This office gif describes my life perfectly right now.

I'm not going to lie, today has been rough for the most part. I don't know what it is about travel but today my mind has been in a total chaos.

I've said all my goodbyes, and none of them were easy. Especially having to leave Phillip. That was not easy. While I'm on my way to Buenos Aires he is packing up and headed to Colorado to begin his new job and start a new journey. Even though I'm not at all worried about the stability of our relationship, it still is really crappy to be in a separate hemisphere from my boyfriend. I'm just as excited for him to be in Colorado as he is for me to be in Argentina, but our goodbye today was not fun.

Phillip & I sporting our Harvard t-shirts

Even now as I sit waiting for my flight it's still hard to visualize myself in another country. It'll probably be months until all my dogs hairs aren't all over my things. I don't yet feel gone but I feel farther away. Perhaps I'll never feel gone I'll just always feel farther away from home. I know at first I'll forget the sadness I feel at the moment. I'll be distracted by all the treats the city has to offer and meeting Graciela and Rachel. After two weeks I'll miss home and Phillip again.

The majority of the first year of mine and Phil's relationship has been a long distance one (From Dallas to A&M). In that time Phillip and I learned something crucial for the survival of a long distance relationship: independence. While I loved and enjoyed my summer with my partner in crime, Phillip and I are about to enter a very fruitful time in our relationship. When we are apart or together Phillip always is there to aid me in my personal development, and I am there to do the same for him. We work on ourselves to be better for each other (and sometimes it's not the easiest thing to do haha). All the development we went through together over the summer we will now have the chance to use on our own as our paths part for a short period of time. I think it's beautiful thing to see how together we always are even when we are physically apart.

Today he gave me a really sentimental card. Here is an excerpt from the poem on the front of it:

"It is so hard to be away from you... When we're apart like this, life seems, somehow, out of balance, and I go through each day feeling like the sun has hidden behind a cloud. I can hardly wait until you are back and I can hold you close in my arms. Until then, know that I love you and miss you with all my heart"

picture collage of the card I got him

Inside the card he wrote a beautiful message telling me how happy for me he was and how proud of me he was. I'm so lucky to have such a supportive person in my life.

I'm going to miss you Texas. I'm going to miss the States.

Argentina... I'm coming for you! I hope you're ready for me, I have so much to learn. My heart is going to be a bit achy for the time being, but I know you'll treat me well Argentina. Let's make the best of this.

Estoy lista para este aventura!

Last minute details...

So outside of my Study Abroad trip... My baby sister finally moved into college yesterday! I'm so excited for her to begin this new journey. College so far has not gone as I planned but it has been worth the adventure. Priscy! There is no way for you to really prepare for what is ahead, but take a deep breath. You are going to have  the time of your life. College is the first time you really learn about yourself as an individual and I cannot wait to see how much you will grow. Be thoughtful/mindful with all your decisions, I say that out of older sister duty not because I don't think you'll make it. Never ever walk around campus alone at night (you better carry around your pepper spray at ALL TIMES), and our Mom/Aunts will tell you if you gain any weight freshman year.  My best piece of advice to you is more so a reminder: Your world has grown much, much larger than Coppell, TX. Keep that in mind as you meet new people and gain new experiences. I love you Pris, and you're going to do just fine. I'm a skype call and FB message away if you need me this semester. (p.s. thanks for helping me with blog pics yesterday!)

                                  __________________________________________

Her leaving for school only makes my trip that much closer as I plan to leave the country tomorrow. Let me take you through my last minute preparations...

Packing/Avoiding Thievery

I am so proud to say that for once in my life, I have not over-packed. YAY ME! In fact when choosing what to wear to Argentina I kinda just threw some clothes in my brand-new, and totally adorable suitcase, and then closed it up to see if it could all fit just thrown in. Last night I packed it pretty and have plenty left over space in there because you know I'm going to be shopping in Buenos. I've already prepared a mini list of things I want to buy when I get there (present for Phillip, something leather, ankle-boots with a heel).

