People often question why I keep picking up and moving across the globe. As a friend recently teased, "You kind of take it to the extreme, Kerk. You do know that you're allowed to go to other countries just for vacation right?" And I usually retort that I want to live abroad while I'm still willing to sleep on floors and not know exactly what I'm eating. New cultures, new traditions, new people-- it's that mid-twenties itchy feet and hope that someday my experiences will help me kick ass at Pub Trivia. But in this whirl of all things new, nothing truly brings one more pleasure than the sight of a well-known face.
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Sherryl and I in front of my overnight bus
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Heading to the river with Randy (Sherryl's husband), Celina (Gonzalo's younger sister), his fiancee Kristi, Blake (front), Gonzalo, me, and Silvia
Ready for an Athens, Ohio meets Argentina connection? Okay, here goes:
--Sherryl taught Kindergarten with my mom for years and our families have been friends for a long time. (Inevitably, her son, Blake, and I used to get roped into recovering bulletin boards in those last weeks of August before school started).
--When I was in high school Gonzalo's family (above) moved to Athens from Argentina while his mom, Silvia, was attending OU on a Fulbright scholarship. Blake and Gonzalo have been great friends ever since, and Gonzalo and I actually had Spanish class together when I was a sophomore in high school--I hadn't seen him in over ten years!
--Sherryl found out from my mom that I was moving to Buenos Aires about a month before her family was going to visit Gonzalo's family in Rio Cuarto, and asked if we'd be able to meet up in Argentina.
Suddenly you've got a whole crew of former Athens residents in one place-- and just in time for the NCAA tournament!
I had just begun my first week of teaching here in BA, so through a series of crackly Skype-to-cell conversations I coordinated the trip last minute on Friday afternoon-- that evening I hustled to the bus station and hopped a cama (bed) bus trip to Rio Cuarto, about an eight hour ride away.
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Reclining in my comfy chair.
Now, I have been on quite a few buses in my travels, and never before has someone come around and offered me my choice of wine! (I also got a piping hot dinner and perfumed blanket.) After our nightcap of plum liquor, I reclined my seat fully, the attendant turned on Mr. Popper´s Penguins and I was out like a light.
After being gently shaken awake, I disembarked the bus at 6am in the Rio Cuarto station. After immediately procuring some cafe con leche I caught a $1 cab ride to the Howard Johnson to meet up with Randy and Sherryl. Over breakfast and photographs it was sometimes hard to remember that we were in Argentina-- the conversation and company were so familiar. Soon, Silvia picked us up and we took a scenic drive to Albahacas ('Basil'), a tiny town of campsites and summer houses. Silvia and her children spent all their summers here on the river's edge, and the neighbors are like family to one another.
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Next-door neighbor and best friend's place
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Delicious asado for lunch
We spent the afternoon walking off our massive lunch and checking out the views from surrounding hilltops.
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Scoping out possible real estate for my retirement
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That night we younger folks went out in Rio Cuarto until the wee hours of the morning. The clubbing schedule here in Argentina is much different than in the States- clubs only start to get going at around 3am and don't close until the dawn. If you want to keep up with the party in Argentina, you've got to plan siestas into your schedule!
The next afternoon everyone else headed to a futbol game, while Celina, Silvia, Pepe (their dad), and myself went out to la Quinta. This is a sort of private park that they co-own with nine other families, and it's the perfect place for summer, with a swimming pool, tennis court, and asado. I spent the afternoon swimming and relaxing with Celina and her friend Emmy. (Of course, I immediately made friends with the only two 12 year-olds there, and we spent lots of time giggling, gesturing and piecing together sentences in Spanish and English).
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Kristi, Gonzalo, Celina, Blake, me, and Emmy at la quinta
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Yes, you should be jealous and hungry right about now.
Meat, empanadas, various salads-- the food and the tables went on forever. I think in total we had 22 people at dinner:
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Look at the size of the rib Blake is rocking!
After dulce de leche filled ice cream and I could barely hoist myself out of my chair! Far too soon I had to catch my sleeper bus back to BsAs-- I was sent off with kisses, hugs, and a generous piece of Gonzalo's grandmother's homemade cake.
