After a painfully busy and difficult junior year, I was ready to escape the exhausting life of SAT prep, rigorous classes, familiar faces, monotonous schedules and the bubble that we call Calabasas. So, this summer I took the opportunity to travel to the “Paris of Latin America,” Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a four-week Spanish immersion program, and found my trip to be one of the most eye-opening and culturally enhancing experiences I have ever had.
I learned many unique customs, the first of which was the salutation. In Argentina, handshakes are nonexistent. Argentines greet everyone with a kiss on the cheek, and are basically nocturnal. Dinner is around 9 or10 p.m. and is followed by a siesta (for all you gringos, siesta means nap). The nightlife begins at about 1 a.m. and ends at 6 or 7 a.m. This curfew probably seems outrageous for Calabasians, as our nightlife ends at about10 p.m. Since the locals were friendly and welcoming, my group was able to make conversation with people anywhere. I also really admired how bold and direct the Argentines were with their feelings, unlike the ambiguity of American youth. I do not believe I met a single person who was not completely genuine.
My trip did not only provide smiles and great things to make me appreciate world cultures but also some experiences that made me carry myself a bit differently in public. First, I was pick-pocketed in a busy flea market. Later in my trip, I witnessed what I now consider to be the most traumatic scene of my life. One evening on the subway, our car stopped in its tracks and we were informed a few minutes later that someone had jumped in front of our subway car to commit suicide. My American group and I were in complete shock, to say the least. Meanwhile, the rest of the people on the subway managed to remain calm and quiet, as if this were an ordinary event. These experiences showed me that although awful things happen, dealing with them maturely and moving forward to put them behind us is essential.
After this summer, I have defined myself as someone who hopes to leave SoCal and the U.S. altogether for extended periods of time in order to become familiar with the many cultures the world has to offer. I conclude with my new catch phrase: I wish I were Latin American.
