Starting to feel homesick

I've been here 5 weeks now and after being sick for more than one of them, I'm beginning to miss San Francisco. There I would know what kind of medicine I could take and where I could find it. I could see an acupuncturist and take some Chinese herbs. Here, I'm taking medicine that doesn't seem to be working as fast as it should, and don't know how to get any "alternative" care.

But it's not just that. Yesterday in class when we were talking about our cities that I didn't get to talk about, I was thinking about the clean fresh air in San Francisco and how I could walk and feel the fresh summer breeze, the fog, and the amazing views. While I love a lot of things about Buenos Aires, the cafes, the architecture, the culture, etc., the air is really getting to me, especially because I am walking a lot.

I know I'm getting homesick because I'm wanting my friends and family to e-mail me more than they are doing. I've been trying to call my parents to see how they are, but also because I want to tell them what I'm doing here, and see if my dad asks another question that will make me laugh. But they've been impossible to reach. They have been going to a house my brother rents outside of Atlantic City and they don't answer their cell phone. Normally, I wouldn't care, but here, so far away from everyone and everything familiar, I am frustrated by my inability to do something as simple as talk to my parents.

I know this is the beginning of culture shock. The honeymoon is over. Even though I am still doing new things, and there is so much for me to discover, I'm getting tired of being an outsider, tired of struggling to communicate, and tired of breathing bad air.

We have a long weekend coming up. Monday, June 9, is a national holiday - I guess it's Independence Day. Maybe I need another spa day.