Week 1 in Argentina

Well, those 10 days between moving out of the apartment and flying down south went very quickly. I was fortunate enough to have good people to lean on during the transition, though I admit, I should have planned things better and ran out of time to get everything accomplished. I spent more time with friends/family than I could afford in reality, but my mom has stepped up to the plate in taking care of the remaining crap that I so sweetly dumped in her apartment. Thanks Mom, for being so gracious, though I'm sure (and I wouldn't blame you) you're swearing me out under your breath.

The flights to Buenos Aires went smoothly. I did my best to be patient and not jumping up and down like a little kid nor biting heads off of the children who were young enough to be a pain in the butt but old enough to know how to behave themselves. (They didn't behave well, by the way.) When we arrived in Ezeiza, I found myself in the old dark, dreary terminal I'd experienced the first visit here. Though this time I basically knew what to expect. Last time I hadn't traveled with pets, so that part was a mystery, but I found my bags fairly easily and made my way to the exit. Charlie was late in arriving, but only by a few minutes. I didn't see a place inside baggage claim to pick up the kitties nor to fill out paperwork, so I'd just gone through security and figured it was something I had to do on the other side. WRONG! I still have no idea where I was supposed to have gone to make it all easier, but we figured it out. 5 hours later, and super sweaty, exhausted and blisters all over my feet, we left the airport with the cats in tow.

Word of warning - Have patience when coming to Argentina. It's busy and crowded, the people who are supposed to be helping you take their time, and don't care about your needs whatsoever. I don't believe they know there's even a term "customer service" nor that it has a meaning. I'm not complaining, just ... well, I guess venting a little, but mostly just stating facts.

The emotional piece to all of this is very much like a roller coaster. I've had a few emotional breakdowns, of which Charlie has dealt with very well. His 6 year old son stayed the night with us Saturday. He's absolutely a sweetheart, looks just like his dad, and has almost the exact temperament. We seem to get along well, though I struggle with Spanish, and he talks like a 6 year old, so he's not easy to understand all the time, but we make it work. He didn't know what my contact case was, and some time between going to be Saturday night and me showering Sunday afternoon, he'd decided that my case was a toy and it's contents ended up on the floor. I had no idea what had happened and when I went to put them in, seeing a dry case, I freaked out, looking everywhere for what I might have done with them, feeling like I was crazy and crying the whole time. Fortunately, I'd brought my old pair with me, just in case, though they aren't comfortable and too old to wear, but I'll make do!

I can't remember what the other breakdowns were about, I guess the toughest part has been that I feel like I have to learn every little thing over again, from taking a shower (without water ending up all over the floor) to doing laundry, to using the oven. And for such an independent soul, not having the ability to communicate properly has been a huge frustration. Charlie has been great at showing me how to use things, and I'm signed up and started Spanish classes, so that should help get me over this hump of insanity. Meanwhile, I look forward to the new apartment being ready. It's been approximately a month that my life has been filled with chaos and living out of bags, I'm ready to be able to finally set some roots down again. AND I got the pick on the wallpaper for the bedroom!

Time to start making some supper! Happy Friday, folks!