Como vuela el tiempo! So much has happened since I last wrote, nearly two months ago. I have a thousand stories to tell, but for now, a recap of Buenos Aires. In brief, I spent the month of June:
2) playing chess and dancing tango with a cute French boy,
3) practicing guitar in my tiny little bedroom,4) watching the World Cup in corner cafes and outdoor ampitheaters,
5) and cooking and eating and hanging out with my two best chicas, Kenyon and Natalia
Because of all of this, and mostly number 5, saying goodbye to Buenos Aires was sad. I had a nice little life there for a while, spending my time in both unexpected and very familiar pursuits, with muy buena gente.
Emotionally, my two months there were the most turbulent part of my year abroad. It took me a while to find my place in that city, and the experience finally convinced me that I'm much happier living in quieter, greener places. There are times I wonder if I wouldn't have been better off moving on much sooner, to check out other parts of Argentina or Bolivia, or to find another farm volunteership. Maybe my May and June would have been happier. But a smart and self-assured Swiss girl taught me that there's no point in wondering what could have been, because it wasn't.
Ultimately, I wanted to stay put for a while, and so I did. And because I did, I had a chance to try out a bit of a life in Buenos Aires. I got to dip my toes back into the classroom after a year away. I got to learn to dance the sexiest ballroom dance of all in its home city. I finally found my groove once I stopped thinking so much about taking advantage of Buenos Aires, and started taking advantage of my free time, and the opportunity to spend it doing things I love. On July 2, I boarded a bus, on my way to Ecuador. I certainly hadn't "done it all" in Buenos Aires, but in the end, for me, I did it right.
Because of all of this, and mostly number 5, saying goodbye to Buenos Aires was sad. I had a nice little life there for a while, spending my time in both unexpected and very familiar pursuits, with muy buena gente.
Emotionally, my two months there were the most turbulent part of my year abroad. It took me a while to find my place in that city, and the experience finally convinced me that I'm much happier living in quieter, greener places. There are times I wonder if I wouldn't have been better off moving on much sooner, to check out other parts of Argentina or Bolivia, or to find another farm volunteership. Maybe my May and June would have been happier. But a smart and self-assured Swiss girl taught me that there's no point in wondering what could have been, because it wasn't.
Ultimately, I wanted to stay put for a while, and so I did. And because I did, I had a chance to try out a bit of a life in Buenos Aires. I got to dip my toes back into the classroom after a year away. I got to learn to dance the sexiest ballroom dance of all in its home city. I finally found my groove once I stopped thinking so much about taking advantage of Buenos Aires, and started taking advantage of my free time, and the opportunity to spend it doing things I love. On July 2, I boarded a bus, on my way to Ecuador. I certainly hadn't "done it all" in Buenos Aires, but in the end, for me, I did it right.
