tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57320833533557636492024-03-05T23:00:36.205-06:00Exchange isn't a year in your life, it's your life in a year.My Rotary Youth Exchange in Argentina 2013-2014. Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-38883361498972582152014-04-19T01:44:00.000-05:002014-04-19T12:59:37.140-05:00Vive en mi amor, comparte en mi alegría!I've tried nearly 6 times now to write an introduction to this blog that sums up everything that I'm feeling right now, but it's hard. Nearly 8 months has passed by here in Argentina and it's starting to dawn on me that I have very little time left. With so many things planned it's really saddening to talk with friends and say 'We NEED to do this before I leave!' and realize that I probably won't be able to. With only 70 something odd days left, 15 of those will be spent travelling with Rotary and I still have to go to school. I have an exchange bucket list with both my host family and my friend Leonie, and my classmates are always telling me they have things they want to do with me before I leave, too. It's all so hard because I don't know when I'll be able to visit again.<br />
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While all of the exchange students will be leaving not knowing when they'll be able to come back to Argentina, the majority of the other exchange students live in Europe and they already have plans to get together given that they can hop on a train and be in the same city within hours. They always say "Micah, you can come too!" but unless they're willing to pay for my plane ticket, that's probably not going to happen. While I have become close to some great Argentine people, the people who always understand what I'm going through and are always open to new things are the other exchange students, and I am truly am going to miss them.<br />
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But I've had some fun adventures lately! This is going to be a long post... <br />
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On March 24th was the Argentine Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice, commemorating those who were killed in the Dirty War. There were large marches in the capital, but my host family and I picnicked in a park near my house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some amazing skaters! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's gotten so big!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jugando el fútbol!</td></tr>
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On Thursday March 28th I went with my friend, Tilen, to pick up our tickets for Lollapalooza in the capital. It was such a great feeling knowing we could travel to, around and back from Buenos Aires alone (but still asking for directions when we were lost) without troubles, and that when we did ask for help, people understood our Spanish. </div>
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On the 1st of April Tilen and I met up with Ailen (she went on exchange to Oshkosh last year) and Pia (from Austria) in San Isidro for Lollapalooza. We saw Aloe, Portugal, the Man, Capital Cities, Cage the Elephant, Julian Casablancas, Imagine Dragons, Kidd Cudi, Zedd and Arcade Fire. It was my first festival and tons of fun, and hopefully next year I can go to the Lollapalooza in Chicago.<br />
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On April 5th Leonie and I made dinner for my host parents! We made flammekuchen, squash soup and 'dirt cups' for dessert! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flammekuchen!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirt cups made with chocolate mousse! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La mesa!</td></tr>
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April 11th through the 13th I went to a 'spiritual retreat' with some of my classmates. It was definitely an interesting experience and I'm really glad I chose to go. We left Friday after school and drove with la profesora de catequesis to el Colegio Emaus in Palomar. </div>
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In the opening ceremony they welcomed each school and the larger school groups had banners, flags, confetti and horns, but this was our group when they called out Sofia Bunge: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least Jazmin got into it!</td></tr>
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Throughout the weekend we did a ton of activities- some emotional, some fun, and others boring (with 1500+ people, waiting in line for food would sometimes take hours). I really hope the pictures help explain some of what went on, because there are no words that can.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a Catholic retreat called 'Pascua Joven'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The six girls from Bunge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing the wave!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My group making educational games to give to an orphanage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I might be in this picture somewhere.. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Misa de domingo de ramos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The theme was "Live in my love, share in my joy" and there was a song to go with. I still have it stuck in my head!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic dinner with the kids from my school!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosh pitting and body surfing to liturgical music? </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was cold and we were tired, so after lunch we decided to take a nap. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing Ceremony</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting new friends and taking selfies!</td></tr>
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The weekend I went to the retreat my host family had un campamento and they brought along Pia and Marine (two other exchange students from Austria and Belgium). They stayed for a couple of days after I got back and one night made dinner (I helped!). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Austrian and Belgian mix!</td></tr>
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The next day in school we had mass, and being seniors we didn't have classes because we had to help set up everythig. I read the readings during mass and afterwards everyone clapped, which was slightly embarrassing. Half an hour later people were still saying I looked like a tomato, and the priest was surprised that I've only been living here for 8 months... apparently everyone understood me while I was reading! Afterwards we played a video from Pascua Joven and I really hope that it helped convince the younger kids to go next year- there were only 6 of us from my school who went this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-mass selfie!</td></tr>
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After school two friends came home with me to eat lunch with Pia and Marine. It was fun to have everyone together and after chatting the afternoon away with cookies and terere (cold mate made with juice) we made huevos de Pascua!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Easter eggs!</td></tr>
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Later that evening we went to Padua to sleep in a Rotarian's house because the following day we went to Uruguay! Our combi didn't have the proper documentation to transport us over the border, so we rented a vehicle for an hour to drive us around Fray Bentos in Uruguay. We stopped to take a few pictures and drove back to the border to renew our visas and eat lunch on the Argentine side in the province of Entre Rios.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us in the combi with our new Rotary sweatshirts!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group in front of our combi!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Fray Bentos, Uruguay!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the border there was a parrot's nest!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the Belgian flag.. and my Belgian friends!</td></tr>
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Now we're on Easter vacation! This Wednesday I'm going on a 6 day trip to Calafate and Ushuaia in the south of Argentina, so when I get back I'll write about that and Easter. </div>
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Until then, </div>
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Un beso enorme, </div>
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Micah<br />
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Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-65559112253290116962014-03-23T12:24:00.000-05:002014-03-26T13:04:51.475-05:00Only 3 months left! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So during this entire exchange it's been exciting to count the time I've been here.. one week turned to two, which turned to a month and then three and then seven. It's crazy to think that I've been here for more time than I have left; I only have a little more than 3 months left.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I've gotten back into school-mode. As much as I love my classmates, I miss not having a schedule, and waking up at 6 is not fun. I've gotten used to it, but keep in mind that we don't eat dinner until 9 or 10, and then it's a few hours after that when we go to bed, so mornings are difficult and siesta-ing is kind of a necessity. I'm in what is equivalent to my senior year here, so my classmates are currently preparing for their parties and senior trip. One thing I love about Argentina is how widespread partying is... most egresados here throw parties to raise money for partying. At the end of the year, each schools' seniors throw a party at a club. They rent the club for the night and invite everyone and anyone. The seniors then wear costumes and they play a slide show. It's basically a celebration of the last 13 years they've had together. However to rent the club it costs a lot of money, so they throw parties with entrance fees and then use this money to help them pay for THE party.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">With my class, aside from 'classwork', we've been working on decorating the classroom, planning fundraisers, and other fun egresado things.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="271" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/1959381_10202024345542687_1229735476_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Working on the decorations!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Last weekend I went to Carlos Keen, a town en el campo, with my host family and another exchange student. We walked around town, took pictures, ate a ton at 'Lo de Tito' and slacklined. It was a great weekend!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="240" src="https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/1911750_752257274798678_522335254_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The old train station</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/1660807_752258771465195_1625258779_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"Tito's"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1396002_752258961465176_1763862389_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Food for 5... </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/1899940_752260938131645_287688778_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Slacklining!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1463929_752265031464569_1700870231_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1463929_752265031464569_1700870231_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This picture makes it appear as if I'm actually good at this.. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/1902755_752265464797859_1306787659_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">There was even a rainbow on the way home!