Happy Holidays!

Hello Everyone! I hope all had a very Merry Christmas and are getting ready for a happy and prosperous New Year! I know it's been way too long since my last post. I always find myself sit down to write and then get distracted...it's pretty easy to do when you have a whole new country to be exploring! Like last post, everything continues to be going great. It goes without saying that I've been a little homesick over the holidays but, of course, I was expecting that. However, that definitely doesn't mean my holiday season hasn't been good. My mom sent me a box that I received the week before Christmas with a Santa hat, some candy canes, five packs of gum, sugar cookie ingredients and frosting, cookie cutters, and a letter. That was really fun to be able to bring that tradition to my family and make sugar cookies with my cousins. They really enjoyed that activity and thought they were absolutely delicious. A few days later, I received a box from my Grandma and Grandpa Harmon with a 2 lb. bag of Reeses, 2 lb. bag of Sour Patch Kids, a pin for my host mom, two ornaments for the Christmas tree (it needed some...bad), and a letter. My friends and family have been absolutely fascinated by all the sweets sent and various people have recently promised me that they'll send me dulce de leche if I send them American candies when I get home. I celebrated Christmas by going out to dinner with my host dad, his girlfriend, and my two siblings late Christmas eve. We went to this huge buffet that pretty much had every type of food you could imagine: asado, seafood, sushi, asian, salad bar, etc. Obviously there aren't many gifts here because of the financial status but my host dad and his girlfriend gave me a jar of dulce de leche :) Then, after dinner, we went to the my host grandma's house (Nuki's mother) where that part of the family was. I opened two gifts: an Argentinian flag and a little bathroom bag with a caramel inside. On Christmas Eve, my host siblings and the older host cousins went out to go dancing but I decided to come home and pass the night with my younger cousins, aunts and uncles, and the grandparents. On the 25, we slept in until 12 or so and then left for the Aunt's house 40 km. outside of the city to spend the day. It's nice to go there when we're going to be together for for than a few hours just because it's more spread out and there's more space-like the cabin or ranch. We ate lots, swam in the pool, walked to the river to go swimming, and played some cards. For New Years, we will probably meet up on the 31st at the grandma's house to eat and chat for awhile. Then, at 7 am on the morning of the 1st, my cousins and I are planning on walking to my aunt's house. It is 40 kilometers away and we are estimatiing 6 to 7 hours of walking. Lots of water and sunscreen will be used that day for this girl!! I'll have to let you guys know how that goes :) These last few days I've just been hanging around. I really don't have much time left so my excuse that I have plenty more time to buy things here doesn't work too well anymore! I went to the Paseo de los Artes (artisan street market) with my host sister and I've met up with a few friends in the center to do some shopping and to eat lunch or dinner. Sometimes, I just go for a walk for a few hours on a main big street close to my house where I often find a few things I like and sit down to eat at some cute little cafe :) A few days, I've met up with friends from either school or AFS to go to a park and share some mates and chat...that's something I'm going to miss when I come home. It's been so so hot here. The 24th was 104, the 25th sbout 95, and the 26th 103....I seriously don't think it's dropped below 85 or 90 the entire past week and 75 in the night. That will be a nice welcome to Montana come January 17th...wooh. Speaking of which, January 17th is only 19 days away. And January 13, when I leave my friends, family, and new home is even sooner-15 days. That's two weeks and one day, so so crazy. I'm trying to use every last day that I have here to it's fullest and enjoy every last second I spend here in Cordoba, Alright, chau amigos (bye friends) Hasta luego (until later)...nos vemos pronto (muy muy pronto) (see you all soon (very very soon)!!! <3 Kerri

 Eating at cafe downtown

 Spending day in park with Anna (Germany)

 Christmas day with cousins in pool

 Went on a walk to abandoned airport tower

 Mili (17), Ber (20), Fernanda (19), Coco (19), Emi (14)

 Beautiful view of Carlos Paz

 Continued walk down to the lake

 Taking some group photos along the way

 Gangsters

 We misjudged how far we had to walk (waiting for parents to come in cars)