I bought this adorable suit case from TJ Maxx for about $70 USD, and my favorite thing about it is that it can roll on all 4 wheels and the case itself only weighs 5.14 lbs. alone. This is really important when considering flying because airlines charge you for the weight of items. If you can get a suit case that is pretty light it means you can stuff more things to haul around with you - a girl's dream come true! Inside of my suit case I'm packing my Victoria's Secret weekender bag I got while I worked my summer at VS. My roommate (Rachel) and I both are wanting to do weekend excursions, so a weekend bag will be better so I can bring less for those smaller trips. Then in the top right corner is my new backpack from Target (on sale for $20 USD) will be used as my only carry on.

Buenos Aires (and really anywhere else in the world that isn't the United States) is very infamous for the small and petty theft. Most of the crime in Buenos Aires is really just "crime of opportunity". Either the people stealing and scamming on the streets do it professionally (aka basically that’s how they make money) or because a tourist gave an alert local an opportunity. For this reason I am not bringing any handbags to B.A. due to the fact many thieves will cut into the bags in the city. My Tia gave me a special money belt to wear inside of my clothes so I could safely travel the city. I've also bought a couple locks, for my suitcase and backpack. My logic is that if a thief sees a lock on my backpack he/she would much rather find someone else too dumb to not put one on that take the time/trouble scamming me to break into mine.

Argentine Fashion

Speaking of packing to Argentina, I'm so excited to see and adopt Argentine fashion! I've been slowly shopping for clothes that would be suitable to this trip and I'm so excited to wear it all in this beautiful city! Here are some outfits I tried on while packing I wanted to show off prematurely! (Did I mention I got a hair cut?)

Cozy for both cold and wet weather!

Outfits to roam around the city!

Night out!

Sexual Assault in Argentina

I know some laws in Argentina… but I don't know all of them. The reason this realization just came into my mind is because I carry pepper spray I around with me everywhere here in the States. If you don't, then you should. No matter your gender or age, because you never know when someone out there is willing to do something bad to you.

It didn't even cross my mind until I was talking to my boyfriend's father that it may not even be legal for me to carry pepper spray in B.A. or if sexual assault was even considered a crime here. Unfortunately I know it's almost too common for other countries in the world to suppress women, was Argentina one of them?

I was describing to Mr. Curry how adamant men can be anywhere in Latin America when it comes to the pursuit of a pretty lady. Lone female travelers will often wear a fake wedding ring to try and ward of pursuers. I laughed when I saw this because I know Latin American men enough to know that a ring wont them (they think they can still score even if there is a keeper… this is the effect of a country dominated by soccer haha). Phillip never likes hearing this when I talk about it but it’s a reality he knows he has to face. And more reason I know Phillip would love for me to have my pepper spray. It was in this conversation that Mr. Curry pointed out that:

1.  I may not even be able to carry pepper spray in B.A. and
2.  Sexual assault may not even be considered a crime in Argentina.

Thankfully Argentina know's what's up. November 19th as recognized as the National Day Against the Abuse of Children and Adolescents. Under this same law it is listed that "Under Article 119 of the Penal Code, a person of either sex that sexually abuses a member of either sex can be jailed for 6 months to 4 years if the victim is under the age of 13 or if the crime was violent, accompanied by a threat or by intimidation of authority or power. In the case of grave damage due to sexual abuse, the penalty can be of 4 to 10 years of jail time. In the case of intercourse, the penalty will be of 6 to 15 years of jail time." [Source here.]

[And Argentina's current President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was the first woman President to be elected in Argentina.]

I searched high and low for an answer to the pepper spray question… I never got a direct one. SO I'M PACKING IT ANYWAYS. Worse they'll do is throw it out at the airport. I value my life enough to bring it anyways, because in some cases it can be the difference between life and death.

__________________________________________

So from packing, to fashion, and my last minute freak out about sexual assault; I am now only a day away from my trip abroad!!! I better get ready for the goodbyes!

con mucho carino y mucho amor,

Julietta

What I want from Argentina...

My roommate found me on facebook! 

Not too many Julietta's out there in the world, lucky for her. I've really enjoyed getting to know her over facebook messaging. I can already tell we have a lot in common. How you ask? Well, I can see from the questions she asks that Rachel is not a surface-level gal. I can't wait to meet her face to face August 29th.

A couple days ago she asked me how I was feeling (our study abroad being a week away) and what I was seeking to gain from our study abroad experience. & this was my reply:

Honestly every day I flip flop. One moment I'm excited and the next I'm terrified beyond belief. As far as what I want to get out of my experience... Honestly? I don't really have any grand expectations. I don't mean that to come off in a bad way because I do really admire Buenos Aires and Argentina. 

But I don't have this picture in my head of what it's exactly going to be like. My mind is open and I'm ready to just see what B.A. has to offer me when I get there. I want to be a sponge and kind of just soak it all in while I have the privilege to experience it. I' m ready to see how it'll shape me in my personal development. 

This unconventional philosophy of mine is that if you're comfortable you're not growing. And that in order to grow you have to be a at least little uncomfortable. I'm ready to be uncomfortable, and I'm ready to soak it all in.

Skyline of Buenos Aires -- Isn't it just breath taking?!

Thanks to A&M I really do feel like I'm prepared for my experience as far as my knowledge of Buenos Aires from paper. Here are some things I do want to do while I'm there:

• Get a job 
• so I can talk/meet more locals
• Go to a vineyard
• B.A. is one of the biggest wine exports in the world. There is such an abundance of wine in B.A. that it is literally cheaper than water. I've never been to a vineyard and visiting one has been a dream
• Visit Patagonia
• I mean… come on. I don’t even need to explain that one... And if you think I do type "Patagonia" into Google images and you'll understand.

Those are just a few things on the top of my priority list, I'm looking forward to getting experience much, much more. 5 more days until I board that plane!

con todo mi carino y amor,

Julietta

How to Contact Me

6 days away! Holy crap! (except lets be honest, I'm not thinking the word crap). I'm really going to miss being home, so I wanted to let anyone who wanted to know how to contact me, a way to be able to contact me.

Here are the following ways you can contact me while I'm in Argentina:

You can always just send me a message or write on my wall. I can't promise I'll get back to you asap, but it's a way to get a hold of me.

Basically whenever my laptop is on and has access to WiFi, I'll be logged into skype. Having family abroad even when I'm in the States has fueled my love/hate relationship with skype. Send me and fb message/email and I'll tell you my skype ID.

Have you ever had a cyber pen-pal? I have. It's only for the coolest kids. Jk, let's be honest, only old people use email. But, Hey! In the event you want a cyber pen-pal, I'm right here. My blog is connected to my google account, email address there.

Here is the description from the app store: "WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia and yes, those phones can all message each other! Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends. " 

That means if we already have each other's cell phone #, you can download WhatsApp and we can text whenever I have access to WiFi. My favorite part about it is the emoji feature, I have an android phone so any time I can get the chance to use those wonderful little caricatures I get frighteningly giddy about it.

Only naturally could you expect me to keep this treat of an app. If you don't follow me and want to my user name is meoquerida

Hired!

As some of you may know, I had the opportunity to intern for an incredible company this summer called TEKsystems.

For a little bit about TEK...
TEKsystems is an IT staffing and services company, ranked #1 in the industry by IT Services Business Report for 11 consecutive years. This year they celebrate 30 years of success as a flagship company of Allegis Group and as a $6.4 billion enterprise with positive annual growth since its founding. They have over 109 offices across the United States and Canada, and are contiunuing to expand thier market globablly as well.

So I interned in their Dallas office this summer and by the end of week one I knew in my gut that this was a place where I wanted to begin my career. I love the competitiveness of sales, but the plus with TEK is that everyone is on the same team. The culture at TEK is so unique that it truly feels like working with family. Not only was I developed in a business aspect but personally as well.

A dream of mine I've had is to move out of state when I graduate. I'm one of those people who believes if you're comfortable you're not growing, and it's necessary to make yourself a little uncomfortable to grow. That's why I wanted to move out of state. I reached out to my wonderful internal recruiter, Emily, and begged her to get me out to Denver, Colorado to interview with TEK there.

Thanks to TEKsystems, I was flown out and given a hotel room so I could introduce myself to Denver and interview with the team here. As I walked through the doors for my interview I was welcomed to the same TEK I knew so well in Dallas. After my interview and spending my half day, I recieved an offer from TEK to come on full time with them in Denver when I graduate May 2014.

