I really don't have any complaints. I felt that the academics accommodated the length of the program and were very informative and interesting. The location was lovely and gave me a realistic idea of how the general population lives and works. My apartment was comfortable and in a great location to get to pretty much anywhere in the city. The locals were friendly and helpful (esp. when I was lost). I only took the local bus twice with my host mother but it was easy and fast. The pollution (air, noise, litter in the streets, dog droppings, graffiti) made the stay in the city less pleasant. My bed was right below the window on the second story of the building on a busy intersection. It was loud most of the night. I wore earplugs to sleep at night. I adjusted after a while but it never got quieter.

The program managers took into account all aspects of living preferences of the host families and students to place them. There was only one problem with housing that I heard of, although I was not the one to be living there. From what I can tell, it has come up before and will be addressed promptly. The two professors, Susan and Susana, frequently checked in with us to make sure that everybody was comfortable and well taken care of in their families.

The locations were all within walking distance of each other and the school. Some were farther away from others, which was both a bonus and a negative. The negative was that it was harder to spend time with those students when we had free time, but the plus side was the beautiful space to go running in between houses. If we had time and the weather was good, it was very enjoyable to go running to the other side of our section of town. (Just keep your eyes on the sidewalk to avoid stepping in the dog poop! One of Rosario's problems is the high level of stray dogs that wander the streets.)

Professor Hallstead and Professor Rosano made the material very interesting and applicable. The fact that we were able to visit some of the sites around Rosario that were directly connected to what we were studying in class at the time greatly increased the impact of the information. The fact that they were so flexible to our travel plans really made me feel like we were appreciated as well.

One of my favorite excursions that we took was a boat ride on the river. We spent the entire day just getting to know each other in a true Argentine fashion. (Soccer game and barbecue included) It almost felt like cheating that it was part of our grade, but I recognize that having the experience of 'a day in the life' was a large part of the reason for the program.

As for the interactions with the locals, I felt that it was decent, but could have been better. There were a few times when we were able to meet and mingle, and a few students continued to spend time with the people they met outside of class. We were all paired up with a student from the Fundación as a sort of speaking partner, somebody with whom we could practice our Spanish and learn more about the culture. However, I did have some problems contacting my partner, and by the end of the program hadn't even heard from them once. That was disappointing to me - I don't know what the problem ended up being (typo in the email?), so I really can't think of a way it could have been fixed.

The home stay experience was amazing and a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. The classes were very informative and well structured. I would recommend staying after the program and traveling or getting an internship since the five weeks go by so fast.

The courses were excellent and interesting. Rosario was a wonderful place to study. The locals were friendly and always very helpful. All of the planned excursions were educational, fun, and interesting.

The courses are manageable as far as the work load and they cover topics that are interesting and relevant to your experience in Argentina. The location was great, no problems getting around. The locals were my favorite part about Argentina, they are so open and loving its very easy to make close friendships despite the short time period and language barrier. Some of the excursions could have been better but those were made up for by those that were really good. I did an internship at a sanatorio and my professor was so nice and willing to teach us and was so excited to have us working with him. Overall great experience.

Studying abroad in Rosario Argentina was an amazing experience. The local people in Rosario are very friendly. Everyone who I interacted with was very engaged in conversations and wanted to hear from you as well as show you what it is really like to be an Argentine. The courses for the program were very interesting and so applicable to everything that was happening around us in the city. The history and culture class also connected so well with the literature class. Understanding Argentina's history allowed me to have better interactions with the locals. especially my host mom. I interned at a nearby museum and it was so great to be able to gain working experience in a foreign country. It took planning, but I was able to create a schedule that balanced classes and the work. The excursions we took as a part of the course were so enriching from eating a traditional asado on a nearby island, to taking Tango classes! I encourage all future students to plan to travel before, during, and after the program as well. Argentina has such a diverse population (which you'll learn why in class!) and it was intriguing to be able to see that while traveling. Plus the nearby (an far) cities have so much to offer!

Rosario is great! Right along the river and easily walkable. We had a lot of fun exploring the city. I learned a lot about Argentina through the courses. Interesting subjects, but very long class periods - be prepared for that. Staying with host families is great, too. I think that is the best way to practice different vocabulary and conversations that one would not normally receive in the class room. Plus, you get to eat more traditionally Argentine food. The excursions are a blast, too! My favorites were going to the islands for an asado (beef cookout) and participating in the tango class.

