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