Before going to Buenos Aires, I had high hopes of improving my Spanish. I had recently graduated from college with a dual degree in Spanish and Adolescent Education. Thanks to Puentes Abroad, I was able to connect with a great organization in Buenos Aires called Mensajeros de la Paz. I volunteered with MdlP during my 8 week stay. Through that organization, I made many incredible friends from all over the world. My best friend during my stay is from Austria, but I also made great friends from Spain, Colombia, Switzerland, and the Canary Islands. These are friendships that I still maintain on a daily basis, even now that I am back in New York, my home state. I learned so much from all of these great people and they continue to help me practice my Spanish through WhatsApp and other social media sites. Mensajeros gave me the opportunity to practice my teaching, but in another way. Mensajeros de la Paz has many day centers for senior citizens to attend. At these centers, they are able to play games, take classes, socialize with people their age, eat delicious food, and spend some time outside of their homes. Mensajeros allowed me to construct an English course for the senior citizens. Every Wednesday, my fellow volunteers and I would go to our favorite day center in the barrio of Flores and teach English to eager adult students. Our oldest student was 97 years old! By participating in these classes, I came to the conclusion that when I returned to the USA, I would continue my education by enrolling in a Master's program to teach English as a Second Language. Had it not been for my adventure in Buenos Aires and all of the great people I met there, I do not think I would've pursued higher education, but teaching English to those wonderful adults at the day center helped me realize that language education is something that everyone can enjoy! Puentes gave me the chance to discover what I want my next step in life to be, and I had the most amazing time traveling to and around the incredible city of Buenos Aires!