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">A few days later I skipped school (oops) to go to the zoo with some friends. It is by far the coolest zoo I've been to and you can tell that they're putting in a lot of effort into wildlife conservation and (though I know nothing about animals) it appeared as if the animals were happier and had a lot more space than other zoos I've been to. We spent around 8 hours here and still didn't get to see everything, but were our normal silly selves and took tons of pictures. There were quite a few animals I've never seen, and the zoo was super interactive. We got to feed the rays in the aquarium, there was a hippo show (hippos are super interesting... watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfrG95GyU9U" target="_blank">this</a>), there was also a very large exhibit with parrots and bats that was cool, and a 360 degree theater, which I had never even heard of. Temaiken had started out as an ice cream parlor with some outdoor bird cages owned by one of Argentina's wealthiest, and has since grown into a large organization '</span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">that works to protect nature, educating, researching and preserving species and ecosystems', but you can still buy the ice cream (which is really good!). If you ever find yourself in Argentina (ahem, current outbounds to Argentina) I would definitely plan a day to visit! (Click <a href="http://www.temaiken.org.ar/en/" target="_blank">here</a> for the website) </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/69582_752276138130125_129415721_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're so cool. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/999956_752275578130181_1616051266_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted to get a better picture of the albino peacock but she was too fast!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1075873_752275208130218_1796375030_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had underground tunnels that led to where the prairie dogs were! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1902734_752272711463801_1923033650_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably one of the prettiest animals that exists!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1912528_752272098130529_764432238_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But toucans are really pretty too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1798330_752268944797511_1941613324_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So a Belgian and an American were riding a lion... </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/1959762_752266358131103_981028532_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tortugas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/10013544_752266138131125_565461850_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King of the meerkats!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/999958_752266001464472_2065531019_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secretarybird</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/523614_10152298583153728_1740739496_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/1003228_752277988129940_1690373791_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign was probably more exciting than the actual wallabies. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img height="300" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1231471_752276034796802_165309020_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;">The parrots had so much attitude. </span></span></td></tr>
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<br />It was a great week! On Friday one of my friends and I went to Pia's house for her birthday! Pia's host sister lived in Wisconsin, so it was really interesting to hear her point of view on everything. Her mom went to visit her while she was on exchange and they both just kept telling me how much they absolutely love Wisconsin and how much they miss it (probably more than me.. ). We went clubbing in Buenos Aires. It was great, but I've been fighting a cold so I was a little miserable during some parts of the night. In the afternoon the next day we went out for frozen yogurt in Ciudad Jardin (it was on our exchange bucket list!) which is definitely worth the hype.</div>
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It's been cold here lately! Right now it's 56 degrees and I'm bundled up. With the cold weather and being back in school a lot of people have been getting sick. My host family has been a lot sicker than I have... send prayers or good thoughts to my host family and hope that everyone gets healthy soon!<br />
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I hope that everyone in the US is also staying healthy! Besos a todos!<br />
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Oh, and I took this quiz:<br />
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mackenziekruvant/where-should-you-have-actually-studied-abroad<br />
<br />
I got Buenos Aires, so I guess I'm exactly where I belong. Although I recently took an online quiz called 'What country do you actually belong in?' and got Switzerland, so I think I'll have to plan a trip to visit Leonie when I get back. ;) </div>
Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-86056157821355879222014-03-10T17:18:00.000-05:002014-03-12T10:28:06.113-05:00200 días!<br />
Today is my 200th day in Argentina! It was also my first day of school. On Mondays I have two hours of English and math, and we leave at 11:40. It's the first time I've seen the majority of my classmates since school got out, so it was nice to see everyone together. We spent most of class discussing what we want on our buso de egresados, and fundraisers for their class trip to Bariloche and grad. party, which, unfortunately, I won't be here for.<br />
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Since I last wrote, I went to a birthday party for another American exchange student, Kevin. It was tons of fun and it was nice to hang out with the exchange students and Kevin's classmates. During the day Kevin gave us a walking tour of Chivilcoy where we bought ingredients to make tacos and stopped for some icecream. For dinner we enjoyed our tacos and after one of the best cakes I've ever eaten and versions of the happy birthday song in 6 languages, we went clubbing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="298" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1888543_10202845292788743_984498868_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza de España en Chivilcoy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1920328_10202165434115701_1927768349_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole group!</td></tr>
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Apparently it's a tradition for boys in Chivilcoy to shave their heads on their 18th birthdays, so we all had some fun and cut/shaved Kevin's hair into a mohawk/mullet with weird side details. He ended up getting some weird looks in the club, as his classmates wouldn't let him completely shave it off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="293" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/1525461_10202842212671742_112762940_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belgian, American, Swiss, Austrian, Argentine and German girls clubbing!</td></tr>
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Right before I hopped on the bus back to Ituzaingo, I got to see the lovely Paz! She was an exchange student in Waupaca last year, and she can brighten anyone's day! It was nice to see her, and hopefully soon we'll be able to do something together!<br />
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<img height="400" src="https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1911777_10203481089774814_557711909_n.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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I also went to 'El Caminito' with my host parents, and La Plata with my host parents and brother.<br />
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La Boca is a very colorful neighborhood in Buenos Aires, and 'el Caminito', literally meaning little path, is a street with touristy shops, tango dancers and restaurants. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1798831_746092925415113_1184328590_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Caminito</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1620476_746092682081804_8619028_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1654157_746094498748289_559140116_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1/r270/1911749_746094998748239_1596715545_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the trees are participating in the fun!</td></tr>
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La Plata is the capital of the province of Buenos Aires. This is slightly confusing given the capital of Argentina is the city of Buenos Aires, which is, physically speaking, within the province of Buenos Aires. However, the city of Buenos Aires has it's own government, thus it is not actually a part of the province of Buenos Aires, but surrounded by it. In La Plata we went to a gorgeous cathedral and un museo de ciencias naturales. I apologize for the random order of the pictures. When I click 'add caption' it always moves that picture to the top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1779987_690001627728703_775947460_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thiago and me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1/1922472_747148178642921_133418669_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous stained glass!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1948063_747148028642936_211753384_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1486935_747148331976239_128435049_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/1897724_747147951976277_1066880212_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the plaza</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1979468_747147995309606_179659467_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My host mom and host brother<br />
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Afterwards we went to a gorgeous park to drink mate! I'm definitely going to miss seeing palm trees.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute lake with boat rentals!</td></tr>
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So now that school has started, I'll hopefully get back into a routine. I have some fun things planned for the near future, so stay tuned! </div>
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Un beso,<br />
Micah</div>
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Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-45803634150850552382014-02-20T14:03:00.001-06:002014-02-20T15:23:07.989-06:00Vacation's all I've ever wanted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... and I sure have been getting plenty of it! This is also the reason for my lack of writing.<br />
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In December I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a week on the coast with my host family. It was such a relaxing week and incredible given I've never seen the ocean, let alone set foot in it. We stayed in a cabaña next to that of a family friend, so there was always someone to talk to, and I enjoyed playing with the little kids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ub0FYXxrhMbD9bu_tXxoCkIeujsP6zbeEu-RTX7-0oUlsPXRwXPuSPIaE09TrMX8M-lQYDe2e32ri30a9h3NVlwZni0eJnot1fqoVB9njf_8thJ8oI3XVQy1DOnmKeGEeYwjA-fXgcMV/s1600/DSC05486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ub0FYXxrhMbD9bu_tXxoCkIeujsP6zbeEu-RTX7-0oUlsPXRwXPuSPIaE09TrMX8M-lQYDe2e32ri30a9h3NVlwZni0eJnot1fqoVB9njf_8thJ8oI3XVQy1DOnmKeGEeYwjA-fXgcMV/s1600/DSC05486.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four wheeling in the dunes with my host sister!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with my host brother!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the sunrise!</td></tr>
