Overwhelmed/Abrumada

Ready to hear it: I give up.

Not because I'm homesick or ready to come back to the United States. I just need some REST.

Travel and vacation are two very different things. Vacation denotes relaxation, enjoying some time off. Travel is the opposite: very enjoyable, but because you're not relaxing and exploring an area. Ending our 10 weeks of international travel, myself and my three roommates are vigorously trying to return to our favorite places in the city, see things we have not, buy gifts and oh yeah...take final exams and write two 8-page papers in Spanish for the 12-credit hour semester called this summer. Any empathy here?

I want everyone to one day experience accommodating the travel, shopping and dinner desires of four girls in a country that they all may not have the opportunity to return to. That's why study abroad is what it is. Because you're not just on a pre-paid vacation or communicating in another language, you're learning to grow up, be independent and deal with real life situations. Make fun of me all you want, but you have to plan a little bit. Life isn't always spontaneous. Making an agenda has been vital, saving city commute time--especially with buses and the Subway/Subte system--is a huge component and the decision to go out or cook dinner is equally important.

You could want to go to three different places that are each just 5 kilometers apart--~3 miles--and have to save an hour for the commute to each one. Even with phenomenal Buenos Aires transportation options, finding the bus stop or Subte entrance, getting on and finding the next place can take that long. In a suburb with a car, this could take 5 minutes. It's definitely taught me what it's like to live in a downtown area and why this life does not suit everyone.

Despite the overwhelmed feelings, this past week has been phenomenal. Since getting back from Mendoza, I can honestly say we have probably visited or attended at least three tourist attractions each day. Just today, I was given the contact information of three porteños throughout town who said we "hablan muy bien castellano," speak Argentine Spanish really well, and want to "charlar un poco," or hang out. When? I don't know. But imagine me, my pictures, my blogging, my homework...falling behind. I get home and want to write about how awesome my day just was, how I met the ambassador to the Embassy, all these things...but just fall asleep. Wake up the next day, repeat.

I've never realized the importance of REST. We had an hour today before leaving for the opera after getting back from the Embassy, and I didn't want to do anything. Not even email, Facebook, getting my laundry, etc. I just wanted to SIT HERE and do nothing. I don't feel like this very often. I guess living and traveling every last bit of one of the world's largest cities does this to you.

So basically, cut me some slack this last week. I'll continue to run through Buenos Aires like a maniac, rush through my few days at home trying to pack and catch up with all of my friends like a maniac, then what do you know, back at school. The GRE...so much. So much going on, so much to look forward to and most of all...so much to appreciate now.