Today was the perfect way to spend a Saturday after a long week with jam-packed days. We spent the day in Lujan, which is a little bit over an hour from our hotel in Buenos Aires. The first stop we made in Lujan was at a beautiful basilica known as the The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan. It contains the statue of the Virgin Mary that was to be moved to Chile long ago, but the oxen would not move, so the people decided Mary wanted to be here in Lujan. Both the inside and outside of the church were beautiful, and there was actually a mass going on when we went inside. They still allowed people to walk around, and also had confessions going at the same time as the mass. I enjoyed hearing the mass and songs in Spanish, and it was great to watch the community members come together.
We then stopped at a ranch in Lujan, and spent the rest of our day here. We were first served delicious empanadas, and later had a lunch of salad, various meats, papas fritas, and dessert. The meat was very good, but some of it was a bit strange. For example, we were served blood sausage that was just congealed blood in a casing, and we also tried cow colon. The blood sausage was not really my thing, but the colon was pretty good.
After lunch, Ann and I rode bikes and spent some time with the horses. We also got to pet some cute farm animals. Elise then joined us to play some games of ping pong and Jenga. To finish off the day, we did archery, which was definitely my favorite part of the day. I was not very good at it, but it was still super fun and I liked learning how to do it. I was really grateful to just relax today and spend a lot of time outside on a beautiful day.
Since tomorrow is Mother’s Day, I thought I would also talk about another thing I am grateful for: my mom. No matter what I need, my mom will be there for me. She has helped me through so much, and continues to care for me every day, even though we are thousands of miles a part right now. I think I am like her in a lot of ways, especially in the way that we both share a drive to care for others. She will do anything for me and my family because she loves us so much, and I am forever grateful for that. She works crazy night shifts and barely gets quality sleep, yet still does so much to make sure my dad, my brother, and I are all happy. Happy Mother’s Day Mom! I am so sorry we won’t be spending it together this year, but we will celebrate when I get home. Love you so much.
See everyone tomorrow!
