Our team, along with a Canadian high school, organized a cultural exchange project in the secluded village of Taco Pozo, some 1,500km from Buenos Aires. Completely immersed in the rural culture, the group discovered the generous Argentinian hospitality. Exchanges were authentic and lessons were shared both ways but whether it was during cultural activities or the more physical community project, every moment allowed for honest interactions that challenged both the students and the villagers.

Every morning our students helped in the typically daily chores of young Argentinians of the same age. They lived experiences atypical from their own that provided insight on the distractions of our sometimes superficial lifestyles. From beekeeping, afforestation, livestock and cooking, they were taken out of their comfort zones and introduced to simple village life where self-sustainability is the only way to survive. In the afternoons, up till 6pm, our travelers worked to complete the construction of a desperately needed wall that would surround the school yard and provide a secure area for recreation. Mixing cement, bricklaying and raising fences, our boys and girls were often watched in awe by the people of the village fascinated by the involvement of girls in true physical labour and construction.

On the final day of construction we had the chance to work alongside the school director (a woman!) who picked up a shovel and started to work alongside our students!

On our final night, the village honored us with a folk festival at the centre square and performed a traditional dance called La Chacarrella. In return, two of our students went on stage to perform a guitar-accompanied song. These 11 days of unique cultural exchange were unforgettable and truly life changing.