Kristi and Gonzalo, seeing me off
Thanks to Sherryl's family for letting me crash their vacation and Gonzalo's family for their unending generosity and inclusion! It is experiences like this that make you wax nostalgic for the places you've been while simultaneously thinking about the journeys that may lie ahead. And it just goes to show you never know where and when paths may cross! New experiences, new places, and a little piece of Athens, Ohio in Argentina. Un beso grande a todos!
And... go Bobcats!
Love from,
Kerk
Ready for an Athens, Ohio meets Argentina connection? Okay, here goes:
--Sherryl taught Kindergarten with my mom for years and our families have been friends for a long time. (Inevitably, her son, Blake, and I used to get roped into recovering bulletin boards in those last weeks of August before school started).
--When I was in high school Gonzalo's family (above) moved to Athens from Argentina while his mom, Silvia, was attending OU on a Fulbright scholarship. Blake and Gonzalo have been great friends ever since, and Gonzalo and I actually had Spanish class together when I was a sophomore in high school--I hadn't seen him in over ten years!
--Sherryl found out from my mom that I was moving to Buenos Aires about a month before her family was going to visit Gonzalo's family in Rio Cuarto, and asked if we'd be able to meet up in Argentina.
Suddenly you've got a whole crew of former Athens residents in one place-- and just in time for the NCAA tournament!
I had just begun my first week of teaching here in BA, so through a series of crackly Skype-to-cell conversations I coordinated the trip last minute on Friday afternoon-- that evening I hustled to the bus station and hopped a cama (bed) bus trip to Rio Cuarto, about an eight hour ride away.
Now, I have been on quite a few buses in my travels, and never before has someone come around and offered me my choice of wine! (I also got a piping hot dinner and perfumed blanket.) After our nightcap of plum liquor, I reclined my seat fully, the attendant turned on Mr. Popper´s Penguins and I was out like a light.
After being gently shaken awake, I disembarked the bus at 6am in the Rio Cuarto station. After immediately procuring some cafe con leche I caught a $1 cab ride to the Howard Johnson to meet up with Randy and Sherryl. Over breakfast and photographs it was sometimes hard to remember that we were in Argentina-- the conversation and company were so familiar. Soon, Silvia picked us up and we took a scenic drive to Albahacas ('Basil'), a tiny town of campsites and summer houses. Silvia and her children spent all their summers here on the river's edge, and the neighbors are like family to one another.
Views of the river from the porch
Serious hanging out. And snacking!
We spent the afternoon walking off our massive lunch and checking out the views from surrounding hilltops.
Kristi and pup, the aptly named Leo Messi
An afternoon dip in the clear, chilly river; followed by goosebumps and sips of mate.
That night we younger folks went out in Rio Cuarto until the wee hours of the morning. The clubbing schedule here in Argentina is much different than in the States- clubs only start to get going at around 3am and don't close until the dawn. If you want to keep up with the party in Argentina, you've got to plan siestas into your schedule!
The next afternoon everyone else headed to a futbol game, while Celina, Silvia, Pepe (their dad), and myself went out to la Quinta. This is a sort of private park that they co-own with nine other families, and it's the perfect place for summer, with a swimming pool, tennis court, and asado. I spent the afternoon swimming and relaxing with Celina and her friend Emmy. (Of course, I immediately made friends with the only two 12 year-olds there, and we spent lots of time giggling, gesturing and piecing together sentences in Spanish and English).
By the time everyone else got in from the futbol game, the meat for dinner had been slow cooking over flames for nearly four hours.
Meat, empanadas, various salads-- the food and the tables went on forever. I think in total we had 22 people at dinner:
After dulce de leche filled ice cream and I could barely hoist myself out of my chair! Far too soon I had to catch my sleeper bus back to BsAs-- I was sent off with kisses, hugs, and a generous piece of Gonzalo's grandmother's homemade cake.
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| Photos courtesy of S. Shelton |
Thanks to Sherryl's family for letting me crash their vacation and Gonzalo's family for their unending generosity and inclusion! It is experiences like this that make you wax nostalgic for the places you've been while simultaneously thinking about the journeys that may lie ahead. And it just goes to show you never know where and when paths may cross! New experiences, new places, and a little piece of Athens, Ohio in Argentina. Un beso grande a todos!
And... go Bobcats!
Love from,
Kerk