Argentina is a wonderful place to visit the stunning architecture, sidewalk stores, cafes, and crowded streets.
Over the summer, Greater Latrobe seniors Alexis McMicheal, Rachel Limani, and Mattea McIntyre spent two weeks abroad in Argentina to extend learning and career readiness. They were excited to bring along Spanish knowledge to expand on experiences.
In school, all are actively part of AP Spanish and Spanish National Honor Society. Alexis is the president of the Spanish club, while Mattea is the vice president. In 10th grade, the girls created relationships by sending letters to Spanish-speaking pen pals out of their own will.
During the school year, they took leadership by joining FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School) which taught Spanish in GLSD elementary schools 1-2 times per month. “We would teach little kids Spanish and prepare lesson plans in preparation. Our lesson plans were always interactive and the kids loved it!” Rachel added.
As a kid, Alexis was always interested in Spanish, so she started learning at a very young age. “When I was little, I had a strong passion for speaking Spanish, so I started playing Duolingo for fun,” Alexis remarked.
In 7th grade, she really took off with her Spanish and has enjoyed the opportunities every day has brought her.
When the opportunity arose for the chance to go abroad, this piqued the interest of all three girls. “While researching abroad programs Arcos Learning Abroad was the best possibility for the cost,” Alexis said.
Many days leading up to the trip were spent studying and reviewing knowledge. “I spent many hours and late nights studying so that I could be as prepared as possible,” said Rachel.
While abroad, they stayed with a Spanish-speaking host mom in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. “Buenos Aires is known for its architecture and various sidewalk stores/cafes. The city’s locals refer to it as the “Paris of South America,” Mattea expressed.
During the two weeks, the girls had two additional roommates, Felix and Kate. Kate is from New Hampshire while Felix is from Texas. Their host mom, Muchi, was a very kind lady and loved to chat. “Muchi reminded me of a cool grandma. She had many stories to share and spoiled us with delicious homemade food,” Mattea added.
Alexis was shocked when the fall-like weather she was expecting was actually cold, winter weather. “Argentina, since it is in the southern hemisphere, has opposite seasons as the U.S. To stay warm we used plug-in heaters were used to heat up the rooms,”
In the program, 15 students were also a part of the Academy of Buenos Aires in Plaza de Mayo. Their classes lasted four hours per day. To get to school, public transportation is popular; everyone utilizes the crowded subways.
After school, the remainder of the day was filled with cultural excursions. One of the days involved learning to make empanadas. An empanada is similar to a baked pierogi with meat inside. Alexis expressed she had fun making empanadas and hopes she can recreate the dish for her family.
On multiple days, evenings were spent at the Mate Club learning how to make herbal tea. In Argentina, a mate is a cup usually made from a dried gourd. The gourd is filled with hot water and dried tea leaves. To drink, people use a straw with small holes called a bombilla that filter leaves from entering the straw.
In the Mate Club, everyone would talk for 15 minutes in English and then for 15 minutes in Spanish while drinking their tea. The girls chose to talk to Argentinian natives to broaden their vocabulary and strengthen their Spanish.
On another day, the excursion included riding horses with gauchos. A gaucho is commonly known as the traditional cowboy. On horseback, everyone enjoyed seeing new sights and exploring new territory outside the city. The gaucho ride looked like Pennsylvania. It was the only place to explore with fields and lots of land. The cowboys were dressed as if they were from an old-time movie,” said Rachel.
Eating times were different there. Everyone woke up at 7:00 AM and had breakfast at 8-8:30. Every day they had variations of tea or coffee, and a baguette with butter or marmalade.
Lunch was at 2:00 PM. Outdoor dining was available on the school roof where blinis were a popular item. Blinis are similar to green pancakes with spinach and cheese.
A big transition was having dinner at 10:00 PM. In Argentina, consuming beef and different kinds of meat is ingrained in the country’s culture. “Asado” is a term that describes the method of barbecuing meat in South America. Other common dinner foods included burgers and pizza. “For dinner one night, I got a meat sampler and the three of us tried each meat comparing which ones were our favorites,” Rachel added.
Each girl took something away from the experience. “My biggest takeaway was to not be afraid to sound stupid or that you are saying the wrong thing. Everyone knows that you are there to learn, so if you show that you are trying your best, locals are supportive,” Alexis stated.
“While in an Uber driving home to our host mom, the car was filled with awkward silence. After a few moments, I decided to create a conversation and it turns out that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. We ended up having a nice conversation and I learned a lot from him. I recognized in myself that it’s okay to sound dumb because chances are anything I face, I can handle.”
Throughout their journey, many new experiences and memories will stay with them forever. Important lessons included never being afraid to take chances and to find new ways of living.
“I learned a new way of living. Life in Argentina is relaxed and laid back. Social life is an important aspect in Argentina. Meals last long for a chance for people to have long conversations and exchange stories. It was like everyone was family in a close-knit group, ” said Rachel.
The economic system in Argentina is always changing. “I’ve never been the best with money, but over the two weeks, I learned a lot about economics. I only had to exchange money once. 100 US dollars lasted me the entirety of the trip. The money was used to go out to eat, go on excursions, fill my subway card, and even buy some souvenirs. I managed my money well and made it go a long way. Argentina was very affordable and offered a high-quality lifestyle.” remarked Mattea.
After high school, Alexis, Rachel, and Mattea plan on majoring in Spanish. All are interested in teaching English to Spanish students or volunteering to teach underprivileged children in Spanish-speaking countries.
In addition, Alexis also dreams of going into government and her Spanish background will prove beneficial in her career. They are all excited to travel more to have an abundance of experiences.
Maybe someday, Alexis will be the host mom for curious abroad students wanting to expand their Spanish knowledge and experiences.
