Hola todos! 

Another couple of weeks have flown by, and I realized it’s been a while since I updated you on the work I am doing here, which is what takes up the majority of my time!

After having the opportunity to shadow and observe in a bunch of areas within the municipality, I have settled into a couple different spots where I am researching, developing, and implementing a couple of new projects with an emphasis on the social economy of the city. Recently, I have been most heavily focused on developing a project called “Economia Plateada (Silver Economy)”. With the fluctuating economy in Argentina, it has become hard for people of retiring age to actually be able to retire successfully. And, for some of those who have already retired, they are unable to  continue to afford the cost of living without working. As this is becoming a growing issue, the city is working to find ways to help and support this group of people in need. So, I have been researching the depths of this issue, and have been creating a program that works to provide solutions for those who need work. This program would exist to provide people within this generation a curriculum of workshops to help them gain skills to either start their own small business or be able to return to the workforce in a way that is adapted towards them. While it is still in the middle of the development phase, I have been able to go into community centers of the community to meet people struggling with these issues and hear their stories. It has been such a cool opportunity to be hands-on with the residents of Mendoza and really be able to understand life here for everyone. 

In other news, summer is in full swing here and the heat is intense! Most days are spent trying to avoid the sun in the middle of the day, but enjoying the evening weather and spending time outside after the sun goes down. Life here happens outside, which is something I have learned to love about the culture in Argentina, but the summer heat makes it a little bit harder to enjoy spending time outside all day. So, evenings are the perfect time to gather somewhere outside and share a coffee or meal with friends!

This past week, my office had a fun happy hour at a restaurant here that was set up like a picnic with outdoor games and, of course, Argentinian wines. It has been a lot of fun to get to know my coworkers outside of work as well, and I have really enjoyed growing closer with them, since we spend every day together. They all have played an integral part in helping me adjust to life here and making sure I am feeling comfortable in every aspect. I am so thankful for them! 

Unfortunately since I am with them all of the time, I never think to take pictures (which is really becoming a theme that needs to change), so I don’t have good photos to share with you all. But, I promise that lots of photos are to come in the future!

With love, Sarah

Hola y feliz Acción de Gracias! 

This year was the first time I have ever been away from home for a holiday and, to be honest, there was a big part of me that was dreading it. Especially because I’m living in a country where the holiday doesn’t even exist. Knowing that my family would all be together, having traditions that I wouldn’t be able to participate in this time, made me feel homesick in a way that I haven’t felt yet since being here. It was hard to anticipate these things happening knowing that I wouldn’t be able to be there with them. Waking up on Thursday morning, I was already ready for the day to be over. 

But, that feeling quickly changed. I walked to work like a normal morning, because that’s what it was for everyone else. It was a weird feeling knowing today was an important day miles away, but it was like a secret that I was holding in. When I got to work, I got to my desk and opened my computer to work, and started talking to a coworker who asked me about Thanksgiving. We started chatting about what today meant to me, how I usually spend the day, and what my family is probably doing right now. Another one of my coworkers decided to order pastries (chipas, yum!) for everyone that felt like our own little Thanksgiving celebration. It was a small action that really meant the world to me. 

Then, some of my friends planned a friendsgiving for me and invited some of their friends to come and celebrate with us too. We cooked together that afternoon and made a traditional dish from Argentina (Pastel de Papa) that really just reminded me of an American Thanksgiving Casserole. We enjoyed a meal together, talked about all of my Thanksgiving traditions, all shared what we are thankful for, played games, and ate a lot of desert! It felt exactly how you would expect an international Thanksgiving celebration to feel: sentimental, nostalgic, but with a little different twist and lots of laughter. It was so special to experience this day in a new way with new people, and also be able to share an American tradition with all of my friends here, since usually it’s the other way around! 

Sitting around that table truly brought me so much thankfulness, and made me feel all of the Thanksgiving love, even from thousands of miles away. Sitting around a table with people I barely knew three months ago and some that I hadn’t even met yet, with people celebrating a holiday that doesn’t exist where they’re from, with people who intentionally took time to help me feel seen and loved, with people who never fail to bring a smile to my face even when I have a heavy heart, truly redefined the meaning of Thanksgiving for me. I truly am so thankful for the opportunity to be here, for all of the people who helped make it possible for me to be here, and for everyone who has welcomed me here with open arms. Estoy tan agradecida! 

With love, Sarah

Hola! 

I’m not going to lie, sitting here staring at a blank screen that soon needs to be filled with 500 words feels really daunting this week. The past couple weeks have been full of the big and little moments that come with living abroad. So, today I’m going to try something new. Back when I used to bring groups of volunteers to Mexico, it was really important to be able to share with each other the things we were experiencing, some people for the first time, and be able to connect as a team in those moments. Because of that, we would end every day by going around and answering three questions: What was a highlight? What was a low point? Who is someone that you want to give a shoutout to? It really is a great way to summarize how you experienced your day and be able to reflect on the good, while still acknowledging the hard or challenging things. So today, I’m going to share my high, low, and shoutout with you all from the last two weeks. 

What was a highlight? 

This week I was able to go and celebrate some of my friends here graduating from University and I had the best time! I learned that graduations here are celebrated a lot differently here than they are at home. Rather than having a formal graduation ceremony (walking across the stage, wearing a cap and gown, receiving a diploma) the University hosts all of the graduates and their families for a formal dinner and then they have a party afterwards for students and their friends. So, when they asked me to come and celebrate with them, it was an immediate “yes”! But, to be honest, once I got more details on exactly what this entailed, I wanted to look for every reason why I couldn’t go anymore. Turns out, these parties start at midnight, end at five o’clock in the morning, and take place on a weeknight. Needless to say, as someone who doesn’t usually enjoy leaving the house past 9pm, this was something that made me nervous, especially considering I had to work the next morning. But, even though it scared me, I chose to embrace this “you only live once” moment (& the late-night Argentinian culture) and go to support and celebrate my friends. Obviously, it turned out incredible and I had so much fun. So, it was a good reminder that, even if something scares me or I’m not sure how it’s going to all turn out (like going to work after not sleeping at all), it usually means I’m going to experience something amazing that I will remember forever. This was definitely one of those moments. 

What was a low point?

Somewhere between the changing seasons and a lot of business of life catching up with me, I caught the flu, which meant I spent almost all of last week in bed alone in my apartment. As someone who already doesn’t like being sick and unable to do anything, it was ten times worse to be sick 5,000 miles away from home. It made me feel homesick in a way I hadn’t experienced yet, which made it feel like a very long week. 

Who is someone that you want to give a shoutout to?

Truly, I can’t choose just one person, because I want to shout out every single person here who has made life abroad a little bit easier and a lot less lonely. The ones who come to check up on me with medicine and soup when I’m sick and can’t get out of bed, the coworkers who bring me a variety of pastries and make me try every single one of them so I can taste all of the traditional Argentine flavors, the friends of friends who barely know me but drive 25 minutes out of their way to make sure I get back home safe. As cheesy as it is, it really takes a village, and I am so thankful for mine. 

With love, Sarah

Hola desde Valparaíso!

My view while writing this post looks a little bit different than normal because I’m currently in Chile for a quick trip and change of scenery! Since Mendoza is right on the border – a quick 4 hour drive through the Andes Mountains – it’s very common for Argentinians to travel to Chile frequently. So, my friends and I decided to take a weekend trip so that I can see and experience a new country & take part in all the aspects of a normal life here in Argentina 🙂 

Although we were just here for the weekend, we have been able to see and experience so many cool places and have taken advantage of all of the fun tourist spots in the city. Valparaiso is a fun, port city on the coast of the Pacific Ocean full of vibrant colors and beautiful murals, creating the perfect combination of artistic spirit and maritime vibes! Basically, the city is filled with the best artwork and best seafood I have ever experienced! 

