Our Tour Guide Sophia

Once we all stepped off the plane and into the Buenos Aries airport, I think it finally hit us that we were in a foreign country. This was an exciting/nerve-racking feeling considering none of the students had been to Argentina before. This is why having a tour guide was extremely helpful. We first met our tour guide Sophia when she was waiting for us at the airport holding a sign that said “Bryant University.” From the minute we met her she was cheerful and enthusiastic, even when having to deal with all 45 of us in the crowded airport. Sophia was born and raised in Buenos Aires, therefore she knows a great deal about the city. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sophia and getting to ask her a few questions in order to get to know her better. Sophia went to college at Austral University where she received her bachelors in communication. She said she knew a 9-5 job where she would be sitting down all day would never be the right fit for her so finding a job that is flexible and active would be perfect. Sophia had always done similar jobs but had never been a tour guide before. She started working with the Austral group three years ago when her friend was able to set her up with a job as a project manager. Her first tour was with a group of post-grads and she has loved the job ever since.

All the students were definitely tired, hungry, and ready for a shower when we arrived at the hotel at 8 am on Sunday morning; but Sophia was able to keep us entertained while we waited for our hotel rooms to be ready by planning a fun game for us to get to know the city. I was talking to some of the others girls on the trip and Katie, Jackie, and Bianca all agreed that having Sophia as a tour guide has made the trip even more fun. She is an extremely nice person who cares about all the students and staff on our trip. She is a great presence to have around and has already made the trip more enjoyable and its only day two! I can’t wait to see what she has planned for the rest of the trip because I know it will be exciting. 

From left: Profs Chris D. and Ashley M., Sofia, Profs Patricia G. and Srdan Z. 

By Maggie Carbin