Time flying by

Just popping in to say hello. There's still so much to write about, but I'll keep it short. In a few hours I'm leaving to take a 16-hour bus ride to Iguazu Falls by myself. While I can see how some people might think this is a little sad, I'm super excited about it. Plus I hope it will be somwehat rejuvenating. The time left here in Buenos Aires is short, but it's a pretty stressful time right now with finals and other things.

Yesterday I received some very sad news. My Spanish professor Ana, who is this warm, incredible woman, and was pregnant basically through this whole semester, recently got sick and was forced to deliver her baby three months early. The baby passed away on Tuesday and they told our class on Thursday, yesterday. It was a strange experience because of the deep sadness that we all felt for our professor combined with the formal classroom atmosphere. I don't think they really knew what to do with us, a room of students crying or lost in thought with a staff person and our new teacher that we just met who had delivered such news. It was one of the first times in Argentina that I didn't feel I could just fudge my way through the Spanish to get across what I really wanted to say. I guess I'm not sure what the right words are in English either. We wrote her letters and I can only hope that I expressed even close to what she deserved to hear.

So anyway, haven't gone on any big adventures lately, but this week is definitely going to be an unforgettable part of my Buenos Aires experience. If it's your style, please pray for Ana.

Ben tells me that I always sound like I just won the lottery in my blog, so sorry to break the pattern a little. If I could add a cultural comment for study-abroad-blog purposes, it would be that Argentines love to hug and kiss. The kisses they give you when you're sad are different than the ones they give you to say hello and goodbye. Comfort kisses involve a tight hug, tend come in groups of two or three and are usually close to your ear.

Muchos besos,
Sarah