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The holidays came and went, and while Christmas was really laid back, our New Year's celebration was one I'll never forget. At midnight, the sky burst into colors as fireworks were set off and lanterns were let go. We toasted with ananá fizz and spun in circles as fireworks were being set off in every direction. Around 12:45 the fireworks died down and we continued eating the array of desserts that were set out. Afterwards I went to a party with my friend Leonie from Switzerland, my host sister, and my host sister's friends.<br />
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In January my host sister left to start her exchange in Switzerland. Based on her pictures, she's having a blast! I haven't gotten the chance to talk with her much, but I miss her a ton.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last 'family' photo for a long time!</td></tr>
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The other inbounds and I had to leave the country to get our visas renewed, so we hopped on a ferry and had a day trip to Uruguay. It honestly is one of the most beautiful towns I've ever visited. We toured the city taking pictures, and were our normal, silly exchange student selves. This day also happened to be the day my exchange was half over; my return date is set for July 2nd.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the fort/light house</td></tr>
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<tr><td><img height="213" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1/1653520_10201827375065221_1734595552_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">I love this girl!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nine- elevenths of the exchange students in our district</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire town was full of old cars!</td></tr>
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I'm probably the luckiest and most blessed girl in the world, because I also had the opportunity to go to Patagonia on a road/camping trip for 15 days with an exchange student from California and his host family. This was by far the most incredible trip I've ever been on, and it made me fall in love with Argentina even more. It really is incredible the diversity of Argentina. On this trip I saw lakes, rivers, deserts, mountains, volcanoes, the ocean, canyons, waterfalls, salt flats, big cities and parts of a dirt road where you wouldn't see another car or building for miles. The majority of the trip was spent in the car, while taking breaks to visit gorgeous things and sleep in tents and hotels. We met up with a friend from Belgium in Bariloche, and even crazier, we stumbled upon another exchange student friend of ours from Germany in a market in Mar del Plata. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime, and I can't believe that everything worked out so perfectly. Thanks a million to Tilen and his host parents for allowing me to come with them!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cañon Atuel en Mendoza</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 'host parents' for 15 days and me- gracias Elena y Horacio!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underground cave that collapsed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Castillitos'- caves that the indigenous people used to live in, all one rock structure</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Grande</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous vistas everywhere you look!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The four of us in front of Volcán Lanin </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect place for a picnic!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanin Volcano- first time seeing snow in a long time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coolest trees ever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains everywhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These trees were everywhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/923118_737606039597135_1037502311_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfalls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/10806_737609782930094_228435369_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took a ski lift up to get this amazing view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In almost every city here there's something similar to this!<br />
I love Rotary!</td></tr>
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So with only two weeks left until I start school, I'm going to continue to enjoy relaxing days and this perfect summer weather. I hope all is well in the US, and that the snow and cold aren't being too harsh!</div>
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Besos, </div>
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Micah</div>
Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-82878885706719131942013-12-06T14:01:00.001-06:002013-12-06T16:48:52.872-06:00SUMMER!<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Today is December 6th. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Already 106 days in Argentina.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">It doesn't feel like December for two reasons:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">1. Because it's 80 degrees outside.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">2. I've only been in Argentina for, like, a week, right?</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Summer vacation is almost here! I'm done with classes, but I have to go in on Monday for an hour to bring up my chemistry grade. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Current plans right now include going to the ocean, Patagonia, el campo, spending time with friends and my host sister before she leaves for Switzerland, going to kickboxing, aerobics and trampoline classes (I will possibly add a pilates and latin dance class to the mix) and spending tons of time outside by the pool.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">My last day of school yesteray was great. The day before I had a migraine and my head still hurt, but I'm glad I decided to go. <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">We had a party/presentation with the entire school. Kids from every course danced and the seniors had drums and confetti and silly string. They played a slide show from various events throughout the year and congratulated the kids who were confirmed, as well as some other things I don't recall. Near the end, one of my friends, Luz, got up, grabbed the mic and started to read from a piece of paper (in Spanish).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;">This is what she said (using my wonderful translating skills): </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">These words are directed to Micah. She was our classmate in 5to economia (my course), since August of this year. At first everyone was very nervous... and her too. It was a lot of work to communicate, but with time her Spanish improved as did our English. Everyone thinks that what's special about Micah is that she's from the United States, but no! The special thing about her is she's sympathetic for all, her smile, and her attitude/ willingness to do everything we do as a class. We are very grateful to the school and to Rotary for letting us be a part of this beautiful (wonderful) experience. We hope that she stays with us until next year and we can share more of these wonderful moments during her exchange. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br />(this part was in English and made me cry even more):<br />MICAH WE LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU THE BEST. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Love 5to Economia</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">It was so sweet and I'm so thankful for all of the people who have welcomed me with open arms. It's hard being in a foreign country and there are days that suck, but the people here in general are so welcoming and make me feel at home. And of course, as always, I'm thankful for Rotary. I'm so thankful that I've been given this opportunity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">I continue to love everyday, and while there are ups and downs, I've been learning a ton. My Spanish is getting tons better, and I might start writing posts in Spanish. </span><span style="color: #444444;">I've done a horrible job at documenting my exchange so far, which is really unfortunate because I have so many funny stories and exciting things to tell. Everyday there is something worth writing about, but I don't have the motivation to write everyday. I promise I'll write a post about my trip to the ocean and Christmas. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Christmas is right around the corner, which is so bizarre because there are almost no signs of it, yet. There's no snow, no Christmas lights, no Christmas music, no crafts or decorations. I'm sure as Christmas dwells closer there will be more signs (minus the snow, unfortunately), but it's so weird to think that it's December. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">But I'm definitely not complaining. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">If you need me, I'll be hanging around in shorts and a tank-top, going swimming in the pool and siesta-ing until I have to go back to school again in February/March. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Un gran beso!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Micah </span></span>Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-83046188197289541012013-11-05T22:21:00.000-06:002014-04-19T02:44:57.325-05:00Trip to Misiones!So I'm sorry this post is late, but I've tried many times to write an introspective blogpost about how incredible the waterfalls were and how great this trip was, but instead just look at the pictures and know that no words (and really pictures can't either) explain how standing in the midst of the Iguazu falls makes you feel and it's really just something you have to experience for yourself. I was in awe, super tired or afraid my camera would get wet, so many of these pictures are stolen from the other inbounds' facebooks. Anyway, here are the photos from the trip!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1- We spent 45+ hours in this bus.. so glad there was AC!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1392558_621327511256662_358697480_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I don't mind airplane food, but I'm on the fence about bus food.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1422617_10201713909002579_1973580794_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1422617_10201713909002579_1973580794_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2- Wanda Mines!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too hot to eat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1385374_621328477923232_1254983010_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1385374_621328477923232_1254983010_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group at the mines</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1458591_10201241855707603_46330716_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1458591_10201241855707603_46330716_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triple frontier- Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina in one picture!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/941289_747873285228912_1368286905_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/941289_747873285228912_1368286905_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">triple frontier!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1383614_10201684288102075_1301138947_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1383614_10201684288102075_1301138947_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3- In front of the Iguazu falls on the boat before getting soaked!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't they gorgeous?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Devil's Throat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Safari' through the jungle that took us to the boat dock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Foto: El Grupo de Estudiantes de Intercambio de este año. ¡Maravillosos todos!
