It is the cliché of all who study abroad to say that their time abroad changed their life. While, of course, this is true, it also forces you to change your life back home in America, too. After living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for an entire semester, I must say I have come to love and appreciate my life in America in ways I never had before. There are so many luxuries we take for granted, and coming back let me truly see the States as a glorious, golden land of opportunity. So, while I am forever changed by the first half of my glimpse into the broader, bigger world, I must say I was wholly unprepared for the craziness that is Argentina. Here are just a few things that I wish someone had told me before I embarked upon the some of the most influential months of my life.
1. Be prepared to toss your shoes.
First off, when packing for Argentina, whether it is for two weeks or two months, leave your most expensive, most treasured shoes at home. Within a month of being in Argentina, I had thrown away two pairs of shoes. You will be walking… a lot. Scratch that. You’ll be walking everywhere. And it’s mostly uneven, or cobblestone, streets, so heels outside of a wedge or thick bootie are out of the question. Bring those cute, sensible shoes, and make sure you’d be okay with trashing them after they’ve been rain soaked and worn soleless.
2. Not all cafés are created equal.
In a city like Buenos Aires with 14 million people living in the immediate area, it is hard not to be overwhelmed at the utterly endless number of cafés sprinkled on every street and every corner. First, accept that you will never be able to visit them all. Perhaps the best advice is to seek out the cutest, littlest cafés. You’ll quickly be able to discern the chains from the local institutions and the secret gems. Don’t be afraid to order something off the coffee menu -- often much more extensive than our normal Starbucks -- that you have no clue as to what the contents are. And, when in doubt, a café con leche will always be pretty good.
3. Empanadas are your new best friend.
Empanadas, milanesa, medialunas, dulce de leche, choripan, helado, alfajores. These are all words you will need to learn and need to love. The Argentine diet is heavy on carbs and meat in the most delicious ways possible. You will have to seek out veggies and fruit yourself if you're living in a home-stay. That being said, the produce is generally quite fresh. However, you are going to quickly fall for the local treats, like the rich, creamy helado (ice cream, but better) and the melt-in-your-mouth medialunas (sweet croissants), spending countless hours searching for the best. The best part about these local delicacies is the price. You are most likely going to fork over less than a U.S. dollar for a hearty -- albeit heavy -- meal or snack.
4. WiFi is as good as gold.
In order to avoid hefty charges from your American-based cellular carrier, you are going to spend your time in Argentina on airplane mode, relying on WiFi around the area to communicate with family and friends, and stay connected to the outside world. That being said, WiFi is not always easy to come by. You will quickly learn to screenshot directions, coordinate a regular meeting place, and become comfortable with walking around while not absorbed in a screen. I often found the most reliable WiFi at Starbucks (of course), but you never know when there may be a power outage or general lack of connection, so be prepared!
5. So is American cash.
The most vital advice I can possibly dole out is to take as much U.S. tender as possible. The national rate of the peso is constantly fluctuating, and, since it is set by the government, this rate does not accurately reflect the peso’s true value. However, if you have American cash, you can directly exchange it on the black market for pesos at a higher rate, saving your money until the market is in your favor. This sounds sketchy, but I promise that when nationally they accept 8 pesos per dollar but you are getting 12 to 15 pesos to your dollar, you won’t complain.
6. You are most definitely going to cry when you leave.
Like any place in which you truly integrate yourself, you are going to leave a little piece of your heart behind upon your return to normalcy. Whether you miss the language, the culture, the people, or the place itself, you are going to return to the states disoriented and a little heartbroken. You will rejoice at the cell service and the food and the familiarity, but you may be overwhelmed by your ability to understand every billboard and word on the street and by America’s modernity. This is somewhere that will challenge you and show you all that you are capable of if you allow it to, and your life will never be the same because of it.