Rosario the 3rd largest city in Argentina and is located right on a river. This allows students to get the city experience but also enjoy the view and life around the river. The parks near the river created a friendly atmosphere to meet locals. Everyone in Rosario is very friendly and always willing to help lost American students. I followed a physical therapist in his clinic a few times during the program which was one of the most interesting and influential experiences during my time in Rosario. He was very willing to give up all his time to work with me and help me understand the medical aspect of each procedure. This was very important to me, as a pre-med student, to compare the health care in Argentina to that of the United States.

As a student you must check if the courses taken during the program is appropriate for your major and education plans.

Rosario is an awesome city. There is plenty to do and it's fairly safe. The locals are very friendly and patient. Every excursion was interesting.

Courses were challenging, especially the literature, however not impossible! It just takes a little time to thoroughly read the texts in spanish to really understand the story. Teachers were amazing, very knowledgeable, and helpful when it came to learning the language, customs, and history. For example, Juan would start his classes each day with an Argentinean saying, an overview of the political situation, or simply explaining the lifestyles of the city people! Susana was very smart, and always patient with students who volunteered to talk in class. Class was fun and interesting, and I didn't mind doing the readings each night. However, classes each day were a little long, so be sure to bring enough money to by a coffee mid day at lunchtime! Location was nice, in the center, close to the action. I rode the bus to school, and it took about 30 minutes each day to get to class. Classroom was plenty big, and the wifi was in and out sometimes, but not needed. Interactions with locals in the school were slight. This all depends on the person. I chose to try and talk with the students working at the cafe each day, but if there is a lot of people in line, perhaps it would have been better to just go up to some students and talk! I made argentinian friends through connections with host families, and although we had littler time to hang out, was a WONDERFUL experience. Very inviting, nice, and patient! We would go out together for dinner and then bars thereafter, very fun crowd indeed. Excursions were wonderful. My favorite was the island excursion. The whole day, chilling on a boat at a secluded island, enjoying the sunshine, playing some soccer and eating ASADO (Argentinian BBQ!). It really helped us students get closer to one another.

My Spanish literature and history c=courses were fascinating! The instructors were extremely intelligent in the subjects and taught them really well. Rosario was a beautiful city. It was hard for me to go from the surrounding nature of Colorado to the city walls of Rosario, but I loved it non the less and enjoyed learning about the history behind many important buildings. I was able to interact with locals once in awhile, but not as much as I would have liked to!

Definitely recommend these courses to other students because it allows you to learn about Argentina's rich culture and history in the country itself. The locals were all very nice and accepting of CU Boulder students.

Living in Rosario will really put you into the thick of Argentine culture. One of the aspects of the program I enjoyed the most, being immersed with the local culture. Courses were interesting and thought-provoking. The locals were very generous and friendly; best way to make friends was through soccer.

Courses, were long but enjoyable. Really interesting topics, and class is M-W
Location, all homes are within walking distance and city is a calmer and smaller Buenos Aires along rio parana which adds a different element to the city.
Interaction with the locals depends on how much you put yourself out there, all locals are friendly and willing to talk to US students
Excursions are awesome and cultural

The classes were very interesting coming from someone who knew little to nothing about Argentine history or literature and the professors were great; very understanding and helpful. The location was awesome, especially coming from somewhere so different like CO. Interacting with the locals was one of my favorite parts because your Spanish is put to the test but they're so friendly and they want to know about where you come from. The excursions were also a highlight of the experience because they were so much fun every time and really helped build the bonds between the people in the program.

MY courses and professors were amazing, the city of Rosario is gorgeous, the perfect size with wonderful people, and there were so many amazing opportunities offered to us while in Argentina.

get out and explore the city as much as you can

I really don't have any complaints. I felt that the academics accommodated the length of the program and were very informative and interesting. The location was lovely and gave me a realistic idea of how the general population lives and works. My apartment was comfortable and in a great location to get to pretty much anywhere in the city. The locals were friendly and helpful (esp. when I was lost). I only took the local bus twice with my host mother but it was easy and fast. The pollution (air, noise, litter in the streets, dog droppings, graffiti) made the stay in the city less pleasant. My bed was right below the window on the second story of the building on a busy intersection. It was loud most of the night. I wore earplugs to sleep at night. I adjusted after a while but it never got quieter.