Especialmente Marine y Pía, auspiciadas por nuestro club." height="263" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/p480x480/1395285_669437513088777_1674925513_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group in front of the Devil's Throat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coatis. They're used to tourists and they'll steal your purse and eat your food.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1453471_621292984593448_666511677_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evil little creatures. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1459169_764146500278108_1708947216_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1459169_764146500278108_1708947216_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And tons of iguanas, too, but they're super fast and hard to take pictures of. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1453378_678442195513520_658579649_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was incredible!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1450954_764147813611310_1743206357_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm so patriotic!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1390707_10201684301222403_1616571156_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The group at La Aripuca!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/734384_764150090277749_1408033247_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yerba mate and rose petal ice cream!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1384005_621296137926466_227888137_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4- a different view of the triple frontier!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo-op on our walk! I cut the bottom of my foot on a broken wine bottle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We learned how to make swans out of apples!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1393705_621287664593980_948259901_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was pretty proud!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5- Before ziplining in the jungle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheeeee!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterfalls.. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And rappelling down them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/1004988_10201713998244810_867479045_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tons of fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1375954_10201691491242149_664099834_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many gorgeous places to take pictures!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 6- Halloween! We went to a Duty free shop and got our passports stamped!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 7- Visiting some Jesuit ruins!</td></tr>
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So that was our trip! And while the excursions we went on were absolutely amazing, it made it a thousand times better that it was all with other exchange students.</div>
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Life is still great, but being at school is not nearly as fun as seeing some of the greatest waterfalls in the world and hanging out with exchange students. But I'll hang in there given I only have 4 weeks left of school, and then 3 months of summer vacation. ;)</div>
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Micah</div>
Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-47553637809445663362013-10-22T18:15:00.000-05:002014-04-19T02:49:36.624-05:00I've been robbed... of wishes! In Argentina when you blow out the candles on your birthday you make 3 wishes instead of one! Other than finding out that my life is short 32 birthday wishes, I had a wonderful birthday here in Argentina! So read on and ignore my excessive use of parentheses.<br />
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My day started like any other day... woke up at 6:10, hit the snooze button and slept until 6:20 (which I keep telling myself makes a difference, but let's be honest, 10 minutes of half sleep really doesn't help anyone) and took a shower. I slipped on my school uniform (Monday means jogging pants and red t-shirt) and walked into the kitchen. The lights were on so I knew someone else was up. I grabbed some cereal (maple-honey cheerio type things) and milk, but when I turned around I realized that there was a tray of food and a birthday card sitting on the counter. I grabbed my camera and took pictures (you have to document everything when you're on exchange), and my host mom came down and was disappointed that I discovered it before she could give me breakfast in bed. Oops.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderful birthday card my host mom and Thiago made me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The breakfast!</td></tr>
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My host mom brought the rest of the family into the kitchen and they hugged and kissed me and gave me a present- clothes for clubbing (and for birthday parties)! I ate and got ready for school. I grabbed the birthday cake my host mom so kindly made for me, and my host dad dropped me off at school. The school day went on normally, but all of my teachers and classmates gave me hugs and kisses. We had the cake during my economics class. Throughout the school day they sang 7 times (in Castellano and English). We ended up not having gym class so I texted my host-mom to tell her and she said that she could still pick me up. Right before school got out she texted me that something came up and she couldn't, so I walked home. </div>
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Because I usually eat lunch at school or the plaza on Mondays and Fridays (respectively), I had already eaten a ham and cheese sandwich so I skipped lunch and slept a siesta. I slept for 2 hours and at 4 Cami woke me up and told me that we were going to el shopping (mall) at 5. My host mom told me to wear something nice because we would be going to a restaurant afterwards. So I got dressed (wearing a new cardigan and blouse I had received earlier), we picked up one of Cami's friends and were dropped off at the mall. Cami told me she needed a dress for her graduation ceremony, so we went from store to store and had her try on dresses. At 8:30 we were picked up by my host father and from here on I should have figured it out. </div>
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We dropped off Cami at the corner of our street (for a reason I didn't know why at the time) but Cami's friend and I stayed in the car while Amadeo picked some things up at the store. When he was done we drove home. Cami greeted us and opened the gate and Amadeo told us that he forgot his keys so we had to go around to the back. There was a strange vehicle in the carport and none of the lights were on and I was so confused. So we go around back and I see tons of peoples' silhouettes and SURPRISE! </div>
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Looking back there were way too many clues that I should have put together but being an exchange student I'm just used to strange things happening and me not understanding why. Until I got home and saw the surprise party I honestly thought it was just going to be a low-key birthday, with a dinner out with my host family. I would've been happy with anything, but it really was a perfect night. </div>
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My host mom had called one of my friends from school to ask her to invite the rest of the class. About half showed up which is really nice considering that it was a Monday night. TNG (Cami's friends.. and mine too) came, as well as my Rotary counselor and my friend Leonie. It was such a surprise and I had no idea what to say. We had empanadas and patties and torta and it was just so great. </div>
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It was a little cold.. but it felt more like my actual birthday with the weather, than with the 75+ weather that we've been having here in Bs. As. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost always do birthday cakes have sparklers here!</td></tr>
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There are no words (in Spanish or English) or pictures that can capture the essence of just how perfect this moment was. Right after this picture was taken the lights were turned off and it was completely dark other than the sparkler and candle on the cake. I was surrounded by people that I've grown to love singing choruses of "Que los cumplas feliz" and this sparkler just kept burning and all I could do was sit there laughing and smiling. As the sparkler dwindled to a small flame, I blew out the candles and realized that I didn't need to make a wish, and that my life wasn't robbed of anything. </div>
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I want to thank everyone who made my birthday so special.</div>
It was one of my favorite nights here.<br />
I love you all so much.<br />
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Micah </div>
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(but before I go... more pictures!) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With some of my classmates!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thiago and Eze!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My counselor and host parents!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of Cami's friends!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My host sister and some of her friends!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leonie, Cami and I!</td></tr>
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Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-88638677045913626492013-10-18T15:59:00.000-05:002013-10-18T19:24:57.992-05:00So Happy!So this post is going to be a little different.<br />
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While I'm here in Argentina not only do I want to try new things and learn Spanish, but I also want to grow as a person and learn more about myself.<br />
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If you're my friend on facebook then you might have seen my status:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">So I can't wait until January... I'm starting my New Year's resolution now.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Each day for the next 365 days I will try my best to write a letter, facebook message, skype, email or contact in any way one person that I need to say thank you to or tell them how much I appreciate or love them or how they changed me as a person. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">If you get a gushy facebook message from me in this next year, you don't have to respond or say anything back, just read what I say and know that it's 100% true and that I'm glad you're in my life.</span><br />
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Scientists say that people who express gratitude are happier. Recently I was sick and watching youtube videos when I stumbled across this video:<br />
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This video is what gave me the idea. So far it's only day 3, but the 3 messages I have sent have at least made me somewhat happier, and the responses I've gotten back have made me smile, as they said that my message made them smile. It's a win-win situation for everyone. </div>
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So while it might not be very realistic that I contact one person a day and tell them I appreciate them, I'm going to try my best. I pick the person at random, so if you're number 1 or number 365 I appreciate you all the same. I might send you it on your birthday or just a random day. You might be surprised you're one of the 365 people that I send something to. If I don't send you something, it doesn't mean you aren't a super great person, it just means that I can only pick 365 (and probably less than that.. I know I'll forget some days or I won't have access to a computer). Maybe I'll repeat some people if I feel like it. The nice thing about this is that it's my project. I can do it how I want, and it's not a challenge, it's just something that takes five minutes and makes me happy. </div>
