Post-depature: Top 10 experiences abroad

I'm now home in Denver, Colorado and while I'm happy to be back with my dog and parents, I have been feeling pretty senti about the past four months. I've been thinking a lot about everything I got to do while abroad, and I've compiled a list of the top ten.

1. Exploring the beauty of Northern Argentina: the hill of seven colors, the salt flats, the fried empanadas.
2. Going to an authentic Argentine asado while in Uruguay...some other IES Abroad students met a group of Argentines while on the beach, who invited us all to their home for an asado! They grilled steak and veggies, we brought wine, and we hung out in their backyard all night.
3. Attending the press opening of arteBA, the largest contemporary art fair in Argentina, for my internship at The Bubble. I went to a press breakfast, where I listened to the curators speak about their vision for the fair, and then got to be one of the first people to walk through the fair. It was full of some of the most interesting art I've ever seen in my life, and there was also free wine and tacos.
4. Walking home everyday from IES Abroad, passing by some of the most beautiful embassies in BA and many, many palm trees.
5. Spending feriado in Los Bosques de Palermos with my friends, drinking mate, eating sandwiches, and listening to music.
6. Celebrating my 21st birthday in Buenos Aires. My friends threw me a surprise party, complete with balloons, a Feliz Cumpleaños banner, and a dulce de leche cake.
7. Lunching on choripan on the beautiful IES Abroad balcony mid-way through the IES academic symposium. 
8. Traveled to gorgeous Rio de Janeiro to spend spring break with my parents.
9. Visiting Patagonia at the height of fall, and hiking through the beautiful leaves and trees.
10. Splashing in the hot springs while looking out at the Andes with my four best friends.

I already miss the sound of Spanish, my rickety old elevator in my homestay, and the kioskos on every corner. It's good to be home, but Buenos Aires is home now, too.