 MT Christmas cookies

 Decorating sugar cookies with host sister and cousins

 USA, MT, ARG cookies

 Santa's workshop

Contents of Gma's package

Summer Update

Hello all! Sorry that it's been so long since my last update. I've been doing really great...pretty much just living the life in Argentina on summer vacation! I usually go to bed a little late and wake up a little late, as one cousin claimed "Kerri, you've become nocturnal, I swear!!" I'd say the weather here is just a tad different than the US, it's usually in the mid 90s during the day with a good thunderstorm in the afternoon. At night, it doesn't cool off too much so I sleep in shorts and a tanktop with the fan on full blast and no sheets...and I still wake up in the middle of the night pretty much panting and sweating. I told my parents that if I were at my house with people that I would feel comfortable disrupting when they're asleep, I would take a shower probably 5 times a night to cool off! As the same cousin stated, "It doesn't cool off too much during YOUR night, Ker. Maybe if you slept at nighttime, it might be a little more comfortable!" But, as uncomfortable as this may all sound, everything is going amazingly amazing. During the day, I go out with my friends downtown to shop, eat an ice cream, lay in the sun on the roof and drink terere, or simply meet up in a park to relax and talk. Oh, and of course, don't forget the midday siestas wherever they may happen (on the roof, in the theater, etc.) At night, we go out dancing, meet up to eat pizza, go to the movies, or go on the roof and watch the stars...like I said, it really is the life. This past weekend, I went to an AFS camp in a little town about a hour away from Cordoba. There were about twenty of us and we all met up at the terminal to take a bus there. Our camp was like a little camping site with various cabins full of bunk beds, a dining room, and a big pool. Guess what?! I killed a scorpion!! I was standing in my room changing into my swimsuit and all of the sudden this little thing comes scurrying by my feet. Obviously, I've never seen a scorpion before but when it lifted up it's tail thing (the pincher), I knew what it was!!...so I stomped on it:) The AFS director confirmed it was a scorpion but said they had never seen them at the camp but not to be scared...even though all the girls were absolutely freaking out. My host mom said that you have to be careful of them here in the summer, especially in wet places like the bathroom. I'll be keeping my eye out!! Anyways, it was so so hot both days but also very very fun. At first, I was not very happy that we had to go at 7:30 in the morning and stay overnight but I'm so happy that we went. It was the last camp we'll have together here in Cordoba before the kids who leave in January go home so it was really nice to all be together this last time. We did some really great activities, played in the pool, laid out to watch the stars, etc. but the thing that made it the most special was simply being with the friends that I have made over the past 4 1/2 months. It's so hard to explain-my friendship with these 20 other AFS exchange students. It's almost like these kids who go on exchange all have so much in common-who knows? maybe that's what made them all go in the first place. We're all so similar, we just fall right into place like we've known each other our entire lives. It's the moments like when I'm laying out in the grass with my best friends from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and the US that I'm really going to remember and miss in a few months, years, decades...it's these moments that make me so scared to leave. Now that's a whole other topic...my departure. We'll leave that for another post...my bipolarness, my yearning desire to see my friends, family, home and my growing fear to abandon the life, family, and friends that I have formed here over the past few months...I don't expect many to understand, but it's how it is-it's how everyone said it would be. Anyways, hope life is going as good in the States as it is here! I love you all lots and will see you soon...only a little over a month!! -Kerri

 My best friend from Germany, Anna, and I after playing with some paint :)

 Franci Sinatra from Italy (I call her Frank Sinatra) and I 

 Anna and I again

 Fun with paint!!

 Silvia from Italy and I

 My best friends from Italy and I

 Friends from school (Mili, Faten, and Juli) and I

 Kids who leave in January with our certificates

 Drinking terere and suckers on a hot day

 Terere on the roof with school friends

 AFS Cordoba Girls-I love them!

 Frank Sinatra and I

The entire AFS Cordoba group!

Remainder of Trip

11/21 21:30- Today was another very fun and exciting day...but also very physically tiring! We were awoken at 7:30 to get ready and shower and were instructed to meet in the breakfast room at 8. The same food was served for breakfast today but I am very content with it as it is the best breakfast I've had since being in Argentina: watermelon, melon, juice, yogurt, medialunas, and cereal. We loaded the bus at 8:30 to depart on a few hour ride to the river where we were going white-water rafting. Upon arrival, we got off only to load some of these heavy duty van type buses to drive to our launch site. We headed up a narrow, curvy, washed out, and steep road where following the river upstream. As it was a hot, humid, not windy summer day us smart ones applied loooots of sunscreen and bug spray (those who didn't had a great punishment waiting for them). Those who wanted a wetsuit were given one, obviously not Annalea and I, the two Montana girls who have both swam in much colder water in Montana. We were all fitted with lifejackets, given an oar, and split up into groups of six plus one guide. The ride was absolutely amazing. There were 9 rapids, the first 7 being Class II and the last 2 being class III. The scenery was absolutely fabulous and the weather was perfect. When we arrived back to our withdrawal site, some of the guides had stayed back to cook asado while we were rafting. We ate a good lunch of choripan (bratwurst) and chips. Then, about five of us (3 being American girls) decided we were going to swim in the mountain lake that the river dumps into (Cabra Corral). It was sooo warm and I swear it was like the Dead Sea. I could float when I was actually trying to sink-so crazy. On the ride back to the hotel, pretty much everyone slept the entire time and, right upon arrival, everyone bolted for the shower. A few minutes ago, we got back from dinner at an empanada/steak restaurant that was really great. Our night still is not finished. At 22:30 we will go to my first "Pena" which is like a dinner spot with live folklore music and a dancefloor but we won't eat dinner, at least as I understand it. Hope break is going good. Love you all.