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I've been doing a lot of thinking (what else is there to do when you're sick besides sleep, watch videos on youtube and think?!) and I'm so happy I'm in Argentina. Even when I'm sick. Even when I'm homesick (which is usually only when I'm sick-sick). I couldn't imagine myself in any other country. It's my perfect fit. I love the accent of Spanish. I love taking siestas. I love the food. I love the weather. I love that school is so different. I love that it's not a huge country but it's so diverse: there are big cities, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, beaches, farms and salt flats. I love that life is generally slower here. I love that I can go clubbing and it's socially acceptable and I won't get in trouble. I love that everyday is different and exciting. In general it's not as mundane as my life in WI. </div>
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There really aren't things that I hate. There are things that are different and things that I miss, but nothing I hate. </div>
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Last weekend we hosted a young boy, Juan, from a different province. It was a mini basketball exchange. Juan stayed with our family for four days, and in November my host brother will go live with either Juan's family or one of Juan's teammates. My host brother's basketball club had activities set up and then they also played against each other. It was all very Argentine, I feel like something like this in the US wouldn't work as well, or people would be weary about having their young children live in someone else's house for four days. (It's different than a year long exchange.. I'm 16, not 9, and the families that I stay with have background checks). </div>
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Yesterday I went to a friend's house (mine.. not Cami's!) for the first time! Sad, I know, but it's hard making friends when there's a language barrier. School gets better everyday and I'm actually surprised with how much Spanish I know. I still have troubles, but it's been less than two months and I knew very little Spanish before hand, so give me a break. I can understand pretty much everything in normal conversation, people just need to slow it down a little for me. Teachers' lectures is another story. But I've gotten to the point where I know better Spanish than most of my classmates know English, so 95% of the time I speak in Spanish and they dumb down what the teachers say for me. </div>
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I was going to go clubbing with Cami last night but an hour before leaving I got sick. I was really looking forward to going with her, but she has her fiesta de egresados on Thursday and I'm going to that. Plus I still have 8 months to go clubbing! </div>
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So being sick sucks but I'm happy and I don't want to go home any time soon. </div>
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I miss and love you all. </div>
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Look out for a letter/message/skype date in the next year when it's your turn to receive something from me about how much I appreciate you ;) </div>
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Micah </div>
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<br />Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-77548261388651695492013-10-13T09:36:00.001-05:002013-10-13T09:41:20.624-05:00Clubbing and Campo and Cataratas, oh my!Life continues to be great!<br />
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On October 3rd I went clubbing for the first time! It was probably the strangest experience I've ever had, but definitely fun and I can't wait for the next time I can go. Each schools' seniors plan and throw a party at a club to celebrate that they're graduating and to raise money. Basically all teens in the area are invited, and the one that I went to there were over 6000 people in attendance. However this was the first one of the 'season' and it's one of the largest/most important secondary schools, so the others are typically smaller. There were people everywhere dancing, drinking, talking and smoking and you had to hold hands and form human chains with your friends anytime you went anywhere otherwise you wouldn't see them again for the rest of the night. The building was huge, but it was so crowded. We went to one of my host sister's friend's house before to hang out and then we all got into taxis and drove to the club. We arrived at the club around 12:30 and stayed until a little after 5 in the morning. Keep in mind this was a Thursday night.. and either 6000 students in the area would either be super tired at school in the morning, or they wouldn't show. But I didn't get to sleep (much) or go to school! My friend Leonie from Switzerland and her host mom picked me up at 8:30 and we drove 4 hours to el campo!<br />
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'El campo' basically means the country or farms. We stayed Friday- Monday on the farm that Leonie's host family owns. The land was absolutely beautiful and it was crazy to stand outside and do a 360 and not see a single other house or barn or tractor in the distance that didn't belong to them. They had dogs, chickens, sheep, cows and horses. It was all very similar to Wisconsin, except they had these:<br />
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A farm with palm trees!</div>
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It was a very relaxing weekend. I've never seen so many stars in my life! The sunsets were just as incredible! The food didn't always agree with Leonie and I so we drank a lot of tea, took quite a few siestas and watched movies. We also were our goofy selves and took tons of pictures and I even got to ride my first horse! I'm not sure if I liked it all that much- I guess I had higher expectations. In the movies it's always a rider who just hops right up with the wind blowing threw her hair as she's sprinting through a field or down a dirt road. In reality for me, it took a lot of effort to get up, the horse had a bad shoulder so we couldn't go very fast, it was kind of uncomfortable and I didn't know how to use the reins. Plus the horse kept stopping to eat various plants in the yard. I'm glad that I can add riding a horse to my reverse bucket list, but I don't think I'm really cut out to be a cowgirl. Oh well. All in all I had a great time, despite a flat tire on the way back and a few stomach aches from the (delicious, even if it did make me a little sick!) food. </div>
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If you notice the title: Clubbing and Campo and Cataratas, oh my! You'll notice that I've included the Cataratas as well. While this isn't something that I've done yet, 10 out of the 11 inbounds are going at the end of October/beginning on November. I've included it just because I'm so excited! As Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and we'll be on the trip on the 31st, I've convinced the other inbounds that we're going to celebrate it with costumes and candy and a scary movie. I think they're excited too- they've never celebrated a Halloween (even if it's not the same as dressing up and going door to door begging for candy). </div>
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I'm not going to tell you exactly what the trip is, because I want you to be surprised with the pictures when I get back. Stay tuned, and sometime in November you'll get to read stories and see pictures of the trip! </div>
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I'm so happy here. </div>
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Thank you to Rotary and my family and friends for this wonderful opportunity. </div>
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But before I post, here are some more pictures from my weekend on the farm: </div>
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Until next time!<br />
MicahMicah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-39413913680859923302013-09-25T13:06:00.002-05:002013-09-25T13:06:44.818-05:00Time FliesIt's been over a month already!<br />
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I apologize for not writing... crazy, exciting things have been happening. If I'm not blogging it's because 1) I haven't done anything exciting to blog about OR 2) I'm having such a wonderful time and I can never find time to blog about all the fun things I've been doing. Thankfully it's the latter!<br />
Before starting my exchange I read tons of blogs about other kids who went on exchange. A lot of them stopped blogging half-way through the year or they would only blog once every month or two. I had the best intentions of not being like them (and it's still not too late) but I have a feeling that as the year goes on blogging will definitely slip my mind. I'll try to keep you all informed on what I'm doing, but I'm always either at school, doing something fun, or sleeping because I'm exhausted from doing fun things (and Spanish- oh my gosh, it's exhausting. I loved to take naps in the US, but here it's almost mandatory to keep myself functioning. And Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn.. I can't imagine having to try to understand Arabic or Thai or Chinese all day long).<br />
I'm getting used to everything, even the things that would be totally bizarre for you, and used to be for me, are becoming normal (or at least I'm just getting used to expecting the unexpected).<br />
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I'm comfortable here. I love my host family and school, but school still continues to confuse me. If a teacher doesn't show, we don't have a sub, we just talk or listen to music. I still haven't figured out exactly when we have break... bells ring (randomly? I don't know.), kids randomly leave the classroom, even when a teacher does show we have at least one period a day where we do absolutely nothing, and then 2 or 3 times a week they'll have a test and I can't help but wonder how or when they got the material. I'm sure as I learn more Spanish I'll understand exactly what goes on, but it's already been 3 weeks in school and I feel completely useless. I take notes and try to participate as much as I can, but keep in mind I've never taken an accounting class, a law class, an organizational management class (I still don't know exactly what this class is), a politics class, or a geography class, let alone in Spanish. Yesterday I was told we didn't have school Thursday or Friday, but today I was told we do have school Friday, which is fine, it's just different.. in WDP we know at least a month in advance that we don't have school on a certain day, unless it's a snowday or something.<br />
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We had a Rotary conference about two weeks ago. It was tons of fun! There are 11 inbounds. We all speak either English, French or German and they're all so cool. I can't wait for the trips that are planned! Our first is in October- we're going to the Iguazu falls! Then the day after we get back from that trip 2 other inbounds from the US and I are going to Uruguay to get our visas renewed- all the others are getting them renewed in Brazil when we go to Iguazu, but because we're from the US we would need a visa to enter Brazil, and we don't need one to enter Uruguay. The conference wasn't as organized as they are in the US (nothing here really is), but that's one of the things I like about Argentina. This year already has taught me to relax more- I never know what's going on and I've learned to just follow what everyone else is doing.<br />
