Back to normal...kinda

So I've officially been on the gluten free diet for 2.5 months and I'm feeling much better. Mentally and emotionally I almost feel like my old self, physically I am much better, but still not quite there yet. But I think it will take a few months more since I do not know for sure what some of the ingredients are in certain foods down here. But I did feel better playing soccer on Saturday! Well, except for the whole big girl run me over and sprain my ankle part, but that wouldn't be the first time. Before that incident I felt much better than I did trying to run an 8k two weeks before. I almost died. I was in a pain and even dry heaved a few times. Pretty sad, I know, but it's most likely a combination of being incredibly out of shape, as well as eating apple strudel (with gluten!) the day before. Not my brightest idea, but my roommate is from Germany and worked so hard at it and I just...wanted...a...little...piece. Probably not worth the feeling that terrible while trying to run more than I have the rest of the year combined, but it was still delicious. And I learned my lesson: no cheating on the diet. Sorry Andy! (He had to run with me).

Don't really have any pictures to post here, I don't think, unless...wait. Here you go:

cankle time!

Probably not what you wanted to see, but I'm struggling financially theses days so I haven't really traveled around Argentina much. The one place I wanted to go was Mendoza but still haven't made it. Hopefully I will someday, I've heard it's beautiful. Anyway, I head home in November and cannot wait to see everyone!

A sister blog

I started a new blog for to help with my new gluten-free life!  I'll be expirimenting with recipes and such so feel free to check it out! http://simplywithout.blogspot.com.ar/

Bridget

Finally!

After about 24 hours of traveling, a very tired Facu and I just got back to Buenos Aires.  I will upload the photos and add a post about all the stuff we did and places we saw when I can find the cord to my camera/get the internet to work, so sorry about the delay.  But I do have some updates from the doctor!

I don’t know if I ever told you, although I’m sure I did multiple times knowing myself, but I’ve been having a lot of medical problems since I was a sophomore in college.  It started when I found out I was anemic even though my iron levels are normal and then just grew gradually from there.  Nothing ever big enough to suggest something needs immediate attention, but enough to make me aware something was not right.  I started noticing when I was suddenly exhausted all the time - even just walking one flight up the stairs.  And of course people would say “oh you’re just stressed” or “maybe you have mono” which I went and got tested for because I was so tired, but it was negative and I wasn’t getting any better after taking cold medicine.  Then other things started to happen like my short-term memory would be off and I couldn’t focus on tasks as well as before and then I was having a really hard time getting out of bed after 8 hours of sleep.  And I have always been a morning person because I like the quiet and taking my time eating, getting ready, reading, etc. so this was really annoying because I didn’t want to get out of bed.  I thought maybe I wasn’t getting enough sleep so I upped my count to 10 hours.  But nothing changed.  And then I started getting acne that was worse than any I had ever had during adolescence which confused me quite a bit since I thought I had grown out of it.

And since the changes were so small and gradual nobody else really noticed a difference in me or my habits but me.  And it was weird because I never really felt bad, but I never felt good either.  So I became sleep obsessed.  I mean, I went to bed at 11PM during the week and on weekends I would plan on going out in Memphis but would frequently find myself opting to stay home and relax because I was “tired” and “needed to catch up on sleep.”  

And then I noticed a huge difference in my food digestion that prompted me to try the celiac diet.  So I kicked gluten out but I didn’t notice a difference in how I felt so I nixed that after a few months.  And then I had some blood work done; which is where I discovered that my anemia had nothing to do with iron but we weren’t sure why.  And things remained the same for about a year or so until after graduation I would get terrible headaches sporadically every few months (enough so to get my eyes checked in case they were the problem) and then my joints began aching too if I sat still for too long.  And I can’t tell you how incredibly frustrating this all was, not knowing what’s wrong or if there is even something wrong at all.  People would tell me they thought I was a hypochondriac and was fine and it was all in my head (which, of course at this point, I’m sure you know that was really encouraging to hear).  

I became insanely stressed because I didn’t know what was wrong, and maybe people were right and it was just in my head.  I was getting angry and worked up over nothing, I went from crying once a year to crying to every other day.  And over stupid things too.  Wow, I’m crying because I missed my exit on the highway?  What is wrong with me?  And I know people change, which I clearly have over the past few years just because of life, but I became really cynical about everything.  I still appreciated life with it’s challenges, but I just noticed a negativity I’ve never seen in myself before.  I could find something wrong with everything.  

