umm... where are you?

If you are trying to decide whether you want to go on a study abroad trip or if you're having trouble deciding which study abroad trip you want to go on, the question I have for you to guide you to your decision is- Where are you?

Take a step back and survey your life. (thats when you're supposed to say to yourself... hmm... where am I?) I say this because as over and over and over I keep coming across things on this trip that make me say to myself or the person next to me (who probably doesn't care) "if Oxford had this _____, (fill in the blank) I don't think I would have been OK with it, or I'm glad that we _____ here but I don't know if I would have enjoyed this in Oxford"... same story every time. I even remember thinking while I was in Oxford about the ways of life in Montevideo and breathed a sigh of relief that it was different for us.
My sincere joy in Montevideo this week makes me question 1. my state of mental maturity before last January & 2. where I was/am in life that suddenly makes Montevideo so perfect.

My point is that there isn't a single thing I would change about my semester in Oxford, (take note of that.) If ever I start in with any regret about Oxford, like wishing that I spent more time with everyone in the group instead all my time with a small group or wishing that I took more pictures here, or spent more time there, I like to drop a book on my toe or inflict some serious injury on myself (this is not true) to remind myself that I think people who look back on the past with any regret are, in essence, wasting time. Wishing for some miraculous second chance to make faulty things perfect generally causes you fail to see that today IS yesterday's second chance, but also because I was not at the same place in life that I am today... and everything has it's place.
(please don't waste your time obviousness of the statement that one cannot be the same place today as yesterday. try to see the point I'm making.)


I just got out of the most majestic hour in Spanish Lab and I can't help but laugh at myself because I remember this time a year ago I was wiping my brow because they speak English in England and I was thinking about how I dodged that bullet. I've adored French since childhood and never had any interest in trying to speak Spanish, at least not till I was fluent enough in French but in the week that I have been here I have doubled and tripled the small amount that I learned in the two months after I found out I was going to have to speak Spanish to survive... and I just spent an hour in a lab where there was no English... and I understood... 95% of what was said... and get this.. (oh this makes me giddy) I had no trouble responding.

Spanish lab was wonderful but thats not why I'm learning, so I can sit in a hot room and fry my brain from thinking too hard while my skirt keep sticking to my legs. I'm learning for nights like last night when the kids from the church came and hung out in the courtyard. And I am learning so that when we're trying to talk to them on our way to the futbol game I don't have to inject "como se dice?" every thirty seconds.
So that when Oscar makes jokes about Kara's name (cara means expensive... when kara introduces herself she says "yo soy kara"... Oscar says it makes it hard for her to get a boyfriend just by saying her name... you can do the math) we can laugh because it's funny instead of because we're clueless.
In summary, I would say that most everyone here (to my knowledge) is having the time of their life... and that includes us... and well... we already got to have the time of our lives once. But today, having already experienced the Oxford life with an amazing group I can see how everything has fit so perfectly into place. So Oxford would not be what I need now and I doubt I could have enjoyed Montevideo then as much as I am now.



Let me just say I just shocked the FIRE out of my right hand trying to plug something in, and now my right limb feels like an arm shaped gelatinous blob.....but a blob with uber-sensative nerve endings since I still have the feeling of thousands of needles stabbing my jelly arm.

but I also just saw Nathan stump his toe... tehehe...


Rachel gives a shout out in the sand to all the Siggies around the world.


Rachel, Kara and Stephanie sit at a beachside restaurant cause it was hot and we were thirsty.


I think Caroline is watching the kitten stuck in the stained glass at the cemetery... and I think they got it out.
Our first stop on the bus tour of Montevideo was a beautiful cemetery right next to the coast. We spent some time but it wasn't enough to do it justice.


One of about 600 photos I took at the cemetery. trying to get everything in 20 minutes was like not making a priority list before you get to Wal-mart on black friday.


Wimon guides us back onto the bus for the bus tour


Our next stop is the Monte (Mountain) of Montevideo (its a hill) that overlooks the city.
This is our super cutie prof Shelly and hubbie Nathan.


Stefanie likes to lounge around in cemeteries...


Stephanie, Caroline, and Morgan suck up to ACU admin... just kidding. I think its awesome. Photo by Lawson Soward



These kids were cute, even if they probably did want to break the cameras we were sticking in their face. They're pretty much Zanessa's best friends. ha