Los Perros, Family and Last Days in my 20s...Days 13-18

Hola! I was a bit lazy the last few days and didn't feel like writing, so I didn't. I also didn't feel like doing much productive, so instead I read about 3 full books, and watched episodes of Six Feet Under over the weekend. Sometimes you just need a lazy weekend I think! I did of course spend a lot of time walking around exploring my neighbrohood, but that was about it as far as activity goes. I needed to rest up since I have company for the next week!

One of the things I have noticed here the most are the dogs. Or los perros. Granted, I'm a huge dog person, and missing my little dude like crazy, so that's probably part of it. But I swear, they are everywhere! In huge packs, with their walkers. Who knew Argentina had dog walkers? I certainly did not! But the thing I notice the most isn't the fact that there are dogs, but that they are so well behaved. A single dog walker will have 20 or so large dogs and will either be walking them around, barely holding onto the leashes not having a care in the world. And it works! They just walk along as they are supposed to, not pulling or jerking or anything. It's amazing (at least to me, who has to struggle sometimes with my 15 pound dog to keep him walking beside me.)

But what's even more crazy to me than that is that when the walkers are just hanging out at the parks with their dogs. ALL off leash, no fence, just hanging out. And they don't run away! They just play and hang out and people come up and pet them and it's OK. Like it's no big deal for a person to have 20 large dogs, of various breeds, many which we would consider "dangerous" in the US wtih absolutely no way to control them if they were to say "go after" someone. Except they don't. They just chill. It's the coolest thing. It makes me wonder what we need to learn from the Argentinans on how to train dogs! Below is a photo of the dogs I see every day when I walk in the park after lunch, they are the sweetest most well behaved bunch, I look forward to seeing them every single day:

And this laid back attitude towards dogs kind of is representative of what the culture here is like. I can't figure out the right words to describe it exactly, but it is much more laid back here. In so many different ways. I really like that part of living here. Now granted, it has it's downsides, laid back can sometimes mean that the service here isn't what I'm used to in the US. But for the most part the laid back atmosphere is something I've come to enjoy very much.

In other news, my family arrived on Monday! Or part of my family at least. My mom, my sister and her boyfriend Thomas. I am thrilled that they are here and I get to do my best to show them around this city, and hopefully another city or two while they are here. Exploring is so much more fun when you have people with you to explore with! We've already eaten one fantastic meal, and I introduced them to the ice cream here, and I think it's safe to say they enjoyed it. So kudos to my mother for getting a passport and white knuckling it through an 11 hour flight, hopefully she'll think it was worth it by the end.

These past few days officially wrap up my 20s. I'd love to write that I'm handling this with all the dignitiy and grace in the world but that would be a flat out LIE. Mostly I'd like to drink myself into a stupor and pretend I am NOT turning 30. But since that won't do much other than give me a hangover, I'm going to have to come up with a better way to ring in this milestone birthday. Thank goodness I have people here to do it with.