The program managers took into account all aspects of living preferences of the host families and students to place them. There was only one problem with housing that I heard of, although I was not the one to be living there. From what I can tell, it has come up before and will be addressed promptly. The two professors, Susan and Susana, frequently checked in with us to make sure that everybody was comfortable and well taken care of in their families.The locations were all within walking distance of each other and the school. Some were farther away from others, which was both a bonus and a negative. The negative was that it was harder to spend time with those students when we had free time, but the plus side was the beautiful space to go running in between houses. If we had time and the weather was good, it was very enjoyable to go running to the other side of our section of town. (Just keep your eyes on the sidewalk to avoid stepping in the dog poop! One of Rosario's problems is the high level of stray dogs that wander the streets.)Professor Hallstead and Professor Rosano made the material very interesting and applicable. The fact that we were able to visit some of the sites around Rosario that were directly connected to what we were studying in class at the time greatly increased the impact of the information. The fact that they were so flexible to our travel plans really made me feel like we were appreciated as well.One of my favorite excursions that we took was a boat ride on the river. We spent the entire day just getting to know each other in a true Argentine fashion. (Soccer game and barbecue included) It almost felt like cheating that it was part of our grade, but I recognize that having the experience of 'a day in the life' was a large part of the reason for the program.As for the interactions with the locals, I felt that it was decent, but could have been better. There were a few times when we were able to meet and mingle, and a few students continued to spend time with the people they met outside of class. We were all paired up with a student from the Fundación as a sort of speaking partner, somebody with whom we could practice our Spanish and learn more about the culture. However, I did have some problems contacting my partner, and by the end of the program hadn't even heard from them once. That was disappointing to me - I don't know what the problem ended up being (typo in the email?), so I really can't think of a way it could have been fixed.

The home stay experience was amazing and a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. The classes were very informative and well structured. I would recommend staying after the program and traveling or getting an internship since the five weeks go by so fast.

The courses were excellent and interesting. Rosario was a wonderful place to study. The locals were friendly and always very helpful. All of the planned excursions were educational, fun, and interesting.

Studying abroad in Rosario Argentina was an amazing experience. The local people in Rosario are very friendly. Everyone who I interacted with was very engaged in conversations and wanted to hear from you as well as show you what it is really like to be an Argentine. The courses for the program were very interesting and so applicable to everything that was happening around us in the city. The history and culture class also connected so well with the literature class. Understanding Argentina's history allowed me to have better interactions with the locals. especially my host mom. I interned at a nearby museum and it was so great to be able to gain working experience in a foreign country. It took planning, but I was able to create a schedule that balanced classes and the work. The excursions we took as a part of the course were so enriching from eating a traditional asado on a nearby island, to taking Tango classes! I encourage all future students to plan to travel before, during, and after the program as well. Argentina has such a diverse population (which you'll learn why in class!) and it was intriguing to be able to see that while traveling. Plus the nearby (an far) cities have so much to offer!

Rosario is great! Right along the river and easily walkable. We had a lot of fun exploring the city. I learned a lot about Argentina through the courses. Interesting subjects, but very long class periods - be prepared for that. Staying with host families is great, too. I think that is the best way to practice different vocabulary and conversations that one would not normally receive in the class room. Plus, you get to eat more traditionally Argentine food. The excursions are a blast, too! My favorites were going to the islands for an asado (beef cookout) and participating in the tango class.

Rosario the 3rd largest city in Argentina and is located right on a river. This allows students to get the city experience but also enjoy the view and life around the river. The parks near the river created a friendly atmosphere to meet locals. Everyone in Rosario is very friendly and always willing to help lost American students. I followed a physical therapist in his clinic a few times during the program which was one of the most interesting and influential experiences during my time in Rosario. He was very willing to give up all his time to work with me and help me understand the medical aspect of each procedure. This was very important to me, as a pre-med student, to compare the health care in Argentina to that of the United States.

As a student you must check if the courses taken during the program is appropriate for your major and education plans.

Rosario is an awesome city. There is plenty to do and it's fairly safe. The locals are very friendly and patient. Every excursion was interesting.

