When did you leave for Argentina?
I left in the end of February and arrived in Buenos Aires a few days later with the exchange group from around the world, then got to my host family March 1st.

When did you come home?
The very end of August.

When were you supposed to come home?
I was originally going to be gone for a year, where I would get back at the end of January.

What did you originally expect out of the experience?
My main goal for going to Argentina was to really immerse myself in the culture and become part of a different family. I wanted to become fluent in Spanish, make friends, become accustomed to the “argentine” way of life, and make a kind of new life for myself for a year.

Where you expectations fulfilled?
I became pretty good at Spanish, and towards the end I did make friends, but it was a million times harder than I expected it to be. I don’t really feel like I completely became accustomed to the culture, and the whole experience was definitely more difficult than it was fun or rewarding for me.

What were the most important things you learned there?

I really realized how lucky I was to live in the US. And I became a lot more moneyconscious – many of my friends lived in what here we would call poverty. I also realized how much the little things count; one night we were dressing up to go out and my friend didn’t own any tights, so I bought her some and she was so unbelievably grateful because she could never have afforded them herself.

Why did you come home early?
Well, the area I was living in was pretty dangerous. It was near a villa which is like a ghetto, and I didn’t feel safe going outside alone even during the day. Also because I was in the 5th and last year of high school, and in Argentina that year is pretty much an opportunity for the kids to be as rowdy as possible. So I really learned nothing in school and I missed Community a lot. I did have the opportunity to switch families, but I would have felt awful telling my host family that, and the program I was going through in Argentina was really unorganized and it would have taken months for me to be able to switch.

Crime was a problem. What was the worst situation you were put in?
I came into lots of close encounters with being robbed, all just in my neighborhood. The scariest for me was when I was alone walking at around 8pm back to the house and a guy rode up on a bike behind me and demanded my cell phone. I just froze and had no idea what to do until I saw another kid running so I ran back to the house and made it inside. The very worst situation was on my birthday, when my host family, my best friend and I were walking to a restaurant a couple of blocks from my house. My host sister, my friend Sarah and I were walking a block ahead of my host mom, dad and brother, when this guy on a motorcycle pulled up into a driveway ahead of us. My host sister was talking on her cell phone, and the three of us started to back away when he got off the motorcycle and yelled for her to give him her cell phone. Then he held up a gun and pointed it at each of us still saying for us to give him our phones.

I didn’t even have my phone with me, and my host sister started sprinting in the other direction so Sarah and I followed. He got back on his motorcycle and was about to follow us until he saw my host dad a block away, then he left. On the way back from dinner we saw him again with a friend.

Do you have a new perspective on life since you’ve been back?  If so, what is it?
I wouldn’t say I have a completely new perspective on life, but I do think about some things differently. Like I am more aware of others and I don’t take things for granted that I would have before. It was amazing how the littlest things could make people happy when I was in Argentina. I think it’s a great quality to have and I’m trying to do that myself.

Would you consider participating in a study abroad program again?
I would definitely do a study abroad program again. I don’t think I would ever do it again with a host family, but I’m excited to go with a group in college.

Do you regret going to Argentina?
I have no regrets about going to Argentina. If I had known what it would be like, I’m positive I wouldn’t have gone. But because it was an enormous shock, I learned more than I think I would have if I’d had a perfect experience.