one long continuous day separated by three naps (title by anthony handal)

i believe i can say that i have had a pretty exciting and eventful last few days full of new experiences and things that hopefully never happen again!

it all started on monday. my plane left minneapolis/st. paul airport on time. but little did i know that when i was talking to nick before our call was lost, that the storm he mentioned would be the exact storm that kept me in the airplane circling atlanta for an extra hour and a half. i was freaking out on the plane thinking that i was going to miss my flight to argentina and cause all sorts of problems for meeting up with anthony. but the plane eventually landed and then i was left to wait to get off the plane.

while i was waiting, nick called me. he said that he was in the airport and wanted to see me if possible. but alas, i had to rush to my next flight. i told nick i couldn't make it to see him, but i was really touched that he had driven all that way. i made it to my next flight on time, but others didn't, so we waited for them. for an extra hour and a half. i could've seen nick after all. but it was too late.

being on that airplane was the first time i felt overwhelmed by all the spanish i heard around me.

when we finally took off, we were in the air for about twenty minutes before i noticed a commotion about five rows ahead of me. a guy was having a seizure. people crowded around, and doctors on the flight took care of him. i felt a little reassured that should i have a medical emergency, i would be taken care of.

the flight was really long and boring, and would end up being longer than i thought.

about four or five hours later, the man had another seizure, and it was a big one, with vomiting i believe (sorry nick). i was glad that i was not in the near vicinity. but everyone was talking and we had to make an emergency landing in panama city, panama. so i was technically in panama, but i technically wasn't in panama. that sucks. we sat on the ground for 1-2 hours, but eventually ended up leaving the guy there....i feel kind of bad.

you know the map they show that tracks the plane's progress? well yeah, according to that, i never left atlanta the entire flight. so much for being informed.

p.s. i watched karate kid in the airplane. good movie. you should see it.

after six hours in the air to panama, it was another six hours to argentina. my plane got there late. anthony and i had planned to meet in the gate area. i was quickly ushered to customs. i never found anthony. i kept hoping he would be in the next section but he wasn't. i was really freaked out, i had to go through customs alone.

i paid my fee, turned in some papers and went to baggage claim. no anthony. i got my bags but at this point i teared up. i was scared and trying to come up with a plan to page him in the airport if i couldn't find him. but thankfully he was out waiting for me in the main part of the airport.

we left and got a taxi. this is where it gets interesting again. when we were driving to exit the airport, all of the sudden police stopped us. police cars parked behind us. we had to get out of the car. passports were shuffled about, lots of talking while krista sat there in blissful ignorance as to what was happening in the spanish storm around her. it ended up being that we had gotten into a taxi with crooks. the police stepping in was actually a good thing. we got into another taxi and went to the adventist church in buenos aires. did i mention it was raining this whole time while we were standing outside? oh, and i hadn't peed for at least 9 hours and wouldn't for another 2.

it took a long time to get into the church, but the people were really nice to us. they let us leave our bags as we walked around the city. it is a cool city, very beautiful. but something awful happened on the way back to the church. we left down town as everyone was getting off of work. the subway was a mess. i had no idea that many people could squish into a tiny car. i was mushed up into anthony and people were pressing into me on every side. krista turner no longer had any space bubble. maybe it was even going into the negative realm. where space bubble had been 10 feet before, in the subway, it turned into -26 billion. but little did i know that it was about to become -260 kajillion. there was this creepy man that had gotten on a few stops after us. he gradually made his way over to where i was and seemed really strange about getting really close to me. i'm sorry for the graphic nature, but honestly, his hand ended up basically in my crotch. i freaked out. i turned away, he maneuvered too. i spun around the other direction, he did too. i was getting into sheer panic mode. i backed as far as i could into anthony and straight up watched this guy's hand to make sure he wouldn't do that again. anthony was about to push me behind him when the guy got off. i don't know if this guy was doing that on purpose, or if it was just so crowded that he couldn't avoid it, but nonetheless, i felt really shaken after that. ugh.

when we got back to the church, i experienced something that again invades my space bubble. the right cheek kiss. everyone does it in argentina. i'm still getting used to it.

well anthony and i eventually ended up at the bus station to catch a bus to the town where UAP is. it left at 11:00. we arrived in the rain at 4:45 in the morning. we went to the gate of the university to see if they would let us in. they wouldn't. we had to go back to the station and sit on the most uncomfortable benches. we eventually find our way into the university a few hours later only to find that the deans weren't on duty. more waiting. eventually they show up, but they didn't really have a room for me, which they said that they would. more waiting. anthony and i toured the town while we waited, in the rain.

i come back and they show me to my room. i live off campus about a block in a third dorm thing. i have one roommate. she speaks very little english. everyone here speaks very little english. it has been interesting. we live in a decent sized room with our own bathroom! praise the Lord! by this point i hadn't peed in like 14 or 15 hours. neither had anthony. we were tired and dehydrated but kept going on with getting things arranged. anthony found a bridge to camp under tonight while i showered, which i hadn't done for like three days. i reeked, i felt disgusting, and i had been rained on countless times. it wasn't pretty. but i did get a warm shower, which felt soo good!

i met up with anthony again and we hiked to the bridge. apparently we were like the pied piper for the stray dogs, particularly one who seemed to be the poster boy for dogs with STDs. he has issues. serious issues. we went to the bridge where anthony proudly displayed his little set up. we sat down and ended up falling asleep. so i can now say that i have indeed slept under a bridge! i feel like chelsea would be really proud of me on this one.

we have been bumming around town doing not a whole lot because today was a holiday and no one was at the school for me to talk to. anthony has fallen asleep countless times and is in fact asleep at the table next to me in this internet cafe.

but have no fear, i think i will like it. it will be challenging for sure, and it already has been. but i have gotten a taste of what it is like to communicate in spanish! and it is exciting.

i miss everyone a lot. thanks for your well wishes and prayers. anthony and i didn't eat until four today, so we are going to get a real supper now.

this has been THE LONGEST DAY EVER, and it's not quite over yet.... we shall see if we have any adventures left for us tonight!