Uruguay

Oh, the beauty of simplicity.
We came to Argentina on 3 month/ 90 day visas and in order to renew a visa all you have to do is leave the country. So last week Jen took us (STMs) to Uruguay which is right across from Argentina on the Rio de Plata. We spent 3 nights in the city of Colonia for a retreat taking time and making space to rejuvinate ourselves and spending some quality team time together outside of the city. You may recall my retellings of our last retreat when we went to Mendoza with Jer. It's interesting how different this retreat was- no mountains to climb, no precarious railroad bridges to cross, no hitch-hiking- and yet this second retreat, with it's stark differences, was just as revitalizing, exciting, and bonding. The weather was perfect, our aparment was quant, the town was simple and old enough to feel its extensive history, the people, that is the people I spent time with, are stellar, and it was freaking Uruguay! Perhaps going into detail about each day would bore you so I'll just list highly remembered moments and I am hopeful that you can at least experience a ting of the simplistic beauty that I felt in full force.
A campfire on the beach at night; sleeping in; dinners in the apartment; guitar on the balcony; playing Settlers of Catan (highlight!)or cards late into the night/ morning; bikeride around Colonia to the beach and through a park; watching the sunset's ascent into the water ; skipping rocks; dinner and live flamenco music; swing dancing and deep conversation on the roof, watching the moon set and falling stars make grand streaks across the night sky; beach time swimming in slightly less than comfortably frigid water (¨this is a river?!¨), conversations lounging in the sand; walking through town; and getting stamp number 2 in my passport.
Friday after returning from Uruguay and resting a bit Matt and I borrowed the Dean's bike and biked to the Ecological Reserve in Costanera Sur but not before getting some of the best Empanadas I've had here yet (I didn't think I'd miss empanadas until I ate these). We tried to go to the reserve earlier in the term when we took a bike ride on a rainy day but the park was closed, so I was excited to be able to finally go and ride through the reserve and sit by the river water. It's definitely a place I want to hit up again before we leave.
On Saturday, after spending a majority of the day sitting in the middle of the Feria at Recoleta getting my long awaited dreads started, we trekked all over the city for the annual La Noche de los Museos where all the museums in the city are open free to the public from 9pm-2am. It was a rare occasion to hang out with both Jen and Jer outside of their home while Jen's parents who were visiting watched the Dean kids. We first went to the Tango Museum and heard a couple guitarists play, then attempted to go to the congress house only to be let down b a long line to enter. So we headed to Palermo to see a Tango show. Buenos Aires if known for any one thing, is know for it's Tango, so this was an important experience for us to have. And was it! I was in awe to see such passion and talent taking place on stage. It is a riveting style of dance. We again were let down by the long line at the science museum (sorry, Jason) so we made our last stop at the Museum of Latin American Art.
As I wrap up this post I should maybe insert some deep thought reflecting on these past couple weeks. But all I have to say is
oh, the beauty of simplicity.