Going into this program, I was nervous. Nervous that I would forget to pack something, that my shy disposition would prevent me from making friends, and that I would never be able to understand obras sociales. Now I’m here, typing my final blog post in Argentina, and I can now confidently say that I have had one of the best experiences of my life.
Today we had our final presentations, and as I brushed my teeth, I frantically recited what I was going to say. I had gotten up a bit too late for breakfast, so my roommate (Isabella) went with me to grab some sushi. We then ran back and did last-minute preparations.
When I was first assigned obras sociales as the sector I would be presenting on, I momentarily panicked. This sector has a ton of overlap with the others, and it seemed impossible to wrap my head around. I was amazed at how much my group’s presentation had grown since the beginning. We were comfortable talking about the obras and the different types present in Argentina, from university staff to those in retirement. We also had a much better understanding of the overlap present in this sector, with some obras contracting private providers, some having facilities of their own, and others sending their workers to the public sector and primarily functioning as a labor union. And of course there was the difficult financial situation, large challenges, and our proposed solutions. I am so happy that I had Ann, Ben, and Sarah in my group. Thank you all for a wonderful project experience 🙂
I’m going to miss Argentina and all the new and wonderful things that made it special to me. The slanted power outlets, the window of the dog groomer we would pass by frequently, the bikes zooming by with food orders, and agua con gas are only a few of the things that have become familiar to me during these past two weeks. Whether on bus, boat, or bicycle, I was able to learn new something new while connecting with others. I have made amazing friends during this program and can’t wait to reunite with them all in the fall.
Until then, ciao!