Courses were challenging, especially the literature, however not impossible! It just takes a little time to thoroughly read the texts in spanish to really understand the story. Teachers were amazing, very knowledgeable, and helpful when it came to learning the language, customs, and history. For example, Juan would start his classes each day with an Argentinean saying, an overview of the political situation, or simply explaining the lifestyles of the city people! Susana was very smart, and always patient with students who volunteered to talk in class. Class was fun and interesting, and I didn't mind doing the readings each night. However, classes each day were a little long, so be sure to bring enough money to by a coffee mid day at lunchtime! Location was nice, in the center, close to the action. I rode the bus to school, and it took about 30 minutes each day to get to class. Classroom was plenty big, and the wifi was in and out sometimes, but not needed. Interactions with locals in the school were slight. This all depends on the person. I chose to try and talk with the students working at the cafe each day, but if there is a lot of people in line, perhaps it would have been better to just go up to some students and talk! I made argentinian friends through connections with host families, and although we had littler time to hang out, was a WONDERFUL experience. Very inviting, nice, and patient! We would go out together for dinner and then bars thereafter, very fun crowd indeed. Excursions were wonderful. My favorite was the island excursion. The whole day, chilling on a boat at a secluded island, enjoying the sunshine, playing some soccer and eating ASADO (Argentinian BBQ!). It really helped us students get closer to one another.

Living in Rosario will really put you into the thick of Argentine culture. One of the aspects of the program I enjoyed the most, being immersed with the local culture. Courses were interesting and thought-provoking. The locals were very generous and friendly; best way to make friends was through soccer.

Courses, were long but enjoyable. Really interesting topics, and class is M-W Location, all homes are within walking distance and city is a calmer and smaller Buenos Aires along rio parana which adds a different element to the city.Interaction with the locals depends on how much you put yourself out there, all locals are friendly and willing to talk to US studentsExcursions are awesome and cultural

The classes were very interesting coming from someone who knew little to nothing about Argentine history or literature and the professors were great; very understanding and helpful. The location was awesome, especially coming from somewhere so different like CO. Interacting with the locals was one of my favorite parts because your Spanish is put to the test but they're so friendly and they want to know about where you come from. The excursions were also a highlight of the experience because they were so much fun every time and really helped build the bonds between the people in the program.

MY courses and professors were amazing, the city of Rosario is gorgeous, the perfect size with wonderful people, and there were so many amazing opportunities offered to us while in Argentina.

Rosario was bustling with activity. I enjoyed the urban atmosphere and the close proximity of shops, housing, and classes. Everything was within walking distance. The city was full of history and spectacular architecture. The locals were very friendly and helpful. There were countless opportunities to socialize with locals and for adventure. A trip to the waterfalls of Iguazu was a highlight as well.

I thought the courses and teachers were fantastic, the location and situation with my housing was not ideal but I was able to interact with some locals and have a good time.

The courses were pretty normal for a spanish course. I wouldn't say they were special based on the location. I loved Argentina. Rosario was a good place to live. I had a great host family so I had good interactions with the locals.

The best part about this program was that the course content was brought to life in what we saw on the excursions and what we experienced in Rosario. The classes complemented each other well, as did the excursions. I learned a lot, and I worked hard. Rosario is a good place for a program like this - it is large enough that you can get exposed to a lot of aspects of Argentine culture, but small enough that you can get to know the city well.

The literature course was great although a bit intensive. The history course was extremely easy, a bit too easy for me. I felt that I could've learned a lot more in that class. Location is great, mainly because Rosario is not a very touristy place, so I found myself very integrated into the culture. Interacting with locals is up to the individual, if you want to make Argentine friends you have to go out and take the initiative. Excursions were great, although I wish there were more planned out.

No help was necessary on my part, however it was good to know they were there if any questions or concerns came up.

Both teachers were really helpful in terms of making sure everyone had what they needed.

Juan Pablo and Susana helped everyone navigate their way through living in Rosario, in whatever way was necessary. They were very patient and helpful, from major needs like dealing with lost luggage to minor details like finding soccer jerseys.

Fantastic support from the on-site coordinator and program director.

The weekly excursions were educational and fun. They presented opportunities to learn about the culture and enjoy the trip!

All of the excursions were very interesting and worthwhile, orientation was straightforward but more could definitely be done to inform students about handling the traveling and initial arrival.

The excursions were good. I'd ditch the cemetary. That was cold, crowded, and difficult to understand anything or see anything in the dark. The island was amazing. I loved the theater as well. It would have been nice to know what to expect. I didn't always feel prepared in terms of shoes or clothing choices because I misunderstood the excursion.

I thought the excursions were all really well planned. They gave us the opportunity to experience some of the culture and history, and most of them complemented what we were learning in class.

I liked the excursions but didn't feel there were enough. They were all fairly short and many of them were mainly the class going out as a group so it didn't allow for heavy interaction with other locals.

I lived in a small apartment with a spectacular view of the river and city. It was a good fit because of my friendly host and the centralized location. My daily commute to class was a 20 minute brisk walk. Taxis were always present as well.

