Turkish cowboys

These guys came from Turkey to work in a ranch in Big Sky, Montana (and for some of them this is their second season here). When we asked them why they chose this town, they were pretty concise with their answers:
- They love the landscapes and nature of Big Sky.
- They can choose between many outdoor activities to do in their free time.
- They can save money in a place like this.
So they seem to have a pretty good deal in this ranch.

[Fun anecdote: After I left Big Sky, I found these guys in Yellowstone! So, I would say we could add "-Visit the national parks" to their accurate list, specially if you are in Montana, where you have some of the most interesting national parks just around the corner.]

"Big Sky, in my opinion, is one of Montana’s best kept secrets. People are so nice, the day-to-day life is so much slower, and the scenery is amazing." These are the words of a girl who used to spend her summers in Big Sky and that, when she heard I was going there, wanted to share her opinion about it. For what I experienced, I guess she couldn't have described it better. And, personally, it reminded me of the beautiful and quiet landscapes of Patagonia, back in Argentina.

At Big Sky resort, we were invited to share a BBQ with some of the work & travel students and their managers. These guys live and work in this resort, located at the base of the mountains. They also agreed with the Turkish students about the good things of living in this rural area. If you come from a city, this is a nice place to experience a totally different kind of life, to live it in a way that you wouldn´t even imagine back in your country. It is something that really makes you see life from a whole new perspective. And I must say I totally agree with that.

As always, there are more pictures of Big Sky HERE. Check them out! :)
Thanks! 

What can I do in Chicago in half a day?

Arrive in Chicago at 16:30 by train

Visit the giant Jelly Belly

Take a picture of my reflection in the bean

Walk around the city

My friend Carrie told me that this fountain is the one that appeared at the beginning of the opening credits of "Married with children", does anyone remember it? :)

Photograph curious things, like what appears to be a 3-storey-tall suffocated Marilyn Monroe

Go to one of the tallest buildings (with a bar on the 96th floor)...

and get some drinks

and take some pictures

that's me :)

Take a picture to the pier...

and then go visit the pier!

Take more pictures of the city

For dinner, order Chicago's legendary deep dish pizza! :P

And, by midnight, find the work completed!

Chicago has a new attraction! and it was nice to be one of the first persons to see/appreciate it.

It was a good half day :)

The League of Justice

 

...that was the first thing that came to my mind when they told me I would be visiting The Alliance in Washington DC. But, what is the Alliance?

 

The Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange is an association of 76 nongovernmental organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.
The Alliance serves as the only collective public policy voice of the exchange community and their mission is to formulate and promote public policies that support the growth and well being of international exchange links between the people of the United States and other nations. 

   

Pretty cool, right? So, as you can see, they are in a way, like the League of Justice, but with no super powers (or so I think...). I wasn't that wrong, after all. ;)

I visited their office on Friday and I met with Lisa, an intern from Germany that has been working at the Alliance for almost a year.

   

She shared with me her experience of doing an internship in the U.S. Capital city, one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to.

   

 

   

Lisa also showed me some of the most interesting government buildings that she and her coworkers usually visit, as part of their jobs. 

And by the end of my visit we all went out for lunch! 

  

 

 

  

Yeap, this is definitely a great place for Superman and Wonder Woman to do an internship. ;)

 

By clicking HERE you will find more pictures of my visit to the Alliance!

 

 

At the island

 

Last day in Maine. 7am, we went to visit some Interns and some Work & Travel sutdents that are working at the Chebeague island inn. The owner of the inn, Casey, showed us around, it was a good way for us to get to know the island. We did some CIEE style interviews and we took some funny pictures with the filipinos interns :)

 

 You can find more pictures about the island HERE! [Interviews are soon to come!]

A day in the life of an awesome host family

On Friday, I could spend the whole day with a host family in Yarmouth, Maine. It was one of the greatest experiences I've had in the U.S. so far!
First, I met with these siblings, Jack and Phoebe (18 and 16, respectively), and with Néstor (17), their Spanish new brother, who came from Spain after being granted a scholarship, and who has been living with them since last August. The three of them took me to some cool spots in Yarmouth and they told me a bunch of different stories and facts that these places conceal. Then, we went to their house and we all had dinner, the 3 siblings, their parents (Nico and Ellen), and I (I don't know what "title" could describe my position, but I can say for sure that "stranger" is not an option). In just one day I learned a lot about the lifestyle of these young students and their family. And one of the most interesting things was the atmosphere that this family created. I felt integrated right away. They shared all their experiences and knowledge with me. By the way, I must say that these kids looked really mature, and I confirmed this idea after hearing/participating in all the debates that took place during dinner. I am not sure if this attribute, the way they see the world and life, is part of what makes them such a great/cool host family, or if being a host family is what  contributes to their interesting/cool vision of things and life. Maybe a little bit of both.

On Saturday, I was walking down the street when I heard 'Eze!' (I never thought I would be given a shout in Portland!), I turned around and there they were, Jack and Néstor. It was nice to see them again. :)


Here is a small peek of Néstor's experience living with his American family...

And here's a similar video of Jack's opinion on the experience of studying abroad:

This may sound a little trivial or, actually, a little nerdy, but one of the most interesting places we visited was their high school building! I know all my friends in Argentina are probably wondering about this, and the answer is: 'Yes, the school looks exactly the same as in the movies':

...and you can see more pictures by clicking HERE! :)

Welcome to Sebasco!

 

Me and Jenn (from CIEE) went to visit this beautiful resort in the coast where many students from east Europe come to work through the Work and Travel program. Sebasco is one of those places were anyone would love to stay in indefinitely... and the coolest part is that these students get to live there! Seeing them working or hanging around with their new friends reminded me of my 'work and travel' experiences back in the days... I got a little bit nostalgic but, on the other hand, it made me happy to see their enjoyment and to know that they will have the time of their lives.

  bye! thanks for coming ;)

[click in the pictures to enlarge them]

 

Today

Today Shay and Alex began their adventure outside the U.S.! :D

Today the CIEE staff named their building after their former President and CEO, Stevan Trooboff. It was a big surprise for him! You could see the enjoyment in everybody's faces.

Today CIEE celebrated Stevan's 16+ years of leadership of CIEE in a beautiful island near Portland! Luckily, the sun and the good weather decided to join us.

And today was the first time I got to try lobster! :P

It was a great day Today :)