Abbey
Eureka Springs to Argentina

 Now, when I look back at what I knew when I arrived (which basically consisted of the colors and the alphabet!), I am amazed at how far I've come.  Today, I have the knowledge to get myself around this city, carry on conversations, and take care of myself. Still, I feel as if my vocabulary could be much wider, and that will be my main focus during the coming months.


  From November 24th - December 15th, I was travelling through Patagonia with 45 other exchange students on our Southern Tour. It was absolutely
the trip of my life. I saw the strangest combination of wildlife, and found myself in landscapes that I thought only existed on the Discovery Channel. Penguins, mighty glaciers, whales, snow-capped mountains, wild
llamas and emus, vast desert and the bluest lakes I have ever seen....

It was awesome. The best part of it all was that I was able to experience it with such a wonderful group of young people. I never imagined that a group of 45 students could become so close to each other
in just 3 weeks time. Though we were all so different, each from different parts of the world, we all had a great connection as exchange students and by the end of the trip could pratically finish each other's sentences. I cannot tell you how big of an impression that trip has made on me, and how grateful I am to have had such an opportunity.

  I spent Christmas in Buenos Aires with my host family. It was very nice and very different than an Arkansas Christmas, of course. Fireworks, "Papa Noel", and tons of sweets made a very joyful holiday.  A few days
after Christmas I travelled by bus to the Atlantic coast to spend New Year's with another exchange student (from Belgium) and her host family. They welcomed me into their home as if I was one of their own, and we
spent the few days that I was there horseback riding through the pine forests and beaches, playing in the waves, watching more fireworks, eating Argentina's best ice cream, and laughing constantly. I watched
the first 2007 sun rise over the beach of Pinamar. It was a great trip!

  Recently I switched into my second host family. So far they are very kind, and I am just easing into my new home to find out how their lives function. This takes time. My parent's names are Silvia and Jorge
Bursztyn. They have a daughter in her mid 20's who is already married and living out of the house, a son in his early 20's who lives with us, and a younger daughter who is 15, who left for the U.S. on the 19th of
January for a short term exchange (1 month). I believe that I will be living here until their daughter returns from her exchange.

This month, my father and my brother came to visit me from Arkansas. They were here for two weeks though my Rotary club here in Buenos Aires arranged it so that I was only allowed to spend a limited time with them.
It was a very good visit. My host family prepared an Asado (The Argentine BBQ), and welcomed them in that friendly Argentine way. I showed them around the city, and we visited many touristy places that I had not yet had the chance to visit myself. It was an interesting experience to have them suddenly step into my world, to have the opportunity to show them where I am here, who I am here. It gave me a better perspective of how
much I have changed, and the knowledge I've gained.


  Next month, I will be going on the Northern tour of Argentina. Our  departure date is the 10th of February and we will be on the road for 23 days. We will be visiting places such as Mendoza, Salta, Jujuy, and
Iguazu Falls. I cannot wait to travel more.. It amazes me that before I came I knew so little about this country. It is an incredible place!   You've gotta see this!

Since I have been here in Argentina, seeing so many new things with my own eyes and meeting people from all over the world, I have a new and anxious desire to travel all over the globe. Now I am scratching my brain trying to figure out how I can possibly do it all!