The beginning of this dream was our departure from Uruguay. We were so excited about this trip and all the experiences that we could not wait for it to start.
We arrived to Washington DC airport on March 31st. Melissa, Elizabeth, Lauren and Kate, Partners of the Americas’ staff, were waiting for us. After that, they took us to the hotel, and there we met the other Youth Ambassadors from Paraguay, Argentina and Venezuela. In that moment the cultural exchange began.
Together we spent five wonderful days and we enjoyed orientations, where Elizabeth, Melissa and Lauren first gave us instructions for our stay in Washington DC, and then for our trip to Minnesota. Besides, we shared some workshops about how to use the photography in our projects and how to create and organize volunteer projects in our communities. These activities were very useful and enjoyable too. Then, at Kaboom we learned about a big volunteer organization, and how it works.
During all our outings around the city, we enjoyed wonderful views and took pictures of the beautiful cherry blossoms. We had a lot of important meetings, such as the one at the OAS, State Department or Uruguayan Embassy, where we learned a lot about international relationships and how to improve it. We also learned about the situation of our country in the international context. We saw a lot of different monuments, memorials and visited some of the Smithsonian museums, where we learned about American History and about some of its most significant leaders. We also learned about science, culture and art. For fun, Elizabeth, Melissa and Lauren invited us to go to a basketball game. The Wizards played against the Chicago Bulls. It was a completely new experience for us. We loved being in that huge indoor stadium, and had a lot of fun.
After a week in Washington D.C, we arrived to the Chicago airport. While we were waiting for our next flight, we spent the time doing some window shopping. Our plane took off at 11:45 and our destination was Minneapolis International Airport. We were anxious about meeting our host families and our coordinators in Minnesota. After an hour we arrived to Minneapolis where Patrick and Sue were waiting for us with a Uruguayan flag!!! Our trip from Minneapolis to Montevideo took two hours by car, and we arrived to Montevideo and immediately went to the CURE office where our host families were waiting for us. One of our most important wishes, being part of a traditional American family, was beginning. But on the other hand, we had mixed feelings. On one hand, we were happy for having been through that great experience in Washington DC with all the group, but on the other hand, we were also a little sad because we were not going to be together all the time in Minnesota. We were only going to see each other for some activities.
Once we were in our respective homes, we started to live the American way of life day by day. During our stay, we went to the Montevideo Senior High School, where we found a huge difference between our educational system and the American one. With Patrick Moore, we went through the history and culture of the region. For example, we visited South Dakota, home of the Dakota native people (most commonly known as the Sioux tribe) where we had a great opportunity of sharing a nice moment with Dr. Elden Lawrence, a Native American elder.
We also visited places like the Chippewa County Court House, the Circle Sentence (penitentiary system for minors) and the Montevideo City Hall, where we had the chance to learn more about the American Government.
Our visit to Montevideo also included recreational activities like kayaking and canoeing, helping in one of the community projects from CURE like the cleanup of the Minnesota River, sharing “asados” with our host families among many other things, all of which increased the affective bond with our host families.
Undoubtedly, the ten days we spent in Montevideo were one of the best experiences of the journey, where thanks to the hospitality and love of our families, we felt as if we were in our own homes and families. In that period of time we realized how similar Uruguay and Minnesota are.
After the incredible experience in Montevideo MN, we were ready but a little anxious about the last stage of our journey, since we were going to meet a new host family in Stillwater.
As soon as we arrived here we had the feeling that it would be very different from our previous experience in Montevideo MN because we were immersed in a very different economic and social reality.
However, after three days living here we realized that despite the different realities and habits between these two cities, the relationship among family members, as well as their attention and dedication to us was the same. They were always trying to make us feel good and to share their culture with us as much as possible.
We would also like to point out the clear difference we could observe between the Montevideo MN students and those who attend the huge Stillwater High School. For example, while the first ones were a bit afraid of talking with us, here they were eager to welcome us and make us lots of questions.
It was wonderful to share these last days of our trip with them. We had the opportunity to contrast their lifestyle with ours as well as with other cities in the same country. Finally, we would like to thank Partners of the Americas, the Department of State, and the US Embassy in Uruguay for giving us the opportunity to participate in the Youth Ambassadors Program. It was an incredible learning experience that has changed our life and that we will never forget.
2010 Uruguayan YAs
Filed under: The YA Experience
