like a fish needs a bicycle...

don't cry for me argentina

fue macanudo! what an amazing week. my first excursion across the equator, and i must say, the southern hemisphere was incredible. geeti and i had so much fun. argentina is a land of beauty, diversity, culture, history, and adventure... did i mention we had SO much fun?! buenos aires was a city full of life, iguazu was spectacular, ushuaia (the town at the end of the world, "el fin del mundo") was a truly unique place, and the glaciar in calafate was really exciting. all over the country, the land was gorgeous and the people were nice and welcoming.

i think my spanish definitely picked up... by the end of the week, my languages were running together--i was mixing persian, english, and spanish all at once. that was interesting. :) also, we were seriously tired after 7 days of non-stop traveling, so that probably helped cook my linguistic soup a little. but even though it was hectic, we were well taken care of... of course we loved mr. and mrs. wangdi--they really made us feel at home. the whole experience was just fantastic on every level.

so yeah... WOW. couldn't have asked for a better vacation. especially after being sick and basically unprepared to go... it was as perfect as it could be. as usual, i live a blessed life.

and now, i'm back to reality... happy naw-ruz everyone! it's new year and i'm definitely ready to quit hibernating and jump into spring. if only the weather in chicago would start feeling like spring... it snowed this morning. yuck. i think it'll be may before it's warm. so for now i'll just have to close me eyes, remember the tropical air of iguazu soaking into my skin, and let the smile creep across my face...

just my luck

right. so... i, the girl who gets sick all the time, the girl from texas who's long been spoiled by a warm climate... i lived in chicago for 7 months without getting sick, surviving the winter and feeling fine. wow. i was beginning to think i'd finally acquired an immune system. what a pleasant surprise.

but wait... then comes march (almost spring!), and 5 days before i'm supposed to go to argentina... that's when it finally hits me. that's right kids, i have the flu. perfect timing. and so typical of my life. yuck and yuck. so i've been lying in bed for a few days now, annoyed that i can't fast (as i LOVE the bahai season of fasting), but grateful to be tended to by people who love me... mostly i've been praying a lot, hoping to God i don't have to cancel my trip. i'm supposed to be on a plane to buenos aires thursday night. let's hope i make it...