Did I accept?

WELL NO DUH IT'S IN COLORADO Y'ALL.
All jokes aside, I was more than happy to accept my position as a technical recruiter/sales trainee with TEksystems. I am so excited to be back here in a year working for the company I love in a state I love with the man I love. As someone who stresses out way too much about school it is a relief to know that everything will be okay and I don't have to struggle with the anxieties of not having a job after graduation.


I know this post is not study abroad related, but it is definitley an important milestone of my life I wanted to share with you all.

Con todo mi carino y amor,
Julietta

Mi Nueva Familia

YAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT A HOST FAMILY!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know, I've been waiting (and waiting) to find out where I would be staying during my study abroad in Buenos Aires. Today I checked my email to find out that I received my housing assignment. There is still a lot I don’t know about it, but it's nice to have some information than none at all.

I'm going to be staying in an apartment home with one other student from my program, and all I know is that her name is Rachel. Unfortunately her last name is pretty common, so no success when it came to looking her up on facebook (Don't judge me, you've done it before too). I'm excited to get to meet her, see why she decided to study abroad, and hopefully we can help each other learn more spanish. I'm sure she's also just as excited to be immersed into Argentine culture as much as any other student going to study abroad.

One of the cool things CEA (my study abroad host program) gave me was a brief bio on my family along with my future address. So you can only imagine the first thing I did was plug my new address in and try my best to "street view" on Google maps. Unfortunately I cant see my exact address but I can see the two ends of the block of the street I'll live on and it looks beautiful.

My host mom is Graciela and she is a psychologist. She has two kids (a boy and a girl) who don't live with her, hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet my host siblings. I was so excited to have a name I just kept saying it to myself over again, "Graciela, Grrrrraciela, Gracielllaaaa". Her name is beautiful, and I'm sure her heart will be just as beautiful. I have so many questions I want to ask her!

Getting my housing assignment makes me that much more grateful that I already speak Spanish fluently. They'll help me more with my Spanish and hopefully even help me with my writing. It excites me that my host mom is a psychologist because I can only imagine all the knowledge she can pass down to me and my roommate. I can’t wait to have her help us discover the beautiful city of Buenos Aires from a native's perspective. Only 2 more weeks until my wonderful adventure begins!

con todo mi cariño y un fuerte abrazo,
Julietta

The Paris of South America

Wow. Let me start off by saying I still can’t believe I’m spending a semester in Buenos Aires. Never in my life would I have ever imagined I would have this incredible, life-changing experience.

I guess this adventure started September 2012. I remember entering my advisors office to catch up and view my graduation plan. I entered A&M Summer 2011 through a program called “Gateway” as part of the 2015 graduating class. So when I came into her office I thought she and I had at least 5 more semesters of my academic career to plan. After taking in my credits from AP classes/Dual credit in high school, gateway, and then from a language exemption test, my advisor laughed when I said my projected graduation date was May 2015. There & then I found out I was so far ahead I could’ve graduated December 2013. 2 ½ years of school was not long enough. So we settled my study abroad trip would take place Fall 2013 and I would graduate a year early May 2014.

So how did you choose Argentina?

I guess Argentina chose me. At first, I wanted to go to Brazil. I knew I’d be able to use all of my financial aid to pay for the trip, but when A&M found out I had citizenship in Brazil I wasn’t allowed to go because it classified Brazil as a “country of origin” even though it really isn’t.

I had a good friend who was going to Argentina, and he really inspired my decision to go there. Watching him make his country profile book for Argentina, it got me more excited about this unique country in Latin America.

Argentina is the world’s 8th largest country, and possesses some of the world’s tallest mountains, expansive deserts, jaw-dropping waterfalls, a diverse geography, and of course Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is the Capitol of Argentina. Buenos Aires is well known for its neoclassical architecture, café culture, and a general European vibe. This has granted B.A. to be nicknamed “the Paris of South America”. Of course there are tango salons, clothing boutiques, and a huge Latin culinary focus available to mark the overall Argentine presence in Buenos Aires.

For 15 weeks, I will get to call this vibrant metropolis home.

con todo mi cariño y un fuerte abrazo,

Julietta

First Post- Coming Soon!