Although I graduated from Lycoming College on May 9 and my academic career was complete, my extracurricular activities were not finished.
Along with 37 fellow members of the Lycoming College Tour Choir, I returned to campus the week after commencement to rehearse and prepare for a five-concert, four-city tour of Argentina.
The Tour Choir performed and traveled throughout Argentina from May 15 to 26.
Each of our Argentinean concerts was performed in front of standing room-only crowds and we were welcomed at each location.
After the send-off concert in Williamsport, the choir traveled by bus to New York City before boarding a 10-hour flight to Santiago, Chile.
Once in Chile, we boarded another plane that took us over the Andes mountains to the first city of our tour, Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city in Argentina.
Luckily, we were afforded plenty of free time to explore the city. Choir members took the opportunity to see La Casa Rosada (the Pink House), which houses the office of the president of Argentina, and to visit museums, gardens, the obelisk, the cemetery in Recoleta (where Eva Peron is interred) and numerous markets and street fairs.
After our time in Buenos Aires, the choir traveled to Rosario.
Compared to the fast-paced tempo of Buenos Aires, Rosario was more relaxed. Choir members ate lunch on the riverside and visited the Argentine Flag Memorial, which commemorates the spot where the Argentine flag was first raised, and the Cathedral Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, a cathedral located in the center of the city.
The choir performed one concert in Rosario, in a history museum, with a local choir.
After a few days in Rosario, we headed west to the city of Cordoba, known for its markets, Jesuit history, churches and the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, the oldest university in Argentina.
The choir performed one concert in Cordoba, again with a local choir, and had free time to explore the city.
After an overnight bus ride, the choir arrived in the final city on our tour, and arguably the choir's favorite, Mendoza.
Nestled in the foothills of the Andes mountains, Mendoza is in the heart of winemaking country in Argentina.
The choir was in Mendoza for the celebration of Argentina's bicentennial.
The choir had one performance in Mendoza, joining the choir from the local university and performing to an enthusiastic audience. It was a beautiful concert to end our tour.
As we wrapped up our tour amidst cheers from the audience and tears from the seniors, the choir prepared for the long journey back to Williamsport with multitudes of pictures and memories that we will never forget.
