Week one is in the books my friends, and man was it a busy one.
I definitely went through a honeymoon phase this past week. There wasn't a night that I wasn't out and about exploring the city with my friends. We walked at least 10 miles a day, and stayed out later than we probably should but... I wouldn't have it any other way. I have already met people from all over the world and seen things I would never see in the states. This past weekend brought even more fun and experiences than the past week did.
As a group we took a day trip to Piriápolis and Punta del Este, a very popular beach resort/tourist town in Uruguay. We stopped at a zoo of sorts, saw Los Dedos, an extremely popular sculpture, and explored the town a bit. Most of the other group returned to Montevideo but a couple of us opted to stay in Punta del Este to check out the night life. I had my first ever hostel stay at a place called, The Trip. Hands down the best first experience I could have. Before going out we all joined in the common area and had a good time. I met people from Israel, London, Brazil, and many more. After that we went out to some of the best clubs/bars the city had to offer. I have to say I probably enjoyed the socializing part at the hostel more than actually going out but overall it was still a great time that I won't forget.
The next morning we made our way back to Montevideo and had a little down time before we went the El Clasico. El Clasico is one of the most important games here in Montevideo between 2 club teams located in the city. The 2 teams (Peñarol and Nacional) played at Estadio Centenario, the same stadium the first world cup was played at in 1930. The night was CRAZY. I wish I could bottle up the passion and love the people not only have for futbol, but for Peñarol as well. At least 3/4 of the stadium was filled with fans in black and yellow, ready to cheer on their team. They chanted the entire game, played drums, and lit flares when their team scored. I am extremely grateful to have had to opportunity to attend this game and hope everyone else in their life takes the time to see a game similar to this one.
And with excitement, constant busyness and lack of sleep comes a crash. A little bit before leaving for Punta del Este I realized that I am going to be gone for 4 months. This isn't just a week long vacation, this is going to be my home away from home for a little while. I miss my family and friends already and I can't communicate as easily as I'd like. It can be frustrating at times and a little overwhelming but I am thankful that I've had a decent adjustment to all of the changes. I've already experienced so much, and I know there is more to come.
Stay tuned for more next week!!!