I loved my host family. Amazing. Great fit. I walked to school. It was easy and convenient. It was really easy to get cabs as well.

My housing was perfect for me. The location was great - I was away from the busy, active part of the city, near a park that was a great place to read and relax. My hosts were also great - they fed me well, treated me well, helped me figure out how to do some of the things I wanted to do in the city or nearby that I couldn't figure out on my own, and we had great conversations and they even corrected my Spanish so that I was able to improve my speaking.

I lived in a cozy house with a host mom who was the perfect fit for me. She was very caring and affectionate and looked after me in every way she could. We developed a very strong relationship and I felt connected to her in a very unique way. We spent many dinners talking about our lives, family, history, politics, school, personal experiences and a plethora of other topics which came about. She knew very little English which led me to speak Spanish 100% of the time. I felt that I was learning so much just by conversing with her. She cooked healthy food which was typically Argentine and opened my mind about foreign cuisine. We still keep in touch and communicate from time to time to keep each other up to date on our lives. I'm happy to say that I now have an Argentine mom and a home in Argentina which I'm always welcome to.

The literature course was very engaging and one that I would have gladly taken at CU Boulder. The history course was a not as exciting but a good experience nonetheless.

I really enjoyed the courses, both teachers were fantastic and engaging.

The overall experience was really good. I am realy glad I went! The culture course was okay. It felt like a lot of busy work. The literature class was good.

I thought the courses were conducted very well. The literature class was a lot of work and also challenging, which meant that I learned a lot and could take pride in what I accomplished. Juan Pablo is very organized and very knowledgeable. He has a gift for explaining concepts in a way that we can understand, often using examples from movies or literature that we all should be familiar with. I didn't just learn about Argentine literature in that class - I also learned about Argentine culture and history, literary devices, U.S. culture, and the world in general. He encouraged questions, and never made anyone feel like the question was too trivial. He also provided rapid feedback, and it surprised me that he could get everything graded quickly considering how much time he was spending in class each day and on excursions. The culture class was less structured, but we still covered a lot of information. It focused on specific aspects of Argentine culture that together provided what seemed to me to be a complete picture of the important events that have made Argentina into the country it is today. Susana was also very dedicated to helping us improve our Spanish speaking, and required a couple presentations and some in-class writing/reading. Overall, the class was less rigorous than I expected, but taken together, the two classes complemented each other well and provided a good balance in the workload.

I thought the academics were intensive, especially the literature course. I learned a lot from the course but I felt that the program would benefit from toning down the intensity of the course a bit. I found myself stressed a few nights and staying up late trying to keep up. I would say the intensity is equivalent to reading Shakespeare in a foreign language. The history course was way too easy. It could've been a bit more substantial because I learned very little basic historical points there.

The locals were friendly and very sociable. Everyone was excited that we were from the US and eager to help.

I met many local Argentines from both my host sister and other fellow host families. All were very accepting and curious about us travelers, and I can't think of a single bad experience with any local throughout the entire program.

I think going out to bars is a great way to meet people. They were filled with a lot of young people that were really friendly.

My interactions with the locals was minimal. In Rosario, I interacted with people at the gym, store employees, waiters/waitresses, people at the park, and friends of my hosts. I also made some professional contacts with locals (outside of Rosario), which were more important to me than making causal connections in Rosario.

Approaching people in bars and clubs is always a good way. Argentine people are very friendly and as long as you're nice and present yourself as a kind person, they are generally very receptive. I met people in restaurants, bars, clubs, coffee shops.. even taxi drivers are friendly. You just have to make an effort, and the rest will follow.

It was difficult to be gluten free. I had to just go with it sometimes. I guess that is part of the experience though.

I fell sick for the first few weeks, mainly due to stress from losing my luggage in the airport and not having it for a week. Combining that with being in a foreign country with very elementary spanish and a completely different environment threw my body off. I just went to the pharmacy for some medicine and it went away as I slowly adjusted more and more to the life there.

Safe. Advice would be to know the streets and surroundings quickly. This allowed me to feel more confident when walking around town and when in taxis.

I felt very safe. I think it is important to be careful at night and be aware, but I never felt scared.

I felt very safe all the time. If I was out after 9 PM, I felt like I would be OK walking home, but I took a cab anyway just to be safe.

