Today was the last day we had to spend time with our exchange partners. The week had been incredibly exhausting for me, so my partner let me sleep and rest till 12. After I got up, we ate empanadas that Juan, Rochi’s dad, made for us the day before while we talked about today likely being the last day I eat empanadas. After we finished, I played Brawl Stars with Rochi’s younger brother, Tiago, and went to change to get ready for the day.
A couple of friends and I decided to have a last-minute get-together in Puerto Madero (a neighborhood in Buenos Aires) for food. This group included both CA students and their partners. Although it was my third time coming to El Puente de La Mujer, it was still an amazing experience. We chose to eat at a place called “La Panera Rosa”. The restaurant had seating both indoors and outdoors and had adorable pink decorations. The tables and seats all had a ballet pink theme and there were many flowers, trees, and herbs scattered around the restaurant. I ordered a Nutella crepe that I was craving from the trip we had to the Boca neighborhood, and a pink smoothie. The others had coffee and a nice fruit platter. Other than a bird, who was on the tree above our table, pooping on my phone, it was super fun to catch up with this group of friends before we left Argentina.
Our group then split up, with some going home while the rest of us went to Maneiro, a small shopping area. We first went to a jewelry store to look for earrings that I could buy for my mom. I think I got better with my Spanish throughout this trip; however, it was still stressful to talk to the worker. I tried my best and after we all finished buying our items, we went to another jewelry store. Rochi wanted to buy me a gift and we settled on a cute ear attachment that goes around the outside of your ear. It was a beautiful gift that I put on right after we bought it. It is the most unique piece of jewelry I have now, and it will always remind me of Rochi and my time here. After shopping, we walked around the shopping area, and I bought some spiced candied nuts from a street vendor. It was similar to something I had at home, but it was still delicious.
Rochi, her mom, and I left the shopping mall around 7:30 and drove to the party. We got there extremely early but while we waited, we helped set up a few of the tables. For me, the party started a little slow at first as people were trickling in, but after everyone arrived, the party was extremely fun. The music was super low and sometimes I could feel it in my chest. We played a few games and soon formed a circle to hit balloons at each other. Near the middle of the party, the DJ started playing nostalgic music that we all knew, and it made us go crazy. Dancing to the music was extremely fun and felt more exciting than the times we had at CA. Finally, we celebrated Guada and Mati’s 16th birthdays with cake and ended with everyone grabbing small polaroids of them and their partners throughout the trip. It was a super sweet moment for me and my partner even though we hadn’t left yet. Today, with the get-together, playing Brawl Stars with Tiago, and the Farewell Party, was one of the most memorable days I had on this trip. I am so sad to leave and wish I could stay in Quilmes for longer. I will definitely miss being with my partner and her family forever; they were amazing, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. -Liliana
First, I woke up pretty early and went over to Corda’s house to eat breakfast with a few of the boys. Then after a breakfast of various pastries, we went to Buenos Aires to eat lunch with Provi and Rhianna. We walked around corrientes and la Avenida 9 de Julio and saw different historical sites like the Obelisk of Buenos Aires. Then we went underground and took the subway (Subte!) to a mall named Abasto shopping. We got different jerseys like a Quilmes jersey for my friend. We then went to the Teatro Colon with a bunch of our friends. We had a guided tour in the theater and then we went to a little restaurant named Café Martinez with Provi and Rhianna after. We sat down and relaxed for a little bit after a long day. I tried lemonade for the first time in Argentina and wasn’t a fan. The lemonade was a lot sourer and had a different taste which surprised me (It was probably a limeade or at the very least had lime in it – Mr. Bell). After we went back to the house, I took a little nap before heading to a gathering with the whole exchange. It was really fun because we could talk to all of our friends before we had to leave, and it was really one last fun time all together before all the sadness kicked in. It was a great night full of laughs. Finally, we walked back to our house and went to bed. -Noah