This summer, I attended Princeton in Argentina, one of the many international programs at Princeton. Princeton in Argentina is offered through the department of Spanish and Portuguese and lasts for four weeks, from the end of May to the end of June. Throughout the course of the program, students take classes at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, a university in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina; go on excursions to a variety of places within Buenos Aires; live with homestay families; experience Jujuy, a province in Northwestern Argentina; and, ultimately, become more of themselves and how beautifully diverse the world is. Princeton in Argentina was my first international experience, and I had such a wonderful time in the South American country. I did not really know what I was getting myself into whenever I confirmed my enrollment in the program, but I am beyond grateful that I took the chance and decided to not let such an amazing opportunity pass me by. In this blog, I want to share some of my experiences from Princeton in Argentina with you, and in doing so, I hope that you will feel encouraged to look into study abroad programs and become more aware of how accessible and transformative international travel can be at Princeton.
I decided to apply to attend Princeton in Argentina because I had really enjoyed all the Spanish classes that I had taken at Princeton so far and wanted to grow in my Spanish abilities. Before coming into Princeton, I did not expect to grow such a deep interest in the Spanish language, but after immersing myself in the language through in-class conversations and activities, I truly grew to admire it. (You can read more about my experience with the A.B. language requirement here, if you would like: ¿Tú hablas español?: A Reflection on the A.B. Language Requirement.) So, after completing the A.B. language requirement during the fall semester of my sophomore year, I decided to apply for Princeton in Argentina, knowing that the trip would not only improve my Spanish skills but also serve as a once-in-a-lifetime personal experience. A couple months later, I found out that I had been accepted into the program, obtaining a place in the 300-level class called Topics in Latin American Modernity: Politics of Culture in Modern Argentina. (There are two classes that one can take through Princeton in Argentina, either Spanish 208S, Language in Context: Urban Cultures of Buenos Aires, or Spanish 342S, which is the one in which I enrolled.) Next thing I knew, I was on a plane with several other Princeton students heading from Atlanta to Buenos Aires!
After about a 10-hour flight, we arrived in Buenos Aires. I was pretty sleep-deprived, pretty greasy, and pretty far from home. The other Princeton students who were on the flight with me and I made our way through customs, and then all of a sudden, as we rounded a corner in the airport, we met our host moms. We had been told that our host moms would be waiting for us at a café in the airport, and when we arrived at the café, there they all were, patiently awaiting us. My host mom, who had contacted me a few days before I had left for Buenos Aires, came up to me and embraced me with a big hug and a kiss on the neck. (Kissing is a common form of greeting in Argentina. When someone meets someone or gathers with friends or family, a kiss on the cheek or neck is usually exchanged. Kissing is used not only when greeting others but also when saying farewell. Although it is not a very common social expression in the United States, I was not too taken aback by the use of kissing to show endearment in Argentina. I found it to be very sweet. We may have to introduce it in the United States ;)!) I felt extremely welcomed by my host mom, and I was so happy to meet her.
However, as we sat down at a table in the café, staying at the airport for a few more moments before heading to her house, where I would be staying during my time in Argentina, I soon realized a challenge to which I would become all too well accustomed: problems with communication. As I mentioned earlier, I started at the 101-level of Spanish when I entered Princeton, and the highest level of Spanish that I had reached before landing in Buenos Aires was 205. My understanding of the language had grown tremendously since my first day in 101, but I was, and still am, at least I would say, at an intermediate level of Spanish. So, when my host mom started talking to me solely in Spanish and I had to respond to her solely in Spanish, there were some gaps in communication. In general, though, I was able to understand what she was saying, and she was able to understand me. Those first few conversations, though, were undoubtedly hurdles. I was fully cognizant of the fact that I was going to be immersed in a Spanish environment before signing myself up for Princeton in Argentina. Nevertheless, it definitely took some time for my brain to register that I was in a new environment and was going to have to learn to familiarize myself with it. I had entered a Spanish-speaking world, and I had to do my best to navigate it.
Thankfully, I was not alone in my Spanish ups and downs, as I soon came to realize that many of my classmates were in the same boat as me. When it comes to Spanish, my auditory and speaking skills are not as strong as my writing and reading skills. I am thankful that there was another student staying in the same homestay as me because his Spanish skills had much more fluidity than mine. If I was ever having trouble communicating something to my host mom, he could usually help me, and I tried to do the same for him. This sense of camaraderie extended outside of my homestay environment and into our day-to-day activities as well. Just like me, all my classmates were still growing in their Spanish abilities. Thus, when we faced language barriers, whether in class, while visiting a museum, or simply while ordering food at a café, we supported one another. We made mistakes, and we learned from them. We laughed at ourselves, and over time, we became more comfortable with embracing imperfection. Learning a foreign language is a productive struggle, and I am thankful for the group of students and professors whom I was able to learn after and with over the course of Princeton in Argentina.
