Playing Catch-Up

In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed since I left for Buenos Aires. So much has happened since then that it would take hours to tell every story. An already lengthy 36-hours of travel turned into a 65-hour ordeal after an overbooked flight stranded me in Panama City for the night.

I've settled into my house with my host mom, a retired hotel businesswoman who loves to cook and tell me how dirty my room is. I'm good friends with my two roommates, Pawan, a senior from NYC, and Lola, a 13-year old cat who is very sassy but even more adorable.

A hectic two weeks of orientation with my program showed me many of the touristy and spectacular sights of Buenos Aires, led by the fabulous tour-guide Sebastian. During orientation, with all of the students forced to socialize, we formed a tight-knit group of friends and an even tighter group chat. I've made some really good friends, which has really made the transition from home easier.

I started classes at two local universities and made friends with some welcoming porteños who helped me start a list of explicit Argentine slang words and shown me little gems off the beaten path. I've witnessed landmark political decisions, eaten way too much meat, and learned how to prepare a proper mate. I've explored the city, perused its museums, indulged in its incredible nightlife, and photographed every little piece I can of this place. And still, I feel like I haven't done nearly enough. It feels like I'm in one of those game shows where the contestant has one minute to fill their shopping cart with as much stuff as they can, and they run around in a panic to grab the best things before the timer runs out. Unfortunately, I'm not getting anything for free, and I don't get to ride around the city in a shopping cart.

I'm playing catch-up, but things are starting to slow down. As my brain gets accustomed to the city and culture I'm starting to find the time to be creative and productive. I'll be posting much more steadily from now on, and have an increasing arsenal of photos to illustrate my time here. The pictures I've chosen for this post are a smorgasbord, mostly from the first few weeks of the trip. Stay tuned, many more pictures and stories to come.