life outside

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