South America Bound

When I first heard that our class of Benton Scholars would be heading to Argentina I was ecstatic. Growing up in Texas I’ve had a fair amount of exposure to Mexico and Latin American countries but not as much to those in South America. That being said, my grandmother is originally from Argentina so she’s given me a bit of insight into what life in Buenos Aires used be like as well as a wide variety of cultural norms that still remain today. A lot has changed politically and socially so I’m curious to see if my experiences bare much of a similarity to hers. Her parting words of wisdom were to drink lots of mate, “beware of the Latin men”, and of course take lots of photos, three things I will do my very best to fulfill.
What I’m most excited about would have to be visiting the Iguazu Falls. Coming from a fairly adventurous family I’ve been lucky enough to explore some spectacular parts of both the U.S. and Canada, but from what I’ve heard, these falls are truly unmatched in sheer size and beauty. Also, as the heat begins to rise here in Dallas I can’t help but relish the chance to dip back into cooler weather.
In addition to this trip, I will be spending the three weeks directly following volunteering in Quito, Ecuador, funded in part by the Benton Scholars Program. I will be meeting up with a friend from home to volunteer at a local organization that allows children who would otherwise be working in the local market with their parents to receive an education and just have a bit of fun. In high school I volunteered in Costa Rica and Thailand so I’m curious to compare this experience to those. In addition, it will be interesting to go directly from one of the relatively wealthiest areas of South America to working with kids and families who have very little. Time to shove one last shirt in my bag, drive to the airport, and head to Buenos Aires!