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I do feel like a child, though. I have to be told what to wear, because I never know what's appropriate, and the only way I understand what you're saying is if you speak to me like I'm 3. That and I have no idea how to get from one place to another, or how to use the microwave, or when it's appropriate to *insert action here* or say a certain thing. And I don't have as much independence here. One, because I'm an exchange student and thus I can't do certain things, but two because kids here don't always have tons of independence. All summer long I was used to waking up, being the only one home, making my own breakfast, driving somewhere to visit a friend, run an errand, or working. Here I'm rarely home alone, I rarely have to clean anything or make my own food, I can't drive (not that I would really want to- traffic is ridiculous here, and about 95% of the cars here are manual and I have no idea how to use a stick shift) and if I have to run errands it's with my host mom or host sister. A lot of families here have housekeepers that help clean, do laundry, and cook lunch, a stay home mom, or both (like my family) at least for part of the week, so a lot of children don't have to clean. It's also not common for teenagers to have jobs here.<br />
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Another thing that I like here is that siestas exist because night-time isn't just for sleeping, it's also for partying! I've been to a birthday party that started at 9 on a Monday night, and sleepovers are super common on school nights. This Sunday I'm planning on going clubbing (which I've been told most kids here start doing when they're 14) with my host sister and her friends and she told me that means that we won't sleep in between clubbing and going to school. That's what siestas are for. (But if I'm really tired my host parents said that I'm allowed one 'sick' day a month to stay home and sleep).<br />
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Aniyways, life is great! Plenty of things have happened that are worth telling you about, but if I go through what I've done everyday this month, this post would be 20 times as long.<br />
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I miss and love you all!<br />
Besos!<br />
Micah<br />
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<br />Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-63159835796364443172013-09-07T17:33:00.004-05:002013-09-07T17:33:44.830-05:00Escuela (2 semanas!)So this week was great, but the biggest and most exciting thing that happened was me starting school! Please note that while I'm mentioning differences between West De Pere and Sophia Bunge, in no way do I prefer one over the other. As an exchange student we're taught to say that things are different, not better or worse. Please don't get offended if it sounds like I'm degrading either school, as I'm only picking out differences to explain what school is like for me here in comparison to how it is in the United States. Please also know that this is just my experience, and my view on things.<br />
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I'm attending a large (large for Ituzaingo, small for WI standards) Catholic school in my town called Instituto Madre Sophia Bunge. I'm the only exchange student in my school, despite what I originally thought. I have a uniform, which I'll add a picture of eventually.The uniform is a plaid skirt, white polo, blue socks/tights and black shoes. For gym I have jogging pants, a red shirt, white tennis shoes and a track jacket. I actually enjoy it; it allows me to fit in a little bit more. However, everyone still knows me as the girl from the United States. All of the younger kids love saying hello and goodbye to me in English and sometimes they wave and blush if I look at them, which is super cute.<br />
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At school we have 2 different tracks- Sociales and Economía. I'm in the economics track, which means my classes are more business related. Currently I'm taking chemistry, English, micro and macro-economics, math, Spanish literature, politics and city, organizational management, history, law, accounting, a religion class, geography and gym. There are 19 other kids in my class, I think, with only 3 boys. I really like everyone, and they're super helpful with Spanish and translating/explaining what's going on. My Spanish skills are still very minimal, but I'm learning. I brought my yearbook from freshman year to show them, and they thought it was the coolest thing. They really enjoyed the Senior pictures and pictures from homecoming and prom. They thought it was hilarious when I told them I rode the school bus to school, and they kept saying 'this is just like in the movies!'. They were also jealous of the fact that we have school sports and lockers.<br />
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In the morning at my school we have a flag-raising ceremony, and a morning prayer. We all line up by grade level, I'm in the second to last grade. They say what I believe to be the Hail Mary and Our Father in Spanish. They also say something while the flag is being raised, but I don't know if it's religious or not. Then, one of the teachers or the headmaster says another prayer. I was included in the prayer on my second day at school and almost every person in the room turned and looked at me, it was so embarassing. My first day there, kids were super excited. I was kind of scared at some points, people were just flocking towards me. They handed me their phones to listen to various types of music, and asked whether or not I liked it. They also asked tons of questions, which was a little difficult because of the language barrier. I may have accidently told a girl I was personal friends with Justin Bieber. Oops. She freaked out, and I later had to explain to her that I thought she had asked if I knew who he was, not if I actually knew him. I think at first some of the younger kids kind of assumed I was famous because I was from the United States.<br />
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School is a lot different here. Security is higher.. in the morning to enter school grounds we have to be buzzed in, as the entire school is surrounded with gates and walls, and then we have to be buzzed in again to enter the actual school. The way class is taught is also different. We don't have electronics in the classroom that aid in teaching (other than lights, our cellphones and calculators, if you count that). But no iPads or netbooks or SmartBoards, like in WDP. If we want a copy of something, we have to pay for it. Textbooks are also the student's responsibility.. we can either buy one new or take another student's and make a copy of every page, but either way we have to pay. Teachers use the chalkboards and textbooks to teach, so many of the classes are lecture based. Classes also seem to be more relaxed, as we haven't gone over as much information in one week as we do in West De Pere. Teachers and students in general have closer relationships here than in the US. Because the kids sit in the same spot everyday, all day long (as teachers move rooms, not students), teachers expect the class to look the same way everyday. It was funny to see their faces as they scanned the classroom to see if everyone was present, when they noticed that I was there. Some teachers assumed I was just a transfer from another school so they would start speaking to me in rapid Spanish and all I could do is give a blank stare, say 'uhhhhh' and desperately look around the room for help. The language barrier is still the hardest part about being here. In stores, on the street, etc. people don't question whether I know Castellano because there definitely aren't any tourists in Ituzaingo, and foreigners are just about as rare as they are in De Pere.<br />
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My favorite class is math, as it's pretty universal and I've always just liked math. If I don't understand something my math teacher just shows me how to do it and I watch, we don't really ever have to talk. So far it's also kind of a repeat of what I learned last year, so it's nice to refresh and have something familiar. My least favorite class is English. I'm not a fan of the way it's taught, and if I'm going to participate, I feel like it should be to help the class, not because I need to prove to my English teacher I know English. If you need me to prove to you that I know English, I can definitely write a paragraph about my favorite movie like the rest of the class, but I find it a little over the top to make me buy/make copies of an English book so I can do the exercises and show to you I do know the difference between 'I walk to school' and 'I sleep to school'. Oh well. It is nice though as it's a break for my mind and I use it as a time to practice my Spanish, when I can.<br />
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Overall, I really like school here. I get bored, but that's only because I get sick of trying to understand what's going on. I know that once my language skills get better, school will be a lot more enjoyable as I'll be able to talk to the teachers and students more. I'm making friends (I think? haha), but as I'm still trying to get used to the language and my surroundings, I'm still not comfortable (and I don't think my host parents are either) with going out with only friends quite yet.<br />
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It's been a wonderful two weeks. There's been a few small ups and downs, but overall it's been pretty great. I still have many weeks left, and I'm sure the ups and downs will become more drastic, but I'm so excited that I'm in Argentina. Originally I thought it would hit me when I got on the plane or when I got here, but I still laugh at myself sometimes and have to tell myself that I'm in another country and that I'm here for an entire year. I don't think it's going to hit me until I leave Argentina, when I'll be sad to leave.<br />
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I love all of you, but homesickness still hasn't hit.<br />
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(But a shout out to Kaylee Beck in Africa! I definitely miss you, hermana.)<br />
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Until next week, maybe!<br />
<br />
Micah<br />
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<br />Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-44063407805422878832013-08-30T09:23:00.000-05:002013-08-30T09:23:12.867-05:00Una SemanaI'm in Argentina, and it's already been a week. I apologize if there are any spelling errors, my laptop broke, so I'm using my host family's, and their language setting is set in Spanish, so almost everything I write is shown as an error.<br />
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Life here so far is very great and super low-key. I haven't started school yet, so I sleep in, hang out with my host family, learn Spanish, and occasionally go places with my host family. Friends and family seem to be very important here, and we're almost always accompanied by them. Hopefully I'll start school next week.<br />
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This will be a very short post, I apologize, but I didn't journal much in the beginning of the week, and I honestly don't remember a lot of what has happened. It's all kind of smushing together and becoming a blur; I can't believe it's already been a week. I've been starting to write things down though, so next week I'll have more to post.<br />
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I wish I could say I missed all of you, but to be honest, I haven't had any feelings of homesickness yet. This is, however, already the longest I've ever been away from home, so we'll see. I do love all of you though, and this year will fly by fast if it's anything like the last week has been.<br />
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besos,<br />
