Journey with Joy: February 2018

An American in Argentina

Journey with Joy

Newsletter February 2018

Micheala, Nichole and I freezing in the glacier lake of Nahual Huapi in Bariloche

While many of you are waiting for warmer days or waiting to see if Punxsutawney Phil's February prediction came true (an American tradition that I can't even explain in English), the summer sun has been shining down on me in the Southern Hemisphere. Myself, along with the other young adult volunteers across the globe, are issued around a month of vacation time during our year in service. Much of my January and February has been spent visiting my friends throughout the very different landscapes of Argentina.

One of the countless blessings I have received this year is Argentina's laid-back, tranquil culture; especially evident in the high value placed in vacaciones. It seems that the whole country is on vacation; even people who do not have much try to visit their family or go to the beach for the weekend. Many small businesses such as produce shops or bakeries close for a few weeks while the owners go on vacation. The summer season seems to be for sharing time with family, relaxing and trying to stay cool.

During our time off we are told to live within our adequate but humble stipends and be mindful of our host communities. Within this vacation time we are permitted to have our families and friends visit and during our program orientation we had thoughtful conversations about the implications extensive or lavish vacations can create.

Receiving visitors can be very complicated for volunteers. Besides planning logistics it can be difficult to share your new community with your visitors and for two groups of different cultures and languages to understand each other. While our guests are tourists who are wanting to explore and see all that there is to offer, we are residents who try our best to fit into our communities. There have been parents who visited in the past that stayed at pricey hotels and took the family to exotic, expensive places. I am sure that their top priority was to visit with their son or daughter but they may have their own idea of vacation; one that involves eating the finest cuts of Argentina's famous steaks, seeing the best tango dancers and staying in charming, upscale neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. In short, vacations that involve lots of money.

When I first heard of inappropriate vacations volunteers took in the past, it was easy for me to shake my head in a mixture of distaste, jealousy, and amusement. I knew that my parents could never afford to stay at a fancy hotel anywhere in South America - they would not even be able to afford a single flight. As I sat in my stylish yet second-hand clothes, I felt pride wash over me and an assurance that I would never be like those volunteers.

Pride and Joy sound like a great combination but I was thankfully knocked off from my polished pedestal. The universe was quick to remind me of the sheer amount of social and economic privilege I do have; both in my life in the United States and as an American in Argentina. My life is overflowing with unearned good fortune - I see former classmates and other young adults who would thrive in the type of program yet are unable to apply. So many hard working individuals who do not have the financial security or social support network to live in another country for a year.

Within my life here, my privilege is more apparent. My iPhone 6 cased in an expensive Otterbox stands our sharply against the iPhone4s; as do my numerous outfits compared to my friends who own only a few. Advantages I take for granted - like a straight smile by years of braces or the knowledge of riding a bike - remind me not all have had those blessings in childhood.

As vacation season comes to an end, my Argentine friends are interested in hearing of my vacation time since they have not had the opportunities to visit such famous sites. In less than 6 months of living here, I have traveled more than many people who have lived here their entire lives. I did not work hard or do anything to deserve this travel; I have just been blessed to have the freedom, money and invitation to visit the homes of many within this beautiful and diverse country.

Yet when I share the stories of my travels, it is not the actual places I speak about the most but the people who enriched the spaces. My memory of hiking up Cerro Cementerio is full of laughter, sweat and jokes as my country mates and I trekked the steep path (with accompanying music of Baird on mandolin). Seeing the Seven Lakes around Bariloche was breathtaking but it is getting sand in our pasta salad and our Seven Selfies that really made the excursion. The national park of Iguazu was stunning yet it was Beatriz's friend Rosita that made us all feel light-hearted and cared for. The lights of Paraguay across the river from Posadas was memorable but it was the song every Guenes sang along to the on the radio that was truly unforgettable.

I have a tremendous amount of privilege to have been able to have traveled so much in life. I pray that I tell of my travels with humbleness, openness and honesty. I hope that when I share the stories of my vacations, the people that touched my heart take center stage. Seeing God's work across the rolling green plains, sapphire lakes and picturesque mountains were honestly some of the most awe-inspiring, gorgeous sights of my life. Yet getting to know God's creation of beautiful people and personalities is a stronger blessing to me.