Thursday, April 17

Today was a short day at school before Easter 3 day weekend. We had a special ceremony today called Viacrucis, where we went out to the track and one of my classmates carried a cross and we went to like 6 different stations where people read us prayers and then walking between the stations we also prayed. It was supposed to be a reminder of the tribulations that Christ went through before the crucifixion. It was a startling reminder that I was no longer in public school.

We got out at 1 today, and then I went with Fernanda, Vicente (her boyfriend), and Nico to the center to eat lunch. After lunch we went up to the mall where a new movie theater just opened, and we bought our tickets to see Divergent. Nico had to leave, and Pablo was going to come see the movie, so we sat outside the theater waiting for him and talking. I thought it would be awkward to be with Fernanda and her boyfriend (especially since they’ve been dating for 4 years already) but they are honestly two of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and I had a great time. Pablo made it just in time for the movie to start. Divergent is my favorite book, and the movie definitely did not let me down. It was absolutely fantastic (except for the screaming fan girls in the theater with us that wouldn’t shut up). After the movie I had to run through the center to get a collectivo, and Pablo was nice enough to come with me. So we walked really fast together while I explained to him why Berkeley was a really awesome school and what a sit in protest is. When I got home, I ran up to my room, changed clothes, and Manuel and Lilian quickly drove me over to the San Martins’ house because I was later than I’d said I would be. When I got there, everyone was there including the grandparents, and it was a nice little reunion. Monse ran out and hugged me tight, and so did Nancy. Then I went with Sally to her room (my ex-room), and we had a really cool little family comparison time. I’m half jealous that Sally had my family now and worried that they’ll like her better, and half really happy that I switched with Sally so we can compare the families and be actual sisters forever because I really love Sally. Sally was supposed to come to Argentina with us, but her parent permission from the US did not arrive on time, so she can’t come. I went with Nancy to drop her off at a friend’s house for the weekend, and then we went home, packed up the car, and left for Argentina at 10 at night. We were going in 2 cars (both were Tio Mario’s because if you all remember the unpaid tax on the car was the reason we couldn’t go to Argentina in September) and we were 13 people in all—Tio Mario, Tia Ximena, Tata, Abelita, Abueli, Vicente, Joaquin, Laurie, Monse, Maxi, Nancy, Eric, and me. We ate dinner of cheese sandwiches in the car, and then I basically just wasted time like on all long car rides. I think the fact that we don’t live together anymore has actually done wonders for Maxi and my relationship because we sat together and laughed and talked for a long time and I had a really great time with him the whole Argentina trip!! I tried to sleep for a while, and then woke up as we were climbing up through the cordillera. It was weird because I remembered the whole route ad it felt like just yesterday that I had been there and not over 7 months ago.

We were stuck in the Argentinean customs line for 4 hours (from 2 to 6 in the morning), so we all continued sleeping because it was way too cold to stay outside the car for too long. Then we passed through the border (this time without even a tiny hitch), and I went back to sleep as we would down the Cordillera Los Andes into Argentina.