I have been in Buenos Aires for about 4 days total now, and it has been the most bittersweet experience.
First of all, being in a new city like Buenos Aires is an adventure and a pain all its own. I have been lost many times in the city, and it really sucks when trying to get to class. The bus system here is way better than Irvine, yet it takes a while getting used to and many parts look so similar. . . But! I do get a chance to see more when I am lost. And when I do get lost without any meaning to be at any place in any time, I feel more alive than I have ever felt in the past year. Its so urban, and classic at the same time. In Buenos Aires, the city is divided into multiple regions, in which I live in Recoleta. Recoleta is known as the Second Paris, or the French side of Buenos Aires. It is really fancy, and I live right next to a shoe store where I purchased my first leather boots with flojos! I hope to bring this style to the U.S. But Recoleta also has museums, parks, and theaters! I have yet to explore, and I cannot wait to experience the fancy-ness of this side of town.
My homestay is lovely. It seems to come out of a very Elle-decor kind of design, very white and bright inside with white soft furniture and summer florals. Last night was my host mom's birthday, and the whole family came to celebrate and greet her. It was such a pretty sight, almost from a movie because of how fancy everything looked.
Costs are high currently in Buenos Aires. Utility bills have tripled starting from two months ago so energy conservation is necessary. In its regular form, this apartment is like the size of a house, and feels very homy, just like my old house before. I heard shouts and chants from the rallies and marches below, closer to Plaza de Maya with the long-awaited for truck drivers protest yesterday. The expected count was 150,000 people. It is interesting hearing both sides of the issue here, and Argentinian politics are probably one of the more confusing ones for me because of this, but it has more perspective.
When the night is quiet and I am in my room, painted green with a weird painting of two Argentinian prostitutes from some kind of bougie age, I miss everyone greatly. I think of the my work, and how we were so lucky to be working with the people that we do, especially since many Argentinians are actually more updated with Hollywood celebrities than any American I know! I miss my boyfriend of course, and here I love to talk about "mi novio". But I miss my family too, it is not the same without them this summer. I have felt frusteration and stress in many ways here, but I have also felt the most amount of growth within a short span of time, and self-discovery in that, wow . . . I really am a princess! I suck at being spontaneous and adventurous in places where it does not even need to be sought out for, but its right there in front of you! I hope to improve this soon.
My classmates are great and very supportive. I was talking with one of the girls in my group, and we talked about some of the things we have gone through in the past. She told me when I am scared, to challenge that pain I went through before into a fighting force for present fears! And she said that we are much stronger than we think, and we really do not need to seek out any form of medicine or healing, but it is more about what is inside ourselves, and this can be fostered by anything as long as we do what we love and have no regrets for the decisions we make.
And with that, I will go on with the day, hopefully more organized, but more positive too. We are going on a trip to La Boca today as a group, I am so excited! More updates on that! Until then, Ciao!