And there were good days and bad days too.  Most of the time though, I couldn’t sleep through the night without waking up every hour.  And then I would wake up feeling hung-over even though I didn’t drink the day before.  And poor Facu and my mom have had to put up with me the most since I’m living down in Argentina and they're the ones I vent to when I can. So, when I was home this past month we took a day away from our vacation to go to the doctor to figure out what the heck was wrong. 

Two arms and a leg later I found out I am allergic to...pretty much everything.  The main thing is gluten, which wasn’t much of a surprise, but the setback is that I’m also allergic to cow milk – which immediately kills most cheeses, yogurt, ice cream, milk, etc.  And then there's eggs (the yolks and the whites), cherries, almonds, black pepper, garlic (really God?), avocado, apricot, pineapple, green beans, mushrooms, kidney beans (Actually, I think I’m okay with this one), chili powder, mustard, and the list goes on.  Oh and don't forget brewer’s yeast! So that means no beer, even the gluten free ones.  But I guess the dairy, eggs, and garlic probably explains why I didn’t see much improvement with the celiac diet.  I was substituting yogurt and eggs for breakfast cereal, and I wad definitely drinking gluten free beer and putting garlic in everything when I cooked – all of which are things I’m allergic to.  Awesome.  And I guess it's really hard for your body to function properly without absorbing any nutrients for years (which I know my mom will claim is the reason I'm so short).

On the bright side, coffee and chocolate are safe along with meat and seafood, and I apparently need to eat MORE salt so I won’t complain about that.  I can’t tell you what a relief it is just to know.  I mean, I definitely cried when I saw the list and found out that mushrooms and garlic were a no go too, but still it’s much better to know and be able to solve everything then be left wondering if you’re crazy or if you have something more serious.  

And there’s also a possibility that after 2 or 3 years I can start gradually introducing certain things back into my diet.  But we’ll see, I’ve only been on the new diet for 2 days so I’m still trying to figure out what I CAN eat so that I can start feeling better.  So if you know of any cheeses besides goat’s cheese that don’t have cow milk let me know!  Also I’m still a bit confused about alcohol because I thought brewer’s yeast was only in beer, but I’ve read it might be in wine too (which would be really sad), but I really don’t know so help would be great.

Bridget

Choice

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
- Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain


I love this quote, because traveling seems to kill the little silly things that don't matter much but become such a big part of your everyday life, while at the same time, it seems to exaggerate and solidify the things that are most important to you.  And once you've disposed of the unessential items you'll have much more time for the things you love.

For me, the most important thing a person has is: CHOICE.  The ability to choose what you do, what you believe, the way you react, the way you think, and the way to change your situation if you've chosen not to be complacent with it.  So often we choose to take the entitlement mentality that is based around the mindset that we are victims to our situations. 

I've been doing it quite a bit lately, but then I remember even though something may happen that's out of my control, I still have the choice to complain about it, deal with it, change it, or remove myself from the situation altogether. Maybe it's inconvenient and takes a little time and work, but nothing comes easy in life for anyone.

There are some people in this world who have not been taught that they have the power to choose the way they live their lives.  Some think it's all given to them and they are therefore entitled to it as well as anything else they desire while others think there's nothing they can do to better their situation and everyone else is to blame for it.  Both are false.  Anyone can do anything if they have at least 2 of 3 things:

1. an education (and I'm not just talking about the schooling kind)
2. a desire
3. a strong work ethic

Don't let anybody tell you any different, even yourself.

Argentina is the place for doppelgangers

If you want to find yours then head on down to Buenos Aires!  They say that there is at least one other person in this world that looks like you and apparently they all live here. 

Seriously not a week goes by that I don’t see someone and think “what are you doing here?” and realize it’s not who I think it is but instead is a complete stranger.  Or I meet someone and can’t stop staring at them because I feel like I’ve met them before.  Only to soon realize that they just remind me of someone because they look and act scarily similar. 

I’ve compiled a list of my friends who have “been in Argentina” in the past year:

Ben Kessler (you have a salsa-dancing, flannel wearing clone down here)

Peter Hall (Equipped with a North Face vest, fratastic shirt, and the same hairstyle, I’m still pretty sure it’s actually you)

Willie Dale (your long lost, brown haired, brown-eyed brother with extremely flat feet)

Blake or Andy?

