The End of School

With a tremendous sigh, I left the IFSA office building on Monday afternoon knowing that I had officially finished classes for my Buenos Aires study abroad program.  It had been a mentally draining weekend.  I had just turned in 15 pages of final essays and walked out into the sunny streets, full of cars, people, scents and sounds.  I looked around, feeling a mixture of relief and confusion.  What now?

I enjoyed the mild daytime, walking around a part of town I rarely visit.  Low 50s, but pleasant.  I ordered a spot of tea, opened up A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. I read for a while, taking periodic breaks to gaze out at "9 de Julio", the biggest road I have ever seen. I often forgot, on this trip, that I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Once you get into a routine, no matter where you live, you start to become blind to your surroundings. Now that school is over, I'm realizing all over again how lucky I am to be here. 

There are still several things I'd like to see in the city before I head off on Sunday.  I would like to go to the famous neighborhood "La Boca", which you might recognize for it's colorfully painted buildings.  I'd like to see some museums, and find some more unique places to eat.  I'm also hoping to get some good running in before I return home, since the temperature and humidity in Wisconsin might be unbearable in contrast to the weather here.

I'm about to go out for some live music, but I wanted to post the books that I've read while here, since each of them influenced me in a unique way.  On this trip, my brain worked harder than it had in a long time, and these books helped contribute: