CIEE Open Campus Buenos Aires, Argentina
My study abroad experience has been far from ordinary. So much changed and occurred before I even left the country. All the plans and preparations I had made for my journey changed! I had originally planned on going to Santiago, Chile for 5 months, but less than a month before I left it was canceled due to the ongoing protests happening in the city. At first, it was hard to believe that I would be going somewhere completely different. I now would be traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the beginning, the country change was manageable, but then 3 weeks before I left, Argentina’s policy on student visas completely changed. Before students traveling for a certain amount of time could get a traveler’s permit in Argentina but now, they changed it to where you needed to get a visa before leaving the country. At this point, I was stressed! Normally it takes months to get a student visa, and at this point, I had 3 weeks to get all the documents in order to get my visa. The process was crazy to say the least, contacting the consulate was difficult because they didn’t answer or wouldn’t call me back. But eventually, I succeeded, with lots of calls, emails, tears, waiting and hoping, I got my visa one day before I left for my trip!
I wanted to start with this story because travel is not easy. Things can change dramatically, but in the end with patience and resolve, things will find a way to work out. On your travels, you may experience setbacks and challenges and the only way to get through them is persistence and never giving up. It might sound cliché, but that’s the only way to get through all the bumps and potholes you’ll discover on your study abroad experience. I experienced this feeling before I even left! While it was stressful and challenging, it helped to prepare me for being able to go with the flow abroad and it has shown me how to handle sudden challenges.
Being here in Argentina has been the best time of my life. I have gained a new sense of confidence and I am more confident in overcoming challenges. They have now become lessons instead of setbacks.
Some of the challenges that I have experienced have been getting lost in the city or the times when my phone wasn’t working. What I have learned is that asking for help is the best thing you can do. I have noticed that everyone I have asked for help from here has been so kind and giving. As Americans we have been taught to not talk to strangers and to figure things out on our own, but when you’re in a country you don’t know, asking someone who knows the country, since this is their home, is the best thing you can do. Yes, always be careful wherever you are, (trust your instincts) but don’t shy away from people, they will understand that you are new, just be cautious. This has helped me in many ways, for example my phone doesn’t work unless I have Wifi and meeting my friends at a certain place can be challenging if I can’t find them. But being able to ask around for help to contact my friends has been the only thing I could have done to get in contact with them and everything has always turned out fine. Opening up and not being afraid towards people is the best way to help yourself and at the same time helps you to meet new people and build your community. Take my advice, changes and challenges will happen all the time and being flexible, open and a problem solver will help you in the long run.
-Viola Sloniker-Tabares, Winter 2020
