Svaja Pakalniskis is a student at The Ohio State University and an ISA Photo Blogger. She is studying abroad with ISA in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
When I first arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I was overcome with an unsettling yearning to see it all. The 5 months ahead of me in this totally new country were unfathomable – like any other tourist on a vacation for a couple of weeks, I wanted to site see! So, after settling into my room, I immediately connected to the internet to research these potential sites and, passed out for three hours. Upon awakening from my slumber, I felt my anxiety waver and tried to usher it out with a few deep breaths. I reminded myself: I have a lot of time ahead of me, and it’s better not to push my body, exhausted from travel. Thus, rather than a full day of exploring followed by a night out, I chose to keep it to a minimum and simply enjoy classic Argentine cuisine: steak.
The rest paid off. A few days into my first week, I felt fully ready to explore and accepted a spontaneous invitation to El Tigre, a popular weekend getaway spot complete with islands, lush vegetation, and more steak!
We spent the day playing fútbol, dancing and swimming – a spectacular commencement to an exciting, terrifying, and likely life-changing few months.
I’m sure those of you who have studied abroad are familiar with this advice: step out of your comfort zone. But it truly resonates – the places and people you may happen upon, confounding experiences that won’t exist lest you agree to accept risk, and a little pang of anxiety!
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The world awaits…discover it.