and right now, my heart is in argentina.
today was día de madre (mother's day) and i bought my host mom a bottle of wine as a little token of appreciation for all that she's done for me in the past three months. it's funny how far a little thought goes because even though it was such a small token, she was so appreciative and kept telling me that it wasn't a necessary gift. the truth is that i didn't give it to her because it was necessary but rather because it was a small way to show her my appreciation and to let her know that i'm conscious of the role she plays in my life.
i went with my family to "our" grandmother's house for lunch. considerate as always, my wonderful sisters made vegetarian lasagna instead of using the traditional meat sauce (: and one of the women who takes care of abuela made canolis (think salty crepes stuffed with spinach&cheese or ham&cheese). even someone who doesn't know me at all made sure there was vegetarian food available for me. have i mentioned how much i love argentines? hehe.
i was actually really nervous to go to lunch with the family. its not that i haven't been surrounded by only argentines but more that i think the language barrier is much more existent&apparent with the older generation and i really wanted to make a good impression on the woman who is so incredibly important to this family. turns out that abuelita is identical to my family (which makes sense considering she raised my host mami/was involved in the upbringing of my sisters) which means that she's incredibly loving and open. the first thing she said to me when she met me was how pleased she was to finally meet me and how beautiful i am. way to make me feel welcome, hmm? i sat with her for a bit while the fam got lunch together, like i do with my own grandparents, and i certainly didn't have to worry about any silence. i think old people have an incredible amount of wisdom and that every story can add something valuable to my life. if anything, the things she shared with me increased my cultural understanding and gave me an older generation's perspective on things like art. i cherished the time i got to speak with her and being involved in the two+ hour meal with my sisters, my mom, my grandma and the woman who takes care of grandma was something i'll always remember because i was so warmly invited and included and got to see the celebration of a family holiday in a culture that values family above all else.
and since its mother's day, i feel like it's only fair to finally post about my wonderful mom away from mom, Cristina. before i came to argentina, we called her to get an idea of the family i was about to move in with for six months. and within a 15-minute conversation, she put momma, dad and me at ease. from what we gathered from that initial conversation, she had hosted plenty of students before and had fair experience with them. allowing a complete stranger to move into your house for six months can't be easy at all but she has been nothing but welcoming and loving since the day i moved in. i hear horror stories from friends about their host families sometimes and i'm always consistently thankful with how wonderful she is to me and how open she is to conversation if either one of us ever has an issue. the ability to share, to be open and honest and willing to compromise is something i have always valued in friends, in partners, in roommates and loved ones. and the fact that i can do that with her has made my time here that much more comfortable. i always thought that moving in with a host family would leave me feeling like a guest for six months, always walking on eggshells and afraid of disrupting the balance of the family. but i can honestly say that i consider this just as much my home as any other place i've ever lived and as my departure date looms nearer and nearer, i know that leaving is going to break my heart just as much as moving away from home for the first time did.
soo, a eli y la leti y cris - muchas, muchas, muuuchas gracias por hacerme sentir bienvenida y querida y por llenar el hueco dejado por mi propia familia. les considero familia tanto como la familia de sangre y estoy re emocionada de aprovechar los próximos dos meses juntas <3
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