We really have been making the most of our time here & had a day full of fun activities! We started the day at the most warm and inviting cafe – truly one of my new favorite places on this earth. We went early in the morning, so we were some of the only people there, and the lady that owns the cafe welcomed us with open arms, sat and chatted with us at our table, then let us choose from a buffet filled with homemade pastries, jams, breads, and more! She truly embodied perfectly the warm and inviting atmosphere that is what draws me to this part of the world. After our breakfast, we headed to the main area of downtown where we stopped in a beautiful art gallery and visited the main port area. We also wandered to a famous poet’s house, Pablo Neruda, where we took a tour and learned about his history as a writer and Nobel Prize winner. It has the most breathtaking views of the city and ocean, and was so cool to walk through and see the history of the city. We spent the rest of the day walking through the hilly streets of Valparaiso, riding on the ascensores (elevators) scattered throughout to be able to see all of the views, and popping in and out of local souvenir shops, artisan stores, and (of course) local cafes. We ended the night at a fresh seafood restaurant, which was absolutely delicious, and enjoyed the sunset from the patio view. It was a busy, but fun way to explore a new city and experience more that new countries have to offer. 

Taking this trip reminded me of how cool of an opportunity I have right now to learn more about the world and see it with my own eyes. I’m very aware of how much of a privilege it is to be where I am right now, and am so thankful to each and every person who made it possible. I can’t wait to share more! 

With love, Sarah

Hola, hola! I’m excited to share an update this week, as it has been filled with a lot of exciting things! The past 2 weeks have been busy – welcoming a group of entrepreneurs here from different parts of the country to help them grow their businesses, connecting with the entrepreneur landscape all over the city, spending quality time sharing meals and stories, teaching new skills, empowering new communities, celebrating successes, and taking every opportunity to learn and grow. 

Before I get ahead of myself, I think it’s important to include a little bit of context first. For those who don’t know me, I have spent the last few years of my college career working with a nonprofit organization that serves latino immigrant communities in Nashville, as well as under-resourced communities in Mexico. This gave me the opportunity to regularly travel abroad, which is where my passion for international work first began. For most people, these “work trips to Mexico” looked very different in their imagination than they were in my reality. I worked in a tiny, desert border-town where the majority of the small population lacked basic necessities. However, to this day, that tiny desert town holds some of my favorite moments, memories, and relationships. It’s the place that gave me the desire to travel the world in a way that most people don’t want to. Rather than seeing the most amazing tourist attractions and staying at the fanciest hotel, I strive to visit these small communities to serve their biggest needs, because that’s where I believe the true heart of a country and its culture lives. This simple desire would eventually become the inspiration behind moving here to pursue this Lumos project. 

This week I had the opportunity to visit a community center that serves an under-resourced community here in Mendoza. This little community reminded me of that sweet desert town and reignited in me that passion and purpose behind this experience. In this community center, there are opportunities for women to create work for themselves through learning sewing skills and being given a platform to sell the products they are making to local hospitals, schools, and businesses. There are also opportunities for women to use culinary skills to make meals for kids in local schools and have income from these opportunities as well. Partnered with these job opportunities are education classes in the areas of reading, writing, and business. This community center is truly focused on equipping and empowering individuals through education and employment to be given opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. It was amazing to see how this cycle plays out in this community, and how many people are working together to empower others. 

I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue working in this community and in these programs throughout my time here. I have been assigned a project that will continue to develop additional projects like these ones to create further opportunities to empower this community. This visit was such a cool experience to dream about the future and see the beginning stages of such a powerful and impactful opportunity.

With love, Sarah

Two more weeks have flown by and I can’t believe I’m already here writing again. Life here recently has been filled with a lot of “I can’t believe this is my life” moments that have made me reflect on how thankful I am to be living in this new reality that really feels like a dream. I’m never quite sure how I’m going to use my 500 words to describe the experiences I’ve had each week until I brain dump my thoughts and end up with something, but this week I want to share a specific moment from this week that helped me to redefine how I want to view this next year of my life:

On Tuesday, we hosted an entrepreneur workshop for community members focusing on creating a business model and finding the purpose and value behind it. It’s a lesson I’ve heard a multitude of times throughout my college career in a variety of different entrepreneurship classes, but I had never been on the delivering side of it before. It was such a unique experience to hear these individuals share the dreams they have of what they want their businesses to be one day, and help them find their value and voice behind that business model. 

It made me think of where I was when I was on the receiving end of these classes. Just last year, sitting in my senior year venture planning class, creating a business model and finding the value in that business that only I could bring into the market. But rather than dreaming about making that business a reality one day, I was dreaming about helping other people bring their dreams to life. I dreamed about living abroad, doing everything I could to make this world a better place. I dreamed about the life I am living right now. 

After the workshop was finished, I went out with some of my coworkers to get an early dinner. As we were sitting together, we started talking about our own lives, and what we wanted for our own futures. As I was talking, I started to realize that even though I am barely 2 months into this year-long experience, I’m already thinking and worrying about what’s next: Where do I want to move? What job do I want to get? Where else will I be able to travel to? Do I need to start making plans already? We talked about how easy it is to be continuously focused on what’s next, rather than enjoying where you are right now. It was a  wake up call to compare myself a year ago, dreaming about where I am right now, to myself now, living a dream come true but worried about what’s next. 

So, I made that a new goal for my time here. Even if I don’t know what comes next, I want to focus on where I am now. I want to live this experience the best I can, enjoying each day as it is given to me. What a blessing it is to be here! 

With love, Sarah

featuring random pictures from a concert I went to this week because I need to get better at documenting my time here 🙂

This week I celebrated one month of living here in Mendoza! 

As I was preparing to move, the most common question I would be asked is “What are most nervous for?” and, not really knowing how to answer that question without either lying or revealing deep-rooted fears, I resorted to always answering by saying “I’m most nervous for the things I don’t know yet.” Simple. I was scared of the unknowns. Big and little. And it wasn’t until I moved that I realized the truth in this answer.    

These past few weeks have been full of reminders that my life here is a new normal – not just a quick break from my life at home. It has reminded me of all of the things I took for granted until I didn’t have them anymore. The small comforts of home, as silly as they may seem. Something as simple as coming home after church on a Sunday to watch football games with my family, or the tradition of weekly Tuesday night Dancing with the Stars viewing parties are things I no longer have access to. It’s the things that I didn’t know were going to change until I moved that make me miss home the most. 

But, on the contrary, the things that make me most excited to be here are the things I didn’t know until I got here. Things like Sunday asados with the family of my friends, or the tradition of getting coffee and pastries with my coworkers every morning before work starts, those are the things that make living here feel like a new home, another place where I can belong too.  

Here’s a photo dump of some fun moments these past 2 weeks (and yes, I do need to get better at documenting my time here with pictures!):

Mood Primavera

One of the highlights of this past week was going to “Mood Primavera”, a music festival celebrating the beginning of spring here! It honestly felt like I was back in Nashville, and was a fun tribute to my college-life and my time at Belmont. It was really cool to experience such a familiar event in a new cultural context. The energy here is definitely incomparable, and this was such a clear example of that. Even though I didn’t know any of the bands, or any of the songs, it was such an exciting thing to experience this with new friends – so much fun! I’m so thankful for nights like this where I know I am creating memories that I will remember (and talk about) forever!

Secretaria de Gobierno 

My work week was spent with a completely new area of the city this week, and I had the opportunity to go into under-resourced neighborhoods in Mendoza and learn about the hands-on work that the government is doing to bring support and resources to communities in need. I got to spend time with kids, families, and elderly communities to learn about their biggest needs and the work that is being done to help meet them. This community work is very familiar to me, and something I am so passionate about, so it was really refreshing for me to be back in that work, and see it from a new perspective in a new country! It was such a great reminder of the purpose of my year here and I can’t wait to continue to learn more about the community here and grow with it!

