Uruguayan Labor Day

Today, May 1^st, is the Uruguayan Labor Day. And when they take a day off for Labor Day, they take the day off. All the businesses close, no busses run, and there is about half the usual traffic on the road. I don’t understand why we can’t do that: take a day off completely and relax (or get out and enjoy nature or something). But no…in the US, our capitalistic ideals cause us to have Labor Day sales in stores where we can go out shopping and “save” money. People work because they know that some people are going to be out shopping and want to buy their product. Or we know that if we work when no one else does we can get a day ahead or catch up a day, whichever our case might be at the moment. It was also very refreshing to go out on a run today and see people outside having fun enjoying the cool fall weather: kids playing soccer with their friends, couples walking hand and hand through the park, and parents spending time with their son or daughter.

The only problem that I have with that, is that “we” don’t get to have a day off! Our first of two days of finals are today. I think they went pretty well, although it continues to signal the end of our wonderful journey here in Montevideo. Things are definitely winding down and most of us are torn between staying here and going home.

Another cool thing about today is that it’s my Grandmother Wagner’s Labor Day. That’s right, it’s my mom’s Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!! I love you.