11/22 21:30- Right now, we are half way through a 24 hour bus ride. I swear that when I go home driving to Chester or Missoula is going to be nothing. We woke up at 7 this morning and loaded our bags and everything onto the bus, ate breakfast at the hotel, and got on our way. Since then, we have been on the bus. Everyone slept for the first few hours but then kids started singing, dancing, playing music, playing cards, etc. Us Americans on the other hand had gone to the supermarket last night and bought EVERY American brand of food we could find. Needless to say, they were all junk food like Lays, Pringles, Oreos, Skittles, M and M's, Hubba Bubba, Sprite, Fruit Loops, and Trix. We poured everyone sprite and did a toast where everyone said what they were thankful for. I said something to the point of "I am thankful for the amazing friends and family that I have both here in Argentina and back home in the States. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have been provided with to come to Argentina and for the opportunity to travel in the country on this trip. I am so happy to be here with all of you sharing a day as special as this. Although it may be the weirdest and most untraditional Thanksgiving that I have every participated in, it will be one that I know I will never forget for as long as I live." I'll just say I'm glad I brought my toothbrush on the bus so I could brush my teeth after eating all that healthy healthy food. Right now, we are in Resistencia where we started the trip as a half-way point. Some kids are only doing the first part and some only the second part to Iguazu. When we load back up, we will head to dinner, then we have another 12 hours on the bus to arrive in Puerto Iguazu, the town near Iguazu Falls in the northeast of the country. Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!

11/23 22:45-Hello all, we made it to Puerto Iguazu this morning right before lunch. On our way, we stopped in the town of Wanda and visited this place where they dig for semiprecious stones. It was really interesting and pretty to see but a little bit downgraded as we had a pretty inexperienced guide and it was pouring the entire time, but still cool. After lunch, we had some time to settle into our cabins (I'm rooming with 2 American girls and 2 Japanese girls) and then these awesome safari type trucks with no sides came to pick us up. Let me explain, in Puerto Iguazu it rains aaaaaaaall the time, the roads are dirt, and the soil is like bright red so pretty much everything is just like muddy mud mud. We drove through the middle of the Amazon rainforest for about 20 minutes on this really muddy road slipping back and forth the whole time...it was like a rollercoaster ride! But then, the fun stopped when our truck got stuck. We waited a few minutes and then another truck came and picked my group us. We arrived at this trailhead where they fitted these holster type cables around our legs and stomachs to do the zip-line and rapel. Then, we had to hike a few kilometers and we arrived at the top of this 15 or so meter waterfall. One at a time, we went to the edge and our cable was hooked onto this rope that went down to another guy who was at the bottom. We were instructed to jump. After jumping, you come back to the waterfall and kind of push off as you climb down a rope. For those of you that have rock climbed, it's like being holstered down after you reach the top. The whole entire time, you're in this waterfall and tons of water is falling over your head. You end up in a pool lake thing at the end where you can swim until the others are done. FUNNEST THING EVER!!!!!!! I insist that my family tries this sometime. Then, we took another hike to the zip-line activity. Pretty standard zip-line but very fun! Once again, this would never happen in the US as one simply has a pair of heavy gloves and reaches behind them on the cable to stop themselves. It was very high over the jungle canopy, the view was great, and it lasted for a long time. There were five different cables, I think. Those two activities were so so fabulous, I could do them over and over. Came back to the hotel for dinner here and headed to bed for a long day in the sun at Iguazu National Park tomorrow.

11/24 23:00-I am still in awe. This post will not even come close to doing justice for how beautiful Iguazu waterfalls are. It's just something that you have to experience for yourself. We woke up, ate breakfast at the hotel, and drove in the bus to the Iguazu National Park Entrance. Obviously, this is a very touristy attraction so all signs have English translations and all guides are required to translate what they say into English. The entire day was spent in the sun walking to and from different viewpoints but I swear that I could spend weeks admiring the falls. Not only the sight of sooooo much water pouring over, but the sound of this amount of water is so loud it's unbelievable. We ate lunch at a restaurant in the park and, in the afternoon, we did a really fabulous activity where we took boats on the river where the falls are. It was called the "Gran Aventura" or "Great Adventure". During the excursion, we actually go undeeer where the waterfalls are various times and everyone gets soaking wet! I even got to touch Brazil and Paraguay...!!!! I can't even try to explain what I saw today anymore...Pictures and videos will come soon. Returned to the hotel. Ate dinner and headed to bed after a very long and hot day. Love to all!