Learning Who I Am in Argentina

The first time I recognized my unique gift of courage was when I went to Argentina for 10 months as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. It only seems fitting that I share that experience, as it ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. The experience made me realize that hard things are possible. I had a strong desire to travel from a young age and at only fifteen years old, I learned to adapt to situations I barely understood and that I can solve difficult problems. In addition to these skills, I made some of my best friends, traveled with other Youth Exchange students to incredible places throughout the entire country, and began the life-changing journey of learning about the woman I truly am, as well as the one I am becoming.

An important note is that the summer before my eighth-grade year, I suddenly and very unexpectedly lost my Dad. With this emotional turmoil, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out life, and how to move on. This experience of loss and grief brought me the courage to become a strong woman who chooses to uplift others along the way.

When it comes to my time abroad in Argentina, I could go on and on about the incredible people, places, and things I got to experience; the precursor being a a fourteen year old finding the courage to tell my Mom I wanted to take this journey, applying to the program, and leaving home for the first time to go 5,223 miles away. With this courage, I did hard things even when I wanted to go home (especially around the holidays), learned more about who I truly am at the core, and came back to the United States a changed person.

Upon my return home, I then had to navigate reverse culture shock. During my year abroad, my friends and family members were living their familiar lives day in and day out. While my entire life had been enriched with experiences that would be hard for them to understand. This was experience more challenging than leaving. As a sixteen-year-old woman who handled a wide variety of situations while living in a different culture, I used this as an opportunity for teachable lessons in culture.  I also used it to expand my education of the Spanish language, to further invest in my education, and continue enriching my life while researching and exploring new cultures and locations.

The experience of living in Argentina at such a young age certainly allowed me to teach others about the Argentinian culture. It also led me to experience different cultures within my own country as well as countries around the world. I subsequently had the great opportunities to study abroad in Costa Rica and work for a semester in Australia. It really is true that once you get the travel bug, it never goes away! Having the courage to step into such a new experience at a young age has served me well over the years, and I am so grateful I chose to say “yes” to the desire to explore.

With Courage,

Katie