(Dec.27) Can't Believe I Am So Close to the End

~I really have so much to catch up on here and once i get home and have time, i will take what i wrote in my paper journal and post the 'appropriate & unpersonal' stuff on here. ahha.

~Christmas was just a few days ago and it was amazing to be able to experience it here with the Morettis and all their family. I'm so grateful to feel so included in their lives for a short 5 months!

~But for NOW, I can't believe I am this close to the end of my stay here. I am so comfortable here and have made so many relationships rooting me to my second new culture here and I hate to think about leaving in 3 weeks :(

~Tomorrow I will be packing for my trip to Cordoba with my classmate Ago. I am excited to know another part of Argentina & can't wait to start the NEW YEAR of 2010 soon, but also kind of in shock that 2010 is the year I graduate & end high school and life living with my family. I have learned a lot about what I treasure back home, because of what the Argentinians have taught me and also what I've learned from being away from my old life in Granite Falls, NC, USA. (what people always say: you dont realize what you have until you don't have it anymore). And for that I know I am going to try my best to spend valuble time enjoying and being thankful for the family, friends, and God I have in my life, before I go off to college starting a whole new chapter in my life.

~Another thing I am so thankful for is for finding the real meaning of having God in my life. Its not the church you have or don't have, its knowing he is always there for you and waiting for you to depend on him and love him as much as he loves us. :D NEVER thought I would have such a wonderful, eye-opening experience that drew me so close to God, by just attending a SPANISH-speaking (of course) church in Argentina by myself. I found so many great people brought into my life, some for only 2 hours in one Sunday service, others who I sat with every Sunday, others who just solely greeted me at the door, and some who only came to share their missionary testimony for one service. People I will remember forever and always keep in my heart and in y prayers. <3

~So, that must be all for now, as I go off to Cordoba Tuesday, and am coming home to be with my loving, wonderful family (The Stovers) in 3 weeks~ :D

~love, Kayla Jane

CHAU! un beso & un abrazo (XO)

BEGINNING & ENDING beginning NOV 09

Wow its been FOREVER since I last blogged (I think Oct. 23), but for some reason all the sudden my time here is flying by. :( It was before Halloween since my last blog. Now Thanksgiving is over, and here comes Christmas. So many things are changing.

I think I may start going backwards in time sharing all my big experiences in the NEXT BLOGS. But for now, here are some random thoughts, status' on Facebook and emails from friends back home:

~Im enjoying my time here....learning more about myself, another culture, & relationships than anything else...spanish kicks my butt. But it also makes me very interested to maybe study it later in college.I'm also learning even from the difficult situations or disappointments ... a very difficult character building experience.

~ " I'm finding joy even when there is disappointing news, and learning to have patience and calmly discuss the outcome of the previous conversation."

~ I wanted to go see Iguazu Falls (Cataratas del Iguazu) and I had planned to go with some AFS students, but of course there were hidden costs. I’m thankful to even be here and very happy to say I have traveled to the South of Argentina with my family, experiencing some of the best sights of the Andes Mountains here! And now, I was invited by a friend & classmate to go to Cordoba with her...can't wait! :D

~My status on facebook one day in early November: lovin my reminicing time here... and also, writing blogs about my experiences here, working on a scholarship, reading my spanish/english bible (SOO cool. haha), and trying to edit my only 100 pics from the past month (out of 800 that were lost when my camera was stolen)... im realizing after some of the rough bumps in my experience here, I love what I'm learning every minute!!! :)

~ (an email from a Hailey):

kayla, i miss you! i have ms.harmon for english and there are all the usual honors english kids in there. it was the end of 1st nine weeks and we had a food day. i was talking to hannah and alyssa when they said something that reminded me of you. i realized that this was the first english class i havent had with you all 4 yrs of high school. I hope youre having fun and cant wait till youre coming home. Youre going to hate coming home from argentina because we’’re going to seem soo boring, I bet. Haha. So, where are you applying to college, have you sent in your applications yet?l 4 years of highschool! its crazy. i hope you're having fun and i can't wait till you come home. you're gonna hate argentina because we're going to seem so boring i bet. :) where are you applying to college? have you already sent in your applications?

(a response to her email):

hailey, aww. it was really good hearing from you! thanks for letting me know somebody was thinkin of me while ive been gone already for many months! :) ahha. so, glad you have english with everyone BUT me. :( ahah. cute that you remembered that we've always had it together though! true true. who do you know HASN'T taken english this semester...so they may have it with me next semester? mmmmh. food day, huh? sounds great, but not as good as the food here! :P i love it here, i mean im learning so much and making really good friends here at school. the people here are UNBELIEVABLE, well maybe not that great, but always soo friendly ...you dont even know. first off, they always greet and say goodbye to EVERYONE with a kiss ;) good for the cute guys. ahha. and they know so much about english movies, songs, and lanuage (they know way more english than I know spanish, but its okay. aahha. I'm trying to learn. Gosh its HARD)..like for example the song: Hot N Cold by katy Perry. every boy and girl knows that song and TONS of USA hits play on the radio here.its soo cool, but i wish some of their music played on our radio. ill have to show you some songs when i get home. maybe one day when i get back and am not exhausted, we can hang out. for now...YOUTUBE: Daddy Yankee. hes HUGE here...like Akon or better (for us). I'm going to his concert in December!
Anyways,soo true that im gonna hate coming home from argentina, but this is just one chapter in my life... in january i have to move on to the next chapter...the end of high school and then college! :D
I mean ,I DO miss not being in all the snr stuff, but i have a semester when i get home and ive had the BEST SNR YEAR EVER already! Better than what i dreamed. Ya its gonna be sad when we all go away to college next aug. wow, its soon. less than one year! its weird to think we all go FAR away cuz here, they go to college but live at home and stay friends with childhood friends until they get serious with someone and move in togehter or get married. Its different, not bad not good, just different. Thats what im learning about at lot here…my eyes are being opened and im falling in love with another culture other than my own. its really cool :)
Awww, but i did miss Halloween :(

Thats all until the next blog... :D

~Kayla Stover~