Monday, June 8

Today was our first full day in Argentina, and it was great! We woke up to some light rain, so my exchange brother Joaquin and I took the bus to the school. We met in a room with the rest of the 5th year students and the exchange students, before grabbing a snack. Today we got to tour the city, so we got on a bus with a guide before driving around. We drove past many important monuments and buildings, such as la casa rosada and el obelisco, before stopping in the neighborhood of boca. Boca is famous for its colorfully painted homes and soccer stadium, nicknamed “la bombonera”, which we enjoyed visiting. We also stopped in the neighborhood of San Telmo, and had some incredible empanadas. After taking the bus back to school, I walked home with Joaquin. We spent the afternoon playing an Argentine card game called truco. A few hours ago, we left home for la Iglesia de San Nicolas, where many of the students meet for Youth Group. The leaders of the meeting, mostly college students, performed a skit and gave a lecture on the mass before bringing us into small groups. I really enjoyed listening to my group mates’ answers and trying to answer the questions myself. After some time for prayer, we headed home and had Milanesa, a type of breaded beef, before hanging out in Joaquin’s room. We learned a lot today, and I think it was a great way to start the trip.

-Will