Lovey dovey lovey dovey kiss kiss kiss kiss

In Argentina, you don't have to worry about the firmness of your handshake... they don't exist here!

The first time that I talked to my host mom on the phone, I told her that in the United States, we shake hands when we meet people for the first time and that we don't kiss them on the cheek. She thought it was absurd and she asked me, "Y con tu madre también?!?!" I told her nooooooo I don't shake hands with my mom lol, I hug her.

When I got here, I was kind of nervous about the cheek kiss thing because it seems like such an intimate thing to do in the US, but here it's so common and so normal. Now that I've been here 5 weeks, I'm not weird about it anymore lol.

But something I was thinking about is if young people ever get nervous about doing it if they have a crush on someone. Like do they get nervous that their little cheek kiss will be messy or bad?? Hahaha is there a right way to do it?? I've greeted people who just kind of touch their cheek to yours, and I've meet people who literally kiss your cheek and give you a hug. It's like how in the US you can receive a floppy fish handshake, or one that turns your knuckles white. Such a variety. I also wonder what happens if the two people can't decide which cheek to kiss and they end up kissing on the lips?! So many opportunities for mishaps really.

Anyway, I actually really like this custom. You don't just cheek kiss the first time you meet someone - you do it every time you see them after not having seen them for a while. So every morning, my mom and I greet each other like this, and every time she comes back from work, and every time I come back from school, and when we're going to bed! Even though I'm not a touchy person at all - I don't really hug my friends in the US (ask Randi Geffrey if you don't believe me) - this gesture is really comforting and it feels nice to always have your presence be acknowledged. It's also cool because it isn't a gendered custom. Men greet other men like this and it doesn't make them any less "manly"... whatever the F "manly" means anyway.

Argentinians mimic this in their texts and phone calls, too. They sign off messages with "besos" o "besitos" which is kind of like saying "xoxo!" It would be pretty weird to say "kisses!" in the US but I think it's cool that they say "besitos!" here.

My final thought on this topic is: What if you fuggin HATE someone? Or I guess just dislike them?? Do you have to kiss your enemy's cheek? Like if there's a fake bish you hate and she's at the same party as you, do you need to kiss her cheek? I don't plan on making any enemies here so hopefully I never find out the answer...

I hope you're all inspired to go kiss a cheek today (:

P.S. - Here's an anecdote about how awkward Randi Geffrey and I are about hugs. The last day of freshman year, Randi was leaving and she came to my room with our friend, Seeley, to say goodbye to me. We talked a little bit and then it was time for her to part. We are both so awkward about hugs that we kind of just stood there and stared at each other for a minute before Seeley said, "Can you guys like hug or something cuz this is really uncomfortable??" So I think Randi and I touched fingers and maybe hugged each other with dead arms. I'm thinking Randi wouldn't survive all the cheek kisses here hahaha