As my classmates and I became more adjusted to our new surroundings and routines, we explored interesting topics both inside and outside of the classroom. The class that I was in focused on the history of Argentina, investigating the gauchos and the Pampas (Martín Fierro), the tango, Peronism, the hardships of especially the 1970s, and the ever-evolving landscape of Argentina. The other class centered itself around topics that connected more with grammar and present-day situations in Argentina. (Each class consisted of around 10 students. The 300-level class was taught by two Princeton professors, whereas the 200-level class was taught by two professors of the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. Our 300-level class met three times a week for three hours each day, and the 200-level class met four times a week for two hours and forty-five minutes each day.) I really enjoyed learning about the events and individuals that constructed Argentina into the nation that we know it as today. However, my exposure to the complexities of Argentina was not confined to the classroom, as we also regularly engaged in excursions around Buenos Aires that helped increase my awareness of the country and its different facets. We took part in a walking tour of the Plaza de Mayo and its surrounding areas, ate at an Italian restaurant, visited the Teatro Colón (Colón Theatre), went to the Museo Evita (Evita Museum), observed art in the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA Museum), walked scenic paths at a nature reserve, conversed with an artist in her studio, and did so much more. (Every excursion consisted of both the 300-level class and the 200-level class. All of us were together.) These excursions, each one creating connections between class concepts and personal encounters, helped us become much more familiar with Argentina. We learned about the country not only within the bounds of a university classroom but “in the wild” as well.
However, I cannot talk about the excursions of Princeton in Argentina without mentioning the biggest excursion of the entire program: the four-day trip to Jujuy. Jujuy is much more rural than and pretty far away from Buenos Aires. To get to Jujuy, all of us hopped on a flight that was about two hours long, leaving from Buenos Aires bright and early at around 6:00 a.m., if I remember correctly. Once we arrived in Jujuy, we all boarded a coach bus, which we rode to get to the lodge that would be our home for the next few days and, throughout the course of the entire trip, functioned as our go-to for moving between all our visits. We went to so many places and participated in so many activities in Jujuy that the trip to Jujuy alone could serve as its own blog. We ate meals with families in the area; learned about indigenous practices and sites; visited the Quebrada de las Señoritas, the Cerro de las Catorce Colores (Hill of Fourteen Colors), and the Salinas Grandes (Large Salt Lakes); had a music lesson; met students in the area who are training to be English teachers; and did so much more. The trip to Jujuy was truly amazing. I had never seen mountains like those in Jujuy, all red and earthy. I imagine that the mountains that we saw in Jujuy are similar to those in states like Utah and Arizona. The food in Jujuy was also so delicious! (All the food that I ate in Argentina was truly phenomenal. I love some Argentine cuisine!) Two staples of Argentine cuisine are empanadas and alfajores. They are delicious! (Fun fact: Argentina is known for its ice cream. During our time in Argentina, we all regularly visited ice cream shops.) From the people to the places to the food, the trip to Jujuy was incredible. I want to give an enormous shout-out to all our amazing guides on the trip and our amazing bus driver! The trip to Jujuy would not have been nearly as great, or even possible, without them!
When we returned from Jujuy, we had about two or so weeks left of the program, during which we resumed our normal routine of classes and excursions. On the last day of the program, however, all of us delivered presentations on different elements of Argentina, from the educational systems of the country to the intersections between sports and politics in wider Argentine society to mainstream feminist movements. These presentations were delivered in groups, and I really enjoyed seeing the various themes that my classmates had chosen and the research that they had done. Through our presentations, we celebrated the progress and the discoveries that we had made throughout our four weeks in Argentina. That night, we had a farewell dinner at the house of one of our professors, enjoying amazing Argentine food and good company. There were definitely some bittersweet feelings in the air as we approached the conclusion of our time in Argentina. We had learned so much and developed strong relationships with our host families, one another, and many others. A country and a language that had felt so foreign had come to seem so familiar. At the same time, though, many of us were excited to return home and reunite with our family and friends, ready to tell them all about our experiences and all that we had taken away from our time in South America. Before we knew it, our four weeks in Argentina had ended, and we found ourselves filling up the suitcases that we had just unpacked not too long ago.
Princeton in Argentina was truly an unforgettable experience. I cannot summarize the entire trip into one blog, but I hope these anecdotes from my time in Argentina provide you with a sense of how extraordinary the opportunities are at Princeton. (I also want to mention that Princeton has a system set up called the Dean's Fund, which can help with expenses for summer study abroad and much more. Because of the Dean’s Fund, as well as the generosity of the department of Spanish and Portuguese, I was able to attend Princeton in Argentina fully covered.) Studying abroad in Argentina was truly so amazing, and I am beyond grateful for every person who contributes to making Princeton in Argentina possible, from the professors, to the travel and financial coordinators, to the students. You all are incredible, and words cannot express how thankful I and so many others are for you. Princeton in Argentina was wonderful, and I encourage anybody to study abroad if they have the chance!