Hasta la próxima!

With love, Sarah

Life in Mendoza is starting to become the new normal & lots of exciting things have happened over the past couple of weeks! I have finally started to settle into somewhat of a routine here: work in the morning, go to the gym in the afternoon to exercise with work friends, explore the city, coffee with friends to catch up, some work events in between, late dinner, and repeat!  

The past couple of weeks have made me even more excited about the work I will be doing here. As I mentioned, the first month I am here, I will be rotating between different areas under the Secretaria de Desarrollo Economico of the City so that I am able to understand more about the complexity of the work they do here in Mendoza. Last week, I was in the office of employment and social economy and this week I spent with the office of tourism!

Empleo y Economía Social 

The Office of Employment and Social Economy has free services for individuals who need assistance finding work or seeking a new or additional job placement, as well as assisting businesses looking to hire more staff. They also assist in providing entrepreneurs with opportunities to promote their business and find avenues for further business by identifying more ways in which they can sell their products! 

My time with them was spent assisting with an entrepreneur fair that they hold every week to promote locally sourced businesses in selling hand-made products. It was so fun to be able to see the talents of locals from within the city, and experience the activity and excitement within the fair. It reminded me of farmers markets back home and was so cool to see the similarities and differences within a new cultural setting! 

I also started working on a project within this office that focused on helping under-resourced communities find employment opportunities through entrepreneurship that would help better the quality of life within their community! This was an exciting opportunity to use my past experience working in similar non-profit settings as well as using what I have learned through my social entrepreneurship studies, and it was inspiring to have my thoughts and ideas used as something valuable in these new situations. 

Turismo 

My week spent in the Office of Tourism was definitely filled with the most fun experiences I have had thus far. In order to see all of the work that this office does and all that they have to offer, they treated me as a tourist and brought me along on tours of the city, cultural events, and fun activities! 

I got a private, personalized tour bus experience where I got to learn more about this new city I am living in and see all of the most historic and famous spots like Parque de General San Martin, Cerro de la Gloria, Plaza Independencia, Casa de San Martin, and more! 

I also joined in on a tourism event hiking and stargazing in the Andes Mountains with an astronomy group. Truthfully, I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into, but it turned out to be such a cool experience! 

I’m still learning and growing and adjusting, but I am so excited about where this next year is going to take me!!

Hola from Mendoza!

My very first week here is done and I truly can’t believe how much my life has changed.  Since the minute I arrived, I have had a busy schedule that was planned for me filled with seeing old friends, experiencing new places, starting a new job, and eating lots of yummy foods! 

Old friends, new friends, & fun places 

My first night here, some friends I met during my Maymester here, along with some of their friends, took me to a trampoline park (probably the most American thing they could think of to help me adjust – ha!). I was exhausted, but it was a fun way to spend time here with friends, and I even got to meet some of their friends who are studying abroad here this semester from the US! The next night, I got together with all of the students from here who were in our study abroad program here last May for a traditional Argentine asado! It was so fun to experience these traditions again and reconnect with people who I grew so close with last year. Throughout my entire first week here I was thankful that the people around me kept me busy with picnics in the park, trying lots of ice cream, art shows, movies, and meeting lots of new people! 

First week of work! 

Walking into my first day of work was intimidating – knowing I would soon be in a room full of important people I didn’t know, speaking a different language, not knowing what to expect – but I was pleasantly surprised! I was greeted at my first meeting of the morning with two leaders from my study abroad program who immediately brought a sense of familiarity and comfortability that was much needed! We spent that time getting to know the people I would be working with, making a schedule for my first few weeks of adjusting, and learning about all of the exciting work they do here. I have the privilege of being able to spend my first few weeks here with different departments within the municipality to learn where I am most interested in working during the majority of my time here. This week I was with the Club de Emprendadores, where I got to learn about the entrepreneurs within their incubator programs, as well as visit some free classes and workshops that they have for community members. 

