I really want to put up a real post on this blog even though I'm not in Uruguay yet so... this is a post of my countdown and preparation for Uruguay. If I leave on February 28th, which is a date that is just stuck in my head, then in exactly two months from now I will be in Uruguay. So, I will use these two months to look up things about Uruguay and post about them so that when I actually am there I can check my information and provide a more accurate view of Uruguay and hopefully South America in general for everyone out there. Sound good? Okay. Alright well, here are some things I've been looking up and finding out about Montevideo/ Uruguay so far.
I just ran across an awesome article called What NOT to Do in Uruguay. It's not exactly the most positive article, but it gives me a reality check about Uruguay. It's not a booming metropolis like I keep thinking it is; its actually very tranquilo and stuck in the 80s. Not what I was going for at all when I chose Uruguay... but it will be a good experience nonetheless. The article also mentions that while Montevideo is rated one of the safest cities in all of South America do NOT stay out late. I know this is kind of common sense but every time I read about safety it mentions not being out at night and it seems like a very severe warning.
I, also, ran across another website thanks to Hayley, who is going with me to the Universidad de Montevideo, that talks about the more everyday things I need to know about Uruguay. I really like it because these are both Uruguayans and people who moved to the country and have firsthand experience that are offering their advice. They talk about where to find decent books in English, how the water supply is, where to find housing, what kind of adapters or chargers you may need (without a power converter any big voltage American appliances like computers, cameras, and blow dryers will fry INSTANTLY) and they even talk about what winter is like in Uruguay: windy and rainy, joy!. It´s just full of blogs and articles I've found to be very useful.
I mentioned South America earlier and how I wanted to be able to tell people about it. To explain that statement I will have at least a full month of winter break where I'm not in school where I'll probably be here by myself for a while. The study abroad students I have met will leave and others will be on their way. So... why not travel? If some students stay an extra week or two we can find a cheap way to travel, or if I make some good Uruguayan friends who are willing to be spontaneous with me, I'll travel with them. The only real downside I see to this is that this is the reason I will need to get a yellow fever vaccination now. If I didn't travel I wouldn´t really need it, but now I will need it. I hate shots. But I'll get to see some great things and I MUST see Rio de Janiero because I've heard from numerous people that it´s a beautiful place and that I must see it before I die.
Naturally I'll need a place to stay while I´m in Uruguay so I'm going to start looking at couches to sleep on and hostels as well. Couchsurfing is an international phenomenon where people or families offer up their "couch" or bed or floor space to someone for a certain amount of time. You contact the person directly and discuss arrangement as well as payment if they would like to be compensated. Hostels are like hotels but... better? I've never stayed in one but you can have your own room or sleep in a dorm-like setting with a number of people which, of course, is less expensive than having a private room. I think they offer their own entertainment like bars and social rooms to hang out in and are just an inexpensive way to have a reasonably safe place to stay.
Other things I've been doing to prepare for my 10 months abroad is just re-teaching myself basic Spanish skills via the Spanish 204 and 301 books I've kept, watching Univision (a Spanish channel on t.v.), and just today I picked up a Spanish newspaper, Qué Pasa.
Things I've yet to learn and need to get a move on are learning how to Tango (it's a big dance style there) and looking up Uruguay's history. The people in the study abroad office said I should really know about their history so I can understand their culture better. It's probably a great idea to get started on that since Uruguay is a liberal nation and I often read about (peaceful) protests and reforms going on.
I don't know if its too early in the game to be looking up all this information but I'm so antsy. I just want to be in Uruguay already and be experiencing these things instead of researching about them. I can't buy my ticket yet because I need to find an airline that is very flexible since my arrival and departure times are estimates right now. And I haven't heard anything else from UM since I got my acceptance letter so I don't know where I'm living or anything. I'm not too worried, though. I have two whole months to figure everything out and don't even have to worry about getting a visa until I get there. So, I'm just waiting.
