As I sit down to reflect on my time during the Penn Abroad internship in Uruguay, I am filled with a sense of nostalgia and gratitude for the experiences I had and the lessons I learned. The journey has been transformative, and I wanted to share with you how this adventure has left an indelible mark on my perspective.
The best way to learn more about a culture is to spend a lot of time there. I spent my summer in Montevideo, but I also traveled to other countries while I was there, and while I loved them all, I got to know Uruguay in a different way. When you spend five days in a city you obviously experience it like a tourist. You pack your day with every important site. You leave your accommodation early in the morning and you come back late at night, exhausted from a busy day of trying to see as much as you can before your journey back home. This was my experience when I visited Buenos Aires and Rio with my fellow GRIP interns. We loved those cities, but not in the same way as Montevideo.
Of all the traditions of Argentina, the asado reigns as the poster child for Argentinian culture and condition. The asado - or barbecue, is usually characterized as the gathering of friends and family around the fire pit to enjoy an assortment of meats and foods while cherishing each other's company. As I reflect on my unforgettable summer interning in this captivating South American nation, my heart warms at the vivid memories of the asado experiences I was fortunate enough to partake in.