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MicahMicah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-3685712618629772852013-08-20T23:12:00.000-05:002013-08-20T23:12:43.291-05:002 days!This is insane. I'm leaving in 2 days. It's definitely sinking in and saying goodbye is a combination of sorrow and joy, tears and laughter. I'm so happy to be given this opportunity, but at the same time, how do you say good bye to the life you've always known? Everything from here on out will be completely different. Different food and toilets and people and language and school and culture. I would like to say I'm ready and excited to take on this experience, but part of me is holding back. I've never completely been a free-spirited and adventurous girl. I stay pretty safe when it comes to trying new foods and doing new things, but I need to find a happy medium between being safe and living on the edge. I can skim the edge, but continue wearing a helmet and harness, and I'll be perfectly content. TWO DAYS. It's weird. I'm on a complete emotional roller coaster, as you could probably guess. Saying goodbye to friends, I'll be ecstatic that I'm leaving and excitedly talking about my coming adventures one moment, but the tears are streaming down my face the next. It's all so crazy, and I still have moments of disbelief. This has been what I have wanted for nearly two years. I'm going to be living with a host family in Argentina! I'll be going to school and learning Spanish and I'll see and try so many different things and meet so many new people.<br />
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I still have stuff to do. I have to work tomorrow, the day before I leave, which is a little insane, but it will help keep my mind occupied. I'm almost done packing, it's just the things I'm using like my laptop, purse, journal, toiletries, some clothes, etc. that I haven't been able to pack. I've already had to say good-bye to some friends and family, and that's been hard, but everything is slowly coming together as my departure date is rapidly approaching.<br />
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I leave at 11:45 am from Green Bay. From there I fly to Chicago, Miami and finally arrive in Buenos Aires at 6:15 am Friday, Argentine time, where I will be met by some members of my host family as well as possibly some friends and Rotarians.<br />
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My host family has told me repeatedly how excited they are to meet me, and I can definitely say the same to them. This will be such an amazing year, and although I have my doubts, I really can't wait for it to start.<br />
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I will miss everyone very much, and I want to thank everyone who has helped me get this far. Continue reading, I'll try to keep updating at least once a week while I'm in Argentina, but I'm not making any promises. I'll at least try once a month, it depends on how many crazy, fun experiences and things I'll have going on.<br /><br />Nos vemos,<br /><br />
MicahMicah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-41098868728542816072013-08-06T16:33:00.000-05:002013-08-07T10:52:07.403-05:00August already?!I can't believe it's August. Time has been so strange this past year- slow when I wanted it to go faster and fast when I wanted it to go slower. My exchange used to seem so far away, and it still hasn't hit me, completely. I'm leaving this month. THIS MONTH. At this point I think I will be leaving somewhere around the 24th, but I don't know anything for sure. My vaccinations are mostly complete, I just have to take some pills that vaccinate against Typhoid. I ordered a new camera and an adapter, I have my suitcases and most of the gifts that I'm going to bring. These next couple of weeks are just going to be saying good bye, packing and making sure everything is in order. It's weird that I'm getting ready to leave but I don't know when it is exactly that I'm leaving. I've started a packing list that I add to whenever I think of something else I should bring with me. I have no idea how I'll be able to fit everything in the luggage I'm allowed to bring, although I don't know what airline I'm flying with yet, so I don't know luggage restrictions.<br />
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At this point, I'm practicing my Spanish more and more (it still kinda really sucks) and I just can't wait to leave. It's so strange to think that in 3 weeks I will be in Argentina and won't be coming home for a year. I'm not going to be going to WDPHS, I'll be going to Instituto Madre Sofía Bunge. I won't have classes in English, I'll have classes in Spanish. I won't be living with my family, I'll be living with the Gonzalezes. I won't be hanging out with the friends I've known forever, I'll meet new ones. Instead of a boring, familiar and cold year in Wisconsin, I'll have a year of experiences and memories and sights and sounds and smells that aren't even remotely close to any of the ones my family or friends have had.<br />
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I just can't wait for this year to start. I'll keep everyone posted on my departure info.<br />
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Nos vemos!<br />
Micah<br />
<br />Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-90283520244728032082013-07-15T12:50:00.000-05:002013-07-16T18:57:51.772-05:00Grand Rapids This past weekend I went to the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange conference in Grand Rapids. There were about 1300 people overall- volunteers, parents, rebounds, inbounds, outbounds, and Rotarians. I met so many wonderful people and became a lot closer to the people I already did know. Here's an incomplete breakdown of what we did at this conference:<br />
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Thursday July 11th<br />
We had a long bus ride- left Green Bay at 7, arrived in Grand Rapids at 6 (Michigan time). Registered, ate dinner, checked into our rooms, missed our first meeting because we were late, and hung out with tons of exchange students. We were all out on the lawn in the middle of the campus and pretty much just running around looking for people who were from, going to, or back from our host country. It was nice to have conversations with people from all over the world; so many of these exchange students were such great ambassadors for their countries, and I learned about countries I didn't know much about before. Over the course of the weekend I met 1 girl from Argentina (besides Flor and Paz, the wonderful inbounds that I roomed with at the previous conference), 1 rebound back from Argentina, and 3 other girls going to Argentina. Out of the 3 other outbounds, 1 is leaving in August, and the other 2 are leaving in January and don't know where they're going yet. That night we also had a dance, which was so amazing. Exchange students are great dancers, it's a fact.<br />
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Friday July 12th<br />
I woke up early and because none of my roomates were up yet I decided to go to breakfast alone. I love that at this conference you can just sit down at a table and people will fill you into the conversation and you're instantly friends, there's no awkwardness about it. Throughout the course of the day we had various meetings, which were really helpful, but probably the highlight of the day was the opening ceremonies. This was the first time everyone was all in the same room (all 1300 of us filed into the auditorium), the outbounds carried in the flags, everyone was cheering, and the energy from this point to the end of the conference was just fantastic. We had some wonderful speakers throughout the conference, and they were great. On Friday night we had another dance which was so much fun, high energy, and there was great music. I'm not sad that I'm going to miss prom at all- dancing with exchange students is a thousand times better, plus we got to eat pizza and there was not nearly as much drama as there would be at prom.<br />
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Saturday/Sunday<br />
These days were by far the best, and I'm grouping them together because we didn't get any sleep and they really just blend together. We had meetings which were fun, but we also had a Brazil vs. the World soccer game- Brazil won, pin trading (where I completely ran out of pins, but got some really cool ones), a "Welcome Home to the Rebounds" ceremony, a variety show with some SERIOUS talent, a great dance, and then curfew was one on Saturday, but we all went to the basement and talked all night. At 5 Sunday morning we all came upstairs, watched the sunrise together and then played a game of beach volleyball, which was definitely hilarious. It was 6:30 in the morning, and literally none of us had slept in 24 hours, plus we're not really athletic to begin with, so it started out as volleyball but ended with 'let's just chuck the ball over the net and see how long we can hit it back and forth'. We had breakfast, packed the bus up and left. One of my favorite outbounds, Christy, couldn't ride the bus, so I was kind of a mess during breakfast, and it was hard saying goodbye. We all slept the first half, but after we stopped for lunch in St. Ignace, MI, the bus was a lot more awake. We realized that this would be the last time we see each other until Grand Rapids next year, or even after that. It's so weird to think that exactly a year from today not only will my exchange year be done, but so will next year's Grand Rapids conference. We'll all be near fluent in another language, have tons of new friends and memories, and have changed for the better.<br />
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I'll be leaving somewhere around a month. That means I have less than 5 weeks in the United States to finish getting ready. I feel like I'm in between right now- Grand Rapids is over and now I'm just anxiously waiting for Argentina. I'm so confused; my emotions are being pulled in all different directions- I love the people I've met, as I feel like I've known them all my life, and I can't wait to meet more, but there are people I've actually known all my life who I'm going to miss. There's a world of unknowns, which is why I'm scared and excited and nervous and anxious and happy and sad and confused. It's only a year, but so much will change. I feel like it's all starting to feel real. The emotion that continues to overpower everything is excitement!<br />
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I'm just SO EXCITED.<br />
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Here's a picture from the conference with some of the most amazing people ever. I really wish I had a picture of all of the outbounds, as they're all so great, but here's 5 of the 24. Photo credit to the wonderful Sarah Bauer.<br />
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Hopefully the next time I'm writing it will be to tell you when I'm leaving!</div>
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I love you all, </div>
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Micah</div>
Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-63388608137372533312013-07-05T23:38:00.004-05:002013-07-06T08:51:59.695-05:00Another UpdateI can't believe I'll be leaving in less than one and a half months. It's so surreal, but at the same time I'm so excited, and I can't wait for this summer to be over.<br />
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I've added a girl on facebook from Switzerland who will be in the next town over in Argentina. We've been talking a lot and both can't wait to arrive! We'll only be a few miles away from each other, and there are some other students that will be in the area, and my town, as well. The girl from Switzerland is arriving in Buenos Aires on the 16th, so I think I'll leave somewhere around that time, too.<br />