Alex Nicholson (in this case, your doppelganger is an expat as well.  Same hair, same nose, same humor, and same manner of walking – only British)

David Guetta

Blake Rustmann (a brown haired, big-headed version – only smarter ;) )

Katherine Lagow (wait, that actually was you)

Sarah Casey (American-born, Spanish speaking, freckle faced, Argentine living version)

Harry Potter (real-life version)

Aaron Nicholson (same ginger beard and all)

There’s definitely more, I just can’t think of them off the top of my head, but I’ll update as I remember.  Also, I really need to start taking pictures because it’s ridiculous how similar these people are.

Wait a second...

So if a christian says something derogatory about a certain type of person it's hateful and unintelligent (which I agree, it shouldn't be done considering it goes against everything Jesus taught) yet when other people say something derogatory about Christians it's not hateful and not ignorant?  And aren't they the ones preaching about being more open minded to other people's beliefs?  I see a double standard here.

Valuable lessons from Rhodes College

It's 6:30 AM in Argentina and I can't sleep, so what better way to pass the time then to reminisce about Rhodes College and the wonderful things I discovered from its diverse social scene.


1. The Gold Medallion Shoe
I may not know the name of these shoes (I literally got the picture from googling "gold medallion shoe"), but I do know one thing about them, the girls at Rhodes College love the shit out of these things.  They had them in every style imaginable: neon, plaid, heels, sparkly, etc.  And they wore them with their dresses, they wore them with their skirts, and they even wore them with their Nike shorts - so of course they had to have at least 3 pairs each to coordinate with their various ensembles.  Because why would anyone pay 20 bucks for a pair of old navy flats when you could pay 70 for the same ones with gold medallions glued to them?

2. The North Face

Another thing people at Rhodes loved was to give the appearance that they had been mountain climbing recently.  And by that, I mean they loved The North Face.  And I'm not talking any North Face, I'm talking about the Denali jacket.  I have never seen this jacket so many times as when I went to eat lunch on the first day of fall at Rhodes College.  Bust out your power sweatshirts everyone! And if you didn't have one when you started at Rhodes, you had one when you left, because who would be caught dead wearing a Patagonia?  Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good jacket and a good brand, but I doubt that most people who were wearing it didn't actually know what the name "The North Face" even refers to. 

3. Nike Shorts
Apparently these shorts are a staple to any college girls wardrobe.  Even if she has never gone on a run in her life.  Which is fine, they're comfy and fashionable and can be paired with gold medallion shoes and North Face Jackets to turn any bad day into a stylish one!  No but really, these shorts are everywhere.  I had the old version of these shorts for soccer practice when I was younger and didn't even realize the gold mine of a fashion statement I was sitting on until I got to Rhodes.  I busted those babies out as soon as I caught on!  Although they weren't quite as cute as these neon pink tiger stripe ones on the right here so I had to invest half my paycheck in a more updated version.  And quite frankly, for as cute as they look, I can't help but be disappointed about the poofy section in the front near the elastic line.  Does anyone else have that problem or did I just buy the wrong season of Nike shorts?

4. Sperry Topsiders

These shoes have a fashion niche that spans generations.  From my mom having her own pair of the beloved boat shoes to my younger sister's praise of  their wardrobe versatility, these shoes have are tale of the ages that makes everyone a bit nostalgic for the feeling of the ocean's breeze flowing through your hair.. Comfy and sophisticated, you can even buy special nude color-panty-hose-type socks to wear with them so they don't get stinky.  Or, if you want to see a variety of the different styles I advise you not to walk by the ATO and Kappa Sigma frat houses.  The RAT would be a better bet because apparently the only reason people dare to brave the questionable cuisine there is to show off the new additions to their wardrobe.  It's like the whole J Crew catalog just came to life. So, if you're the type like me who buys them because their comfy and about as close to owning a yacht as I will ever get, then I recommend the bluefish 2 eye version. 

5. Rainbow Sandals

God bless California Surfers for teaching us that you don't find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but instead, theses little bundles of leathery delight. And I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the first 2 blister filled, calloused weeks of breaking these babies in is totally worth it.  For just $40 bucks and bearing this slight 2 week grievance your feet are rewarded with a bliss that is molded to the contour of your feet and makes you feel like you're walking on pillows.  Just don't let them get wet otherwise it feels like you're walking on sticky floor type pillows.

6. Longchamp

I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't know the significance of these either until my friend brought me a $2 Shanghai knockoff last year.  But I do remember that EVERY girl at Rhodes College had these.  If not the first semester, they soon learned to ditch their North Face backpack for this more feminine tote that can function both as a book bag as well as a purse.  I was a little amazed and appalled to find that they cost upwards of $115.  I'll stick to the Shanghai specials, especially since nobody seems to be able to tell the difference.

