The Struggle is REAL

Published on 21 October 2023 at 22:17

Sports.

 

Note: I've never played ball sports like soccer, football, or softball. I've never even played team sports before. Gymnastics, taekwondo, and running have all come in handy, yes, but not in the way I need them to.

 

Here, ping-pong, volleyball, basketball, soccer, yada yada yada—they're what we play. 

 

I'm not that bad… jk, I'm a MESS. 

 

Due to my sports deficit, I've had my fair share of struggle and HUMILIATION (y’all have noooooo idea).

 

And, frustratingly enough, it's usually just the boys playing, which SUCKS because activities like that (with little to no reliance on the spoken language) make my day 20x better.

 

This is where we play volleyball during the breaks.

 

Do you know how many times I didn't/hesitated to join, and how many times I stopped playing because of the pressure to not be worse than all the guys who've been playing their WHOLE LIVES? Even better, it feels like if the guys kick the ball too hard, miss a pass, or yada yada, it's FINE, but if I do it, I'm just a girl who can't play. The GRINGGA who can't play.

 

In other words, I need some new skills.

 

I need to learn how to juggle a soccer ball, serve a volleyball, score in a basketball hoop, do cool tricks like rolling the ball over my shoulders, etc. I need to be able to keep up with the locals—catch up on a lifetime of practice. Edit: I’m a fast learner ;)

 

So, about 2 weeks ago, I decided to do something about that. This is how I know I'm an introvert: I’ve started spending HOURS in the backyard, well after sunset, jamming to Spanish music and practicing. And it. Is. FUN. The little victory of juggling a soccer ball 7 times in a row after trying LITERALLY a hundred times feels SO AWESOME, and every time I achieve a new little victory, I set up a new challenge for myself. I have no one to share my little victories with, but I think I prefer it that way—no one needs to know how many times I hit myself in the face with that darn ball.

 

This is my playing field, so it's no surprise that it's so easy to spend hours here.

 

Tribulations

 

I always thought that once immersed in a new country for enough time, one would just "catch on" to the language. While that's not exactly WRONG… it takes time. The process is slow and painful—and there are times when I can comprehend with ease and times when I understand people about as much as I can understand squirrels.

 

Ordering a coffee is easy now, but at the beginning... nightmare-ish, I swear.

 

Also, I am in love with coffee.

 

I've been talking to my fellow exchange students, ones in Chile with me and others in Indonesia, and Thailand, and… well, let's just make a lil summary. There are some days we feel on top of the world and times when life seems like WAYYYY too much to handle. For some, it shifts by the day. For others, by the minute. 

 

I’m not kidding.

 

There are days when I’m just… tired. When I zone out in conversations, toying with my little rusted flower necklace; when I don’t do school work, hunching over my drawings instead; when I fall asleep at the table, having not said a word the entire meal. Thankfully, my friends here often take my moods in stride, offering me cookies, braiding my hair, and such.

 

On the bright side, my drawing skills are improving.

 

In my opinion, we're all just living a normal-ish life but with emotions far more intense than usual.

 

Win

 

There’s one thing I’ve done that I literally don’t know how I would live without.

 

I learned how to take the bus. 

 

It returned my ever-so-loved sense of independence, and gave me the opportunity to explore my surroundings without being dragged around by other people. What y’all probably don’t know: I’m so bad at navigation it’s practically a disability. Or—if I wanna be all positive—I have the superpower to have adventures without ever trying to :)

 

This picture is completely irrelevant here, but it's prettyyyyyyy (and supposedly the ugliest part of town).

 

The public transportation system here works well, but it’s a bit messy. The buses don’t have stable intervals; the bus stops don’t have names; there are no announcements of any sort; and you have to wave hysterically in order to get on (AND OFF) the bus—they literally will not stop otherwise (been there, done that). 

 

I’ve gotten off at the wrong stop a couple times. At this point, I think my host-family is getting used to all the heart attacks I give them. That’s what happens when you try to keep track of me, lol.

 

I present to you ✨ a bus stop ✨

 

Earlier this week, I was waiting at the bus stop for longer than I would’ve liked to (I’m kinda impatient, ok), so when this big, fancy, unfamiliar bus came rolling in—displaying the name of my little town—I was like, “mk, it’s probably just a fancy version of the normal little blue bus.” 

 

Y’all already know where this is going. 

 

I did my hysterical little wave dance, stepped on the bus… and people were sleeping. That, my friends, is not a good sign. But oh well! I sat down anyway, then shot a text to my host family asking if the price was the same for these buses.

 

… they were not familiar with that bus.

 

Hah.

 

Long story short, I asked the bus driver if the bus passes by my stop (the answer was no), then befriended the girl next to me. She told me when to get off to catch another bus. I got off, got on the right bus, bought some bananas, and walked home. A classic story of good people everywhere ;)

 

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I’ve been lost enough times that I don’t panic anymore.

 

As always, thank you for readingggg ❤️❤️❤️

 

P.S. I’m on my way to Patagonia!

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Comments

Leslie
a year ago

You are wonderful at journaling your activities. You are one strong young lady! And quite the artist. I hope the sports get easier for you, I admire your determination. Thank you sharing your adventures. Stay safe, and enjoy every minute.

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