As part of our preparation to traveling to Argentina, I took a class entitled Introduction to Latin American Studies. While the class did not exclusively focus on Argentina, it was interesting to learn how each country in Latin America (including Argentina) is culturally diverse. One of the main themes of our class was hybridity. We learned about the influence of European colonization, the influence of the Catholic religion, and the change in demographics due to the slave trade and the immigration of many Europeans. What we established in the class was that all of Latin America is a melting pot. It was great for us to understand the history of Argentina and its neighbors, and how this has shaped the country today.
While I am looking forward to all the components of our trip, especially Buenos Aires, and experiencing the hybrid culture that clearly shapes the city and its people, I am most looking forward to traveling with my friends. Over the past year I have been able to make great friends, live with them, learn with them, and now travel with them. Each person in the program brings a different perspective to the table, and I look forward to visiting a foreign place with them. I think that one of the most important parts of traveling is the experience that you have with the people accompanying you, and so I look forward to learning even more about the Bentons. I know that together we will explore Argentina and have our horizons broadened to our global community. I am sure we will accumulate a lifetime of memories on this trip, and I look forward to it all.