7. Croakies

Don't let the name deceive you.  Although it might scream redneck I can assure you that only the most fratty of frat boys will be found sporting these.  And that is pretty much every single one at Rhodes College.  Just wander past the library on a Friday evening and you'll be greeted with a slew of men dawning these along with their Columbia vest on top of a collard shirt (paired with J crew critter shorts and Sperry's of course).  Before Rhodes I thought Oakley dominated the sports eye-wear market, only to find that there is a whole other realm of sports out there I wasn't aware of.  And they all seemed to originate on the thresholds of frat houses. The original founders probably had something to do with a mix of frat houses and duck hunting, but now I'm pretty sure the wearers of said eye wear would rather hunt for a pledge to make a beer run than a duck. Be sure to get the attachment so they don't fall of your head!


List 2 will be coming soon.  Here are a few teasers: Ugg boots, the entire J crew store, and anything Kate Spade. 

It's been awhile

So I've been a terrible blogger lately. It's been over 2 months since I last updated. To be honest though, I haven't really felt up to writing lately because I work online about 10 hours a day and being on the computer anymore than necessary isn't that appealing. But what needs to be done, needs to get done!

So to recap a bit, I went to the beach with Facu and his family. They have a house there with a grill and it was so nice to escape the big city and just enjoy the ocean. Especially since there weren't a ton of people there since it was chilly. His mom made homemade fried calamari one night which was wonderful. With just a little bit of lemon and salt and we were all set. Nom nom nom...

I think the best part of the entire trip though was when we went out to a bar one night with some friends and they had a special going on for unlimited beer for 3 hours for 30 pesos. And that my friends is the equivalent of $6.83 USD. Oh what fools! They told that secret to the wrong group of people too. Why pay 24 pesos for one beer if I can pay 30 for infinite beer? And then, to make the night even better, the bouncer was from none other than the greatest city in the world: Dallas, Texas. AND THEN, if you didn't think the night could get any better, oh it did. This random German Shepherd just strolled into the bar and plopped himself down on a couch like he owned the place. And of course we took a picture with the celebrity before he was quickly shooed away:

The rest of the weekend we spent failing miserably at fishing, but at least we tried.

Facu Fishing

Facu's Dad fishing

And then this week was spent getting back into the swing of things. Facu's birthday was yesterday so I made some chocolate chip oatmeal raisin walnut peanut butter cookies since he doesn't really like cake. Nom nom nom.

Yes, that is a triple decker cookie stacked with layers of dulce de leche!

Anyway, that's all I've got going on at the moment, but hopefully I'll have some stories after my first soccer game this weekend! Got my cleats ready and everything (my mommy polished them for me before she sent them). I'll let you know.

Bridget

Pinamar beach

My new crib

I have officially moved into the city. For the past 2 months I had been living outside it in Quilmes where the beer is made. But now I'm a city dweller! I'm living in the home of a good friend of Facu's that's in a really nice part of the city called Retiro. I'm next to the train station and a few touristy places and the most important thing...a Starbucks. I'm getting a little tired of this instant coffee thing so the fact that there's 2 within walking distance is incredibly convenient. And there's also 3 grocery stores within 2 blocks as well as some fruit ladies that sit nearby selling produce to people that walk by. 

But of course this is Argentina (TIA) and 4 days after I move in to this awesome place, there's a story all over the news about some French photographer getting killed in the park down the street. Seriously? He apparently went for a walk yesterday morning and was taking pictures of some nature in plaza San Martin (a relatively safe place - during the day) when some rando tried to steal his camera. Of course the frenchie said no, and proceeded to tackle the man to get his camera back which is when he was then stabbed in the chest...6 times. The poor guy was on vacation here and just wanted to take a few pictures of some trees. At least he kicked the thief's butt. Although if he hadn't done so he would probably still be alive.

I don't understand the way people can warrant taking another human's life for something as insignificant as a camera. Btw the criminal was caught and is now in jail. Lucky for him the photographer wasn't a Texan, because then he would have pulled out his gun and shot the thief and got his camera back (in the leg of course so as not to kill him).

Anyway, mom and dad don't worry I'll be smart so I'm safe. Also I'm not french and I don't have expensive things...except the phone I'm writing this with. But I'll be careful. Okay I guess I should give a tour of my new place.

shared living room

my bathroom...Jacuzzi tub!

shared kitchen

my giant bedroom

my living room/work space