I started at my new school. It's much smaller than the one I went to when I first got here. I don't know if it's just that I understand everything now, but I like my new school more. At my old school, the teachers rarely acknowledged me but at this school, they all talk to me. At my new school I stay in the same room all day with the same twenty or so students and the teachers come to us. This is how pretty much all schools are in Argentina.
The first day wasn't as hard as my first day of school in august. Now I have the spanish language and much practice in friend making. It also helps being an exchange student. None of my new classmates said anything to me until the teacher introduced me as the USA kid here on exchange. Then the questions. They're always the same and usually come in the same order. "What team do you support? What state are you from? Why Argentina? ... "
I'm coming home a lot earlier than expected. Instead of July 20th, I'm now coming home around May 25th. I gave a lot of thought to the idea of coming home early for graduation. I came to the conclusion that in 5, 10, 20 years I wouldn't remember missing six or seven weeks off the end of forty eight in Argentina, but I would remember missing my graduation forever.
Now that I'm leaving in two months and not four, all homesickness is gone because I feel like I'll be home in a little while anyways. I can remember being here in the first week looking at 11 months here and now I can already see the finish line. I'm starting to see things differently. When I left home thirty one weeks ago I knew I would be coming back. I don't have a set return date to Argentina. I don't know when I'll be back, and because of this even the simplest things like riding the bus through farm lands to soccer practice become sentimental. When it comes time to leave in May I will be saying goodbye to a life that I never imagined I could make for myself.
Last week I got news that I will be going to Kalamazoo College. Having your dad open the letter and tell you over facebook chat isn't exactly typical, but I was thrilled regardless. Now, after I close my Argentina chapter in May and my Roeper chapter in June I'll have a new chapter to write in August. It's a great feeling being happy with where your life is going.