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To be honest, having a tourist visa is so much easier at this point. I didn't have to fill out a million things and have them notarized or have an Apostille attached. I only needed to send in a copy of my passport, a permission form, and then Rotary will send in my host guarantee form. When this is approved by the government, I will be able to plan my flight and eventually leave! Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that everything is smooth-sailing from here on out.<br />
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On July 8th I have to give a presentation to my local Rotary club as a practice for the one that I have to give in Argentina. The only difference with this one is that it will be in English and I'll be getting advice from the Rotarians to help make it better for the real one that I will eventually have to give in Spanish. Because the purpose of Rotary exchange is partly to be an 'ambassador' of your country, the presentation is just about the United States, Wisconsin, and De Pere, as well as life in it. It'll mostly be pictures, and I'll (hopefully!) be able to block the misconceptions that many people from around the world have about the United States. When I get back from Argentina, I'll do the opposite- I'll give the De Pere Rotary club a presentation about life in Argentina.<br />
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Also coming up is the wonderful and much-anticipated Central States Rotary conference in Grand Rapids! It will be the last time to see all of the Outbounds from Wisconsin before we're dispersed off all around the globe. We'll also have the chance to meet many other kids going to or from our host countries. Overall there will be around 1500 past, present and future exchange students. I promise I'll take lots of pictures!<br />
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Another major thing that happened recently was saying goodbye to my sister, Kaylee. She is in Malawi, Africa now with the Peace Corps doing some wonderful things. It was really hard because my exchange year will be sandwiched right in between her two years, and it will be strange not having her there when I leave or there when I get back. I miss her so much, but I hope she's having the time of her life and learning a lot.<br />
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I don't know if you've noticed, but the title of my blog is "Exchange isn't a year in your life, but your life in a year". This is the (unofficial?) Rotary Youth Exchange motto. So many great things will happen this year, and I can't wait to experience them. Yes, I'm scared. Yes, it will be hard. But I know that I have loving friends and family back home who will be there to help support me and send me letters. I've only been on a plane twice (to Washington D.C. and back), I've never left the country, I've never been away for more than a week, I don't know Spanish, I'm going to be living with people I'm never met, in a country that I didn't know much about until a few months ago, and I'm not the most outgoing person ever. This sounds crazy, and yes, I might be a little insane, but this next year will be one of the absolutely best years of my life. Everything that is normal and familiar will be stripped away from me, and I'll learn so much about myself and the world. And while I will be back in De Pere in about a year's time, I will have very limited opportunities to travel back to Argentina, let alone get up and leave for a year to travel somewhere new. While I do hope this year begins a lifetime of travel and new things, there are so many unknowns. I hate to be morbid and cliche, but nobody knows how long they're going to live. All of those overused quotes are right: we have to live like we're dying, living everyday to the fullest. While I know some people are perfectly happy staying where they are, I don't like that there are about 196 countries I've never been to, or that there are more than 7 billion people I've never met. De Pere is great, it really is, but sometimes I think it's holding me back. This year, it won't.Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-71078593580508024442013-06-07T10:55:00.005-05:002013-07-16T19:04:07.009-05:00Update<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They had some trouble getting my visa, so I won't be getting a student visa, instead I'll have to get a tourist's visa and travel out of the country every 90 days to get it renewed. I'll have to pay a fee each time, but the Rotary in Argentina helps plan the trips. While this is a little inconvenient, at least I'll be able to travel out of the country! </span><br />
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I've been in contact more with my host family, and I can't wait to actually meet them. We're planning on skyping soon, but before that I need to work on my Spanish. My goal is to practice Spanish for an hour a day everyday this summer. My host sister does speak English really well, but obviously the point is for me to learn Spanish. </span><br />
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Here's a picture of my host family: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My host father, Amadeo, my host sister, Camila, my host brother, Thiago, and my host mother, Claudia. </span><br />
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The only person I haven't had contact with is Thiago. He's my friend on facebook, but apparently he's too shy to talk to me. </span><br />
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Everything is slowly coming together!<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; white-space: nowrap;">¡Adiós!</span></span><br />
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Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-35361416179800586612013-05-28T21:01:00.001-05:002013-06-07T13:08:59.491-05:00Ituzaingó, Buenos Aires, Argentina<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My host sister, who is a year older than me, and mother added me on Facebook today and we talked for quite a while! <span style="line-height: 16px;">I also have a host father and brother, who is 8. They seem like they are almost as excited to have me as I am to live with them! I will be their first exchange student. </span> They are very nice people and, thankfully, my host sister, Camila, speaks quite a bit of English, so that will help with the first few weeks while I'm adjusting to living in Ituzaing<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">ó! It's so exciting, and I'm glad it's becoming so real. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">This is where I'll be living. It is approximately 30 km. away from the capital, Buenos Aires. Ituzaingó has a population of over 100,000 so it will be exciting to be in a city larger than De Pere that is also very close to a city of 3 million. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">I don't know where I will be attending school yet, and there is a lot of information I don't know, but I will continue to document everything on this blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Nos vemos!</span></span><br />
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Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732083353355763649.post-16951333778104618112013-03-29T12:05:00.000-05:002013-06-07T13:09:19.258-05:00Bienvenidos!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome! I will be spending my junior year of high school abroad in Argentina! I am anxiously awaiting the day when I find out what district or city I will be living in, as well as who my first host family is, and where I will be attending school. I will most likely be staying with 3 host families, but that can depend on who is willing to host, and for how long. I've decided to keep a blog to keep friends, family, and Rotarians up to date on my adventures, as well as to inform future outbounds! When I was first interested in going abroad, I found that other students' blogs were extremely helpful and reading about their adventures and experiences definitely made me want to go abroad even more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I called the De Pere Rotary Club the day after Thanksgiving in 2011 to ask them about the RYE program. My sister was planning her study abroad trip to France at the time (you can read about her adventures <a href="http://kayleebeck.wordpress.com/">here</a>) and she suggested that I look into a high school program. As I was looking into high school exchange programs, Rotary stood out because it was low cost in comparison to other programs, and all of the information I found was extremely positive. The De Pere Rotary club hasn't sent a student in a while, so they're slowly learning just as I am, but I am extremely thankful that they have given me this opportunity. So here's a big THANK YOU to the De Pere Rotary Club! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I called in November 2011, I completed a preliminary application. Then, I was called in for an interview in the summer of 2012 and a little while later I was told I was accepted into the program! Our first conference was in October 2012 during my birthday weekend. At that conference I met all of the other outbounds and some inbounds. We had a culture fair, group bonding activities, went to sessions for more information on the program, and got information on the official 20-ish page application. The application was due in November, and then we had to wait until the day when we found our country placements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found on January 26th that I would be going to Argentina. It was my first choice out of a list of 42 countries. When I was given the list of countries in October to order from 1 to 42, I was extremely overwhelmed, as they all sounded like great options. I resorted to picking out of a hat and tweaking the results a little. I'm not entirely sure why I put Argentina as my first option, but the more I learn about the country, the more excited I am to go, and I know that for whatever reason, I'm meant to spend a year there. I'm so excited! If you start a conversation with me about me going abroad, it takes all my will power to stop going on and on about it... I understand that I'm WAY more excited about this than a lot of people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a conference about a month ago and it was a blast. I love exchange students so much, and I can't wait to be one. I shared a room with two wonderful inbounds from Argentina as well as another wonderful outbound who is going to Turkey. The two girls from Argentina definitely taught me a lot and now I can't stop thinking about what my life will be like in a little over 5 months! At this conference we broke off into geographical sections to talk about what our country/continent is like and a little about what to expect. We also broke off into groups to talk about gender-specific things (tampons, dating, etc.), had a 'talent show', and on Sunday I was awarded with my snazzy Rotary Youth Exchange blazer after I spoke a few sentences of Spanish in front of 150ish people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago I gave a presentation to my local Rotary club. I was a little nervous, but surprisingly it went really well! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm also currently working on the outbound project that is due in May.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have another (parent free!) conference in July in Grand Rapids for all of the Central States, so there will be a ton of past, present, and future exchange students milling about. I'm so excited! We'll have a long bus ride there, but it will be with some of the best people ever! I don't know when I leave yet, but it will most likely be in August.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel like I'm leaving out a lot of information, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I love, love, love to talk to people about my exchange (mainly because it's the only thing I ever think about anymore)! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hasta luego, amigos!</span></div>
Micah Beckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01754107416821278259noreply@blogger.com0