Very safe. The centro area is generally safe, but it's always good to take precautions. I would say always take a taxi anywhere once it's 10PM, better safe than sorry. Also when you come home late at night (3AM - 6AM), tell the taxi driver to wait for you until you get inside the door. The rest is easy. Don't flash electronics outside anywhere, don't flash all your cash in front of people or in crowds. Be mindful of all your belongings when you're seated at restaurants or in a bus. Common sense, really. It's like any other city in the world. Be mindful of your surroundings.

Inclusive.

Argentines say what they mean and do not sugarcoat anything, all in a respectful and good humored way.

In Argentina, there is definitely noticable discrimination against people that aren't whiteish. I didn't have problems personally, but I noticed that another friend did.

I never felt any discrimination.

I generally saw no discrimination, except that Argentine people are very blunt and will call you Chino, Yankee, etc without the intention of being rude. It's just their culture.

I gained independence and an appreciation of a different culture that will add to my life perspective.

It definitely helped my Spanish skills, I will definitely be visiting South America again.

I would love to go back to Argentina. It gave me a lot of perspective.

A short-term impact for me was the recognition that regarding my Spanish skills, I need the most practice in understanding what I hear. Although I knew this before, I didn't realize how much worse I am at that than at other skills. A longer-term impact is an appreciation for literature, which I expect will give me more confidence to read literature on my own (i.e., not just because it is required) - the books we each were given at the end of the program will definitely encourage me to read more on my own. Having the opportunity to learn in-depth about a single country (or at least "in-depth" relative to what we have gotten in other classes) has piqued my interest in Argentina, and I definitely want to go back and see more of the country. I also have a much better sense for the events and situations that have caused Argentina, and in some respect other South American countries, to develop as it has - economically, politically, culturally, so that has given me a framework to understand better the political and economical situation in Latin America. Being in a place where I had difficulty communicating and where I didn't know the customs forced me to learn new things about myself, and also helped me to appreciate what international students at CU are dealing with. I hope that will make me more compassionate to their needs.

I feel much more confident about myself. I got the opportunity to travel around southern Patagonia alone after the program and I could handle myself through all of it. Meeting people and making friends on the way and seeing beautiful things about the country made me realize how diverse our humanity is. It made me open up my mind about other cultures, lifestyles, people etc. It also made me appreciate all the things back home which I left behind. Coming back it feels like I see things in different colors. My family, friends, girlfriend, hobbies, passions are so important to me and I feel that it's so valuable to appreciate every moment we spend with the things that are important to us. Being so far away made me realize their value much more. Also, I noticed the little things about home that I had neglected so much, the comfort of my own bed, a long hot shower, my mom's food, the laughter of my baby cousins, being able to sit in my quiet room playing guitar... all these things are so important to my life and their value skyrocketed when I saw them from such a large distance. All in all, it made me a better person and individual of society. A pool of inspiration awaited me in Argentina.

A trip to the waterfalls of Iguazu was the most awesome nature I have seen in my life. Highly recommend a trip to anyone in the program.

I made many good friendships with other students, and mostly just having the time to focus and be out of my comfort zone makes me proud to say I made it with virtually no problems at all.

I went to Cordoba with a classmate. It was really fun and interesting to figure out how to get there and travel around.

I took initiative to go out and talk to people and make friends and I was aggressive about it. It gave me more confidence because I realized that the fear of going up to a group of people and talking to them is totally mind-made. I also travelled through southern Patagonia (hike, boat, see beautiful things) for a week after the program ended. This meant I was planning my trip out, buying flights, booking hostels, researching about places, and doing it all myself. I met so many awesome people during that journey, and all of them were so nice. I also found myself in very bad situations, such as being locked out of my hostel with all my stuff, having my flight cancelled on me before my flight back home to US, being lost in town, and every time I found someone to go out of their way and help me. All of this was an exhilarating experience and I'm proud that I was able to do it on my own.

ATMs are unreliable. It rained more than usual.

I wish I would have known to bring hot sauce, Argentinian food is very bland.

I wish I had known what to bring more. I feel like I didn't bring enough cold weather clothes.

I think we were given pretty thorough guidance on what to expect, so I only have very minor points to make here. The first is that if I had known that clothes were typically hung out to dry, I would have packed less cotton and more fabrics that dry quickly. The other is that I wish I had brought a rain jacket - that's probably my own fault for not thinking about that (and that also contributed to my desire to have quick-dry clothing).

I wish I had brought less stuff. I brought a lot of clothes which I didn't even end up wearing. The lesser stuff, the better, because then you can take cool things back home!

Future students interested in learning Spanish, gaining independence, and seeking to appreciate a different culture should take the trip!