It has been two weeks since I prepared and packed all of my clothing and travel gear, creating a visual disaster in my parents’ basement while trying to transition from a winter wardrobe to a selection of summer clothes. It has been two weeks since I payed and printed of my tasa de reciprocidad to enter the country, packing it away with multiple copies of my passport and boarding passes. It was two weeks ago that I sat up in bed anxiously awaiting the siren from my iPhone with the clock ticked 7am, when I could finally load up my things into the car and head to the airport to catch my 10 hour flight to Argentina.
And finally, after months of preparation, I am relaxed and settled in to the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Buenos Aires: a city of millions of people, the world capital of Tango, the home of countless famous writers, artists, and public figures, and my base for the next three and a half months has so far amazed me, frustrated me, and left me speechless in its architectural wonders and the sense of humor that every porteno has despite a corrupt government and a constant onslaught of ungodly traffic. The music is passionate, the food is oh-so-savory, the street art is inspiring, and around every corner is a fresh new area to explore.
In my 10 days since leaving the estancia (ranch) we visited for orientation and study abroad group bonding, I have spent almost every free minute walking around the city and the distinctly characteristic neighborhoods that my boyfriend Karl and I live in, and my list of must-see cafes, bookstores, and activities is growing longer by the second.
My choice of waiting to write a post until I could thoroughly take in the city was a terrible one, because now I have no idea where to start. I have already collected so many stories and experiences that I can’t wait to share with my friends and family back home that its impossible to pick and choose which ones to tell.
One of my most memorable days so far, however, was my second day of school last week. I had taken the collectivo (city bus) from my apartment towards school, but I quickly learned that the bus drivers here are not at all like those of my beloved Twin Cities MetroTransit. They do what they want, and mine decided to take a few unexpected turns. By the time I had the sense to get off and try to re-orient myself and find my school, my surroundings were beyond recognition and there wasn’t a single street name that I could visualize on a map. I walked around in Argentina’s hot summer weather, searching for someone that could help me figure out where I was or where I needed to go. It was a great opportunity to practice my Spanish, but I wasn’t so lucky and ended up wandering around for over an hour and arriving to class extremely late.
During that unexpected excursion, though, I did get a chance to figure out my way around the city center, and found myself standing right in the middle of La Plaza de Mayo, the home of La Casa Rosada, which is similar to the US’s white house. I took in the view, snapped a quick picture, and continued on my way (in the wrong direction I might add). I got to experience this famous Buenos Aires landmark in an entirely different way than most, drenched in sweat with blisters on my feet, anxious to figure out my path but so relieved to be put in the way of beauty.
It is those unexpected side trips that I love about traveling, and the stumbling-upon of really incredible view and experiences. I have so much more time left in this country and countless plans and places to visit. There are many things I have see already in Buenos Aires but I know that I will never be bored; the saying that New York is the “City that Never Sleeps” is in fact false, it is Buenos Aires, and everywhere I go I can feel its beat.