness I have tried doing things that would help destress me at home. I go for a walk, listen to music, and remind myself of all the amazing things I have in my new city. Sometimes watching a favorite movie or book that I may have enjoyed a lot from my childhood helps. I make a lot of phone calls to loved ones, but oftentimes these are difficult and have me missing home more. Overall, I find ways to remind myself that I am secure and so happy to be abroad. There are so many amazing things I am experiencing here and I cannot wait to learn so much more. Good and bad coexist together and finding the happy medium is what is difficult, but definitely possible.

If anyone else is homesick, just know you’re not alone! Reach out to someone you know around you and chances are they are going through similar things. One of the fun parts about being abroad or even in any new place is forming a new community. This community is there for the good and the bad so do not feel guilty to lean on them.

A Day in El Campo

Published on by Juliet ELeave a comment

This weekend, my exchange program IFSA (Institute for Study Abroad) brought its students to Uribelarrea, a little farming town two hours southwest of Buenos Aires. It was a wonderful way to get out of the city for a day and eat a lot of delicious food on someone else’s dime. Here was everything we did in Uribelarrea!

6:45 am: up & at ‘em

It was extremely painful to get up at this hour, especially considering I have been sleeping in as much as humanly possible while here. I can’t believe I ever regularly woke up this early.

7:45 am: Subte ride to Plaza Houssay

I enjoy the Subte (the subway system in Buenos Aires) on the weekends. Commuters aren’t packed together like fish in a tin. My housemate and I napped for the twenty-minute ride to our meeting point at Plaza Houssay, a little park in the center of the city. 

8:15 am: depart for Uribelarrea

I wish I had something exciting to say about this two-hour bus ride, but I slept through most of it. When I did finally wake up towards the end, I gazed out the window at all the cows dotting the countryside. It’s a really lovely area: just farmland for miles.

10:15 am: arrive in Uribelarrea

We were greeted by a local guide, who walked us through the main plaza and explained the town’s history. It was founded in 1890 by a landowner named Uribelarrea (duh) who decided he wanted to establish his own little community in the pampa. It remained small; these days, the population is only about 3,000 habitants. As our guide spoke, a little old man sitting in the plaza came up to us and began interjecting with his own anecdotes. 

Our guide showed us to the church adjacent to the town plaza. From there we walked to the train station, which was established to transport dairy. We were met by three dogs who, like our elderly man, began following us around through Uribelarrea. Finally, the guide showed us the agricultural school, which she said had once been a boarding school for unruly boys. After a short but thorough tour of the town (it is tiny, after all), we departed for a farm nearby.

10:45 am: ADN Hidroponia

The farm, run by a middle-aged couple and their sons, was totally hydroponic. This is an agricultural method that doesn’t require soil, so the plants receive their nutrients from a fortified water mixture. The family showed us one of their greenhouses, where they were growing lettuces, spinach, arugula, and other leafy greens. It was easy to see how passionate they were about their craft and its benefits to the community and the environment. As we left, they gave each of us a head of lettuce, which were not only perfect in appearance but also very very tasty.

11:45 am: charcuterie at Pueblo Escondido

After the hydroponics farm, our IFSA coordinators brought us to a local fiambrería, which is like an Argentine deli selling meats, cheeses, and other finger foods. The owner gave us a tasting of a selection of embutidos, all of which were handmade in-house. Like the lettuce, you could literally taste the love that had been put into the food.

12:45 pm: lunch at El Retoño

We then took a short bus ride to El Retoño, a local restaurant. It was housed in an ancient country home with a super cozy ambience and two twin cats who watched us from atop an old record player as we ate. We were fed a three-course meal consisting of an empanada, a plate of chicken and vegetables, and flan with dulce de leche, plus lots and lots of bread for the table. After lunch, we toured the garden out back and took a look inside the outdoor stone oven. The whole place was just so cozy. 

15:15 pm: artisanal market 

On the way back from lunch, we stopped at a small outdoor market. We walked through a few rows of tents peddling handmade jewelry, knives, leather belts and wallets, children’s toys, and more. I bought a little lion puppet and a bag of dried tea leaves for about $2 USD. 

16:00 pm: goat farm Valle de Gañi

The highlight of my day, and maybe my month: a visit to a dairy goat farm! In the main barn, we met the owner of Valle de Gañi, who gave a brief talk about their history and ethos. Several hungry goats tried to eat her shoes as she talked. She then showed us their baby goats, all of whom were about a week old. They were utterly adorable. We spent a while walking through the stalls getting to know the goats and dodging their attempts to eat our pants.

17:00 pm: snacktime

After, we were ushered into the farm shop, where we were served a lovely merienda. We drank coffee and ate dainty pastries and pungent goat cheeses as we recapped the day. Finally, very full and very content, we said our goodbyes to the farm staff and departed Uribelarrea. 

It was a long day but it was refreshing to spend time outside of the city. Everyone in Uribelarrea was so kind and so willing to share their pride for their community. Plus, I have always loved goats so I was basically on top of the world. If you’re ever in Argentina, I definitely recommend visiting the town of Uribelarrea!