Hello everyone! So the blog is not getting as much attention as I promised, it seems there is so much to say...that its hard to know what to say, haha. These past few weeks in Argentina have been difficult to adjust to. I really underestimated how much I would miss my friends and family from home, and the familiarity of my own culture.

I include myself in the group of people that find it hard to define "American Culture." We are a mash up of so many things, from so many other countries and cultures, that it sometimes seems we are completely new at any given moment, and impossible to 'categorize.' But living in a foreign country, I am realizing some very key elements about the US that I miss very much!

First of all, the biggest difference I can point to is variety. Such variety! Our food comes from many cultures, Mexican food has a very prominent place in our restaurants and grocery stores. For example, here it is extremely difficult to find tortilla chips or tortilla shells, a staple back in the US. Consider too our vast choices in the grocery store: there is an asian aisle and a mexican aisle, not to mention entire grocery marts completely dedicated to both in other locations. As for restaurants, we have Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Ethiopian, Italian, Greek, etc! And though many of these are "Americanized" versions of the foods and flavors, when owned by people of the parent country, they are fairly authentic.

Secondly I should point out a difference that many people already know. Americans can be very unfriendly and distant. The people here are very warm, they touch each other often, they always kiss hello and goodbye on the cheek (I was kissed hello at more than one job interview!) They are eager to talk to you and happy to answer your questions. This openess translates to other relations, too, of course. For example, men yell at women from across busy streets, and are not shy about hitting on women anytime, without 'polite' filtering. Latino culture is very direct. One night you may be told you are pretty, and the same hour you may be told your spanish is very bad. The good news is, you never have to guess what people are thinking, which is an advantage when learning a language, for sure.

Of course some people in the US act this way. But the majority of us like our space, our personal bubble, we don't want to be touched without warning, especially by strangers. Men would be slapped for many of the things I've heard here. We want to be treated with a reserved politeness, and often we want things very much sugar-coated, and the blunt truth is deemed rude. I am in no way saying one is better than the other. I respect that directness is in many ways better, and I also know that in some cases gentle truth is much easier for relationships.

These are just a few examples. In reality our culture is indeed an Americanized 'melting pot' of other cultures. I think that is a very good thing, and something to really be proud of and celebrate. Argentina is also a cultural 'melting pot' but with a strong Latino undercurrent.

Some days are very difficult here, and I feel its probably the most challenging experience of my life. I know how lucky I am to be here, and how very grateful I am to have good friends, here and at home, to help me through the rough spots. I will never regret knowing another culture and in comparison seeing my own culture more clearly defined. Hopefully, in turn, I will begin to see my own self with true clarity.