I also had the opportunity to go to an event hosted by the Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico that celebrated women in innovation here in Mendoza! I got to meet a lot of cool people and learn more about the work being done in this community, which was fun and inspiring! 

While all of these things made this week fun and exciting, I would be lying if I didn’t say that it was also a really hard week. Being 5,000 miles away from home is hard. Not being able to hug the people you love is hard. Having to communicate with your family over Facetime is hard. Being unable to do things you love or eat your favorite foods is hard. Speaking only in a foreign language is hard. There were so many moments this week that made me second guess what I was doing, that made me want to turn back around and get on a plane to go back home, that made me question whether or not I could really do this. 

But, in each of these moments, there was one thing that encouraged me to keep going: someone believes in me. My professors believe in me. My friends believe in me. My parents believe in me. A committee of board members believes in me. The mayor of Mendoza (still crazy!) believes in me. So, even when I don’t believe in myself, even when I don’t feel capable of doing what I am doing, I take their confidence to remind myself that I can do this. There are a whole bunch of people that are the reason I am here that have confidence that I am capable of big things. 

There is power in believing in people, and I am so thankful for the ones that believe in me. 

With love, Sarah

It’s officially my last week here in the U.S. before I move away to Argentina for the next 10 months! This summer has been filled with so many emotions: happy, sad, scared, excited, and doing everything I can to squeeze in some final moments of nostalgia and comfortability before my life completely changes! Here’s the recap:

Graduation & Moving out of Nashville!

The last 4 years of living in Nashville and being a Belmont student have flown by and graduation came quicker than I ever thought it could. Graduation week was so bittersweet: it felt like I was finally slowing down to realize all of the sweet things that I was surrounded by & it made me realize I wasn’t ready to leave it all behind me yet, but at the same time I was excited for what was yet to come and grateful that there were so many good things to be missed. This entire week was full of one “goodbye” party after another: my incredible Aloe Family work family (more on that later), the best group of kids I spent the last 4 years pouring into and growing with, my CREW, social entrepreneurship girls, my sweet roommate, and so many amazing friends that have become more like family these past few years. 

My time at Belmont held some of my favorite moments, and graduation day was the perfect bookend to that special chapter. My entire family flew down & we spent the weekend celebrating and enjoying time together. I ended my time in Nashville surrounded by my favorite people laughing & crying on the floor of my apartment while packing up the last 4 years of my life into my car to drive back to Minnesota <3

Saying “see you later” to San Luis, Mexico 

Probably the hardest “goodbye” I had all summer was to my favorite little corner of the world in Mexico. I spent my college career working for a nonprofit that serves communities locally in Nashville and internationally in Mexico, and a small part of almost every month has been spent in this little desert town of San Luis serving, smiling, laughing, crying, loving, growing, exploring, failing, learning, and trying with everything I have to make an impact in this world. I spent my last little bit of time here (at least for the next 10 months – not forever) reminiscing on memories, playing soccer, eating good food, laughing with friends that are really more like family, building community centers and painting churches, teaching English, and laughing through the tears. 

Wedding Weekend!!

One of my final weekends here was spent in Highlands, North Carolina as the maid of honor in my sister’s wedding! It was such a special time of celebrating her & her new husband, and cherishing the last few moments of quality time with my family before I move.  

& So many in-between moments

I’ve been getting a lot of “Are you ready?”, “Are you nervous?”, “Are you excited?” lately. And, honestly, the answer is yes; I’m ready to do something new, I’m nervous about what I don’t know yet, but I’m excited to see where this next year takes me. The truth is, I have no idea what my life is going to look like a week from now, but I am so extremely grateful and overjoyed to be on this journey. 

See you soon, Mendoza!

With love, Sarah