Halfway!

  I always seem to start my posts off in the same manner, but what can I say? It's what I get to thinking about when I go to write...how fast everything is flying by. People always said that the time will fly before my eyes but I never believed it, especially the first few weeks I was here and it seemed like January would never come. Now look at it...I departed on my adventure on August 22nd with little idea what was ahead of me. I arrived in Cordoba on August 26th overwhelmed by my new surroundings. Now on 4 November, I have been away from what I've known my whole life for 74 days. I have 74 days left until I will return home as well. Every day that passes, my feelings confuse me even more. I know that doesn't make sense to anyone reading this back in the states but my fellow exchangers know what I'm talking about. Every day, I am reminded of my longing for my family, friends, and home. However, every day I dread more and more the day that I'll leave the place that I can now call my second home, the amazing people I have met here, and so much more. I swear exchange students are some of the most bi-polar people around; one second we want home, and the next we never want to leave. But that's what it's all about-the experience.
  It is 5:30 on Sunday 4 November. I'm trying to figure everything out about the new time differences resulting from Daylight Savings Time in the US. Now, I am four hours ahead of Montana. This week I just went to school, the gym, etc...pretty normal. On Monday morning, Mili and I woke up at 7 to go to a visiting Museum of Natural Science with Nuki and her science class. Then, Monday evening I went to yet another English institution to visit with some students. They always ask the same questions, but I still enjoy it. It's so interesting talking to them. Yesterday, two of my cousins, Mili, and I went to an event called "Global Village". It was in a huge building and there were different stands for almost every country in the world with artifacts, pictures, flags, etc. from the country. Each stand had at least one citizen from the country. Also, there were workshops for four different languages including English, workshops for dances from around the world, and food for sale from different countries. I really enjoyed it. Before going to the United States stand, I saw a black man (there are lots of morachos who look like islanders here but NO black people) who looked in his early 20s and he was wearing long basketball shirts, a t-shirt, tall Nike socks, Jordan tennis shoes, and a Miami Heat hat on backwards...no doubt that he was from the US. It's amazing I could tell so easily just from the clothes he was wearing. We got to talking and it turns out he just arrived four days ago and is a psychologist from Washington who just signed a contract to play professional basketball in Cordoba for a year. He said it was so amazing to hear another American talk as he knows absolutely no Spanish. He asked me where I was from and I said Montana and he went to ask "Whitefish, Missoula, what city"...I was amazed he was familiar with it. It turns out he lived in Whitefish for a few years and his best friend was starting point guard for Carroll for four years...SUCH a small world. Then, last night was my cousin's birthday party. Some of the cousins (what the Harmon family would call "elders" and a few "middlers") got together at her house for a few hours. All the others except one cousin and me went out to go dancing at a disco but I was pretty tired so just decided to come home. I slept in this morning and this afternoon Mili, Pedro, and I went to an asado at their dad's house. It was soooooooooooo good. There was all types of meat like pork, beef, chorizo sausage, and even cow intestines; salads; bread; and a chocolate ice cream dessert. Everyone else in the house right now is sleeping a siesta for a few hours. Tonight, we have the family birthday party for the cousin where we'll go to the grandma's house and eat a big dinner...then school this week.
  I am so excited to leave for my trip on  Saturday, 17 November. I already bought the bus ticket and everything and I'm all ready. Except I still have to pack, but everyone knows that will be done the night before or the morning of :) I was told of a few activities that we'll do while on the trip. The first is that we will go for a hike. The second is that we will go white-water rafting. And the third is an excursion in Iguazu Jungle which consists of a bridge tour in the trees, a zip-line tour, and rappelling over a waterfall. I'm sure my mom is so happy she signed the Activity Waiver saying I could do all of these...right, Mom? The 1st and 2nd of December we have a camping trip with AFS but I don't have much information on that. One month left of school and then summer vacation!! I know that we will spend Christmas with Nuki's family at my aunt's house in Zikiman which has a pool and New Year's with the dad's family. It's getting very very hot here. Usually, it is about 90 or 95 degrees and humid during the day and it's not even summer time. Also, there are lots and lots of mosquitoes but no bug spray. I don't know why they don't use it. Instead, they just spray Raid everywhere.
  My Spanish continues to improve and I have been told by lots of people that I am lots better than when I arrived. I can understand pretty much everything but it's still a little harder to talk. At least I can have some conversation with people! School is going good...still pretty basic but I think that's just how the education system is here. I attend all of my 14 classes but only take tests and get grades in 5 of them: math, English, Catholicism, mediation (problem solving), and psychology. My English teacher absolutely loves me. Sometimes she doesn't give me an assignment because she doesn't want the kids to cheat off of me and will instead just give me a 10 or an 100 in the  American system. Also, she invited me to go camping with her some weekend...She likes to be able to practice her English!
  Well, that's about all I have to say about how life is going for this girl...Just living it up in Argentina and taking advantage of the little time I have left. Hope all is going well with everyone. See you all in 74 days! Love from the southern hemisphere, Kerri