I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Today was one of those days, when everything was in slow motion. People were walking EXTRA slow on the way to work JUST to piss me off, I hit every single red light, every gross old Argentine man made annoying cat calls at me while I shuffled through the crowds in my high-heeled cowboy boots(completely uncomfortable) while trying to pull my skirt down(kept hiking up). My arms were killing me from holding 800 books I needed to teach my classes and I was slugging around a jar of Argentina's version of peanut butter because I wanted my students to try it. They need to comprehend how important it is to the US; I repeatedly tell my students peanut butter to the US is Dulce De Leche(a gooey, sweet caramel type spread that they eat on EVERYTHING)to Argentina.They understood after trying it today :)

Anyways, my first class was at 8am, that means I woke up at 6:30 to get ready(didn't fall asleep til 1:30 last night either), and then had to walk the 10,000 miles to work because I still can't figure out the bus system. Of course I was late, and frazzled when I got to class, but it went great and my students are darling...esp the one who is my age and is the most attractive man in the world. It's even cuter that he can barely speak English...you should hear him(and the others) say "vegetable", it's to die for. It's okay that I make fun of them cause they laugh at me when I say "copado"(cool). They think it's hilarrrrrrrrious! After class I had an hour to spare so I went to the mall to buy a different skirt that fit more appropriately, I was SO sick of the comments I was getting from every Argentine man. Sometimes it can be flattering, but other times SO aggravating. Regardless, I finally found a skirt! Then I got a phone call from a company telling me I was late for my interview so I booked it 12 blocks, in my heels, carrying all my books and the savory peanut butter of course. The interview went well, blah blah blah, got another teaching job on the other side of the city that pays nothing, but I am not complaining, my hours are finally picking up. I think I have 12 now? Life is a little different here to say the least.

Now to the "FRIENDS" part:

The friends that are a huge part of this story:


After walking for about 4 hours straight between meetings, class, the mall, lunch, etc etc etc, I finally got home and was beyond exhausted (mind you tonight is my performance and I want to be on top of my game). I got home and was feeling homesick, tired, VERY nervous about the night and just "blah". Leigh was so sweet and tried to calm me down by offering to play her guitar and let me sing along to practice my songs for tonight. She is a doll. She handed me a sheet of paper and said that there was a package for me at the Retiro package center. Now, for those of you who have lived in Buenos Aires, I am sure you know the HORRIBLE process of getting packages. I was aware of this as well, but beyond curious to see who the package was from. After sitting for two seconds, I yet again jumped up and walked to the address on the sheet. After stopping three times at three different places to get directions that I didn't understand in Spanish I finally made it to the disgusting, hot and piece of crap mail center. There were flies all over, a million people sitting around in the waiting room and loud noises on the loud speaker. I got a number and waited my turn.

It took forever to be called, I walked up to the counter, realized I didn't have my passport, but the nice man said something sweet in Spanish and then "el proximo vez"(next time). I thanked him, smiled and followed the others into a waiting room. I had no idea that this time I had to wait an HOUR in the hot room with 100 other people, babies crying, flies and Spanish numbers being read over the loud speaker. My ticket number to receive my package was something like "6731541", well I had NO idea how to read that in English, let alone Spanish. That's a huge number! Somehow I managed to ask the nice teenager with a pierced eyebrow and combat boots to help me know when my number was up. He nodded and checked my ticket every ten minutes as the loud speaker read off the numbers. Finally after a minor panic attack, dying of thirst and exhaustion...he tapped me and said "YOU" in the cutest accent. I smiled and went into the third line to receive this mysterious package. The whole time I kept thinking, this BETTER be worth it. If it's some stupid article or document, or bad candy I will be pissed.

To my surprise it was a care package from my 7 housemates from college.






Beth, Me, Christy, Noelle



Dani(the all-knowing, selfless, beautiful Italian girl from Ohio)

Beth(the hilarious, feisty lil bull-dog who had the most rambunctious stories and fun personality)

Sarah(the incredibly smart, tall blond who worked her butt off, but partied just as hard, and had great advice on relationships)

Noelle(the precious small-town Ohio girl, with a million siblings and the cutest laugh in the world who always made sure people were comfortable and happy)

Christy(Another precious small town girl, who introduced cowboy boots to me, cooking, and was my friend who saw the world in a little bit more of a "hippy" way)

Megan(the classic, dark hair and eyed girl who had witty jokes and was always so lady-like)

and finally Emily(one of the coolest girls I've ever met. Someone who has lots of life experience and makes friends with any one and everyone when she enters the room. Her ghetto taste in music and her "chill demeanor" make me LOVE Emily).

Megan Sarah, Emily

So there you have it, my seven FABULOUS housemates that I miss dearly.

Beth, Noelle, Megan Christy:



I couldn't WAIT to get home to open my package, so on my three hour walk back to my apartment, I stopped in a park, sat on a bench , the sun and tore it open. Inside I found SO much candy, PEANUT BUTTER, magazines, AMERICAN GUM, all my favorite college snacks and a letter from each one of my housemates. Of course, tears were coming down my cheeks as I read through their extremely thoughtful letters and as I looked through the box at all the goodies they had thoughtfully stuffed in there. My day is now completely turned around due to my amazing friends. I am even MORE ready and excited for my performance tonight and know that all those I love dearly at home, will be with me in spirit.

I am so blessed for all the amazing people in my life.

P.S. I took the package of Oreos to the FACE on my walk back home...("Last Resort: girls, you woulda been proud ;) )

La Musica

For those of you who know me REALLY well, I am sure you know how much I love to BELT things out, to sing along with music, to sing in general and to overly exaggerate singers who have distinctive voices. I am thrilled to say that I am finally pursuing my passion for music here in Argentina.

It started off when I became roommates with Leigh. I was sitting at the Road house 3.5 months ago, it was my first day in Argentina and I was exhausted and nervous. She walked up the winding staircase as I was awkwardly trying to make friends with the vets in the common room. I had emailed with Leigh briefly before we flew to S. America and we had already become facebook friends so I recognized her right away. She was a tall, pretty blond girl with a sort of authentic, "chill" demeanor to her. Even though I didn't know her I felt 100 times better when she walked into the Road house, I felt as though a friend from home finally arrived and that we had the whole of Buenos Aires to experience together. As she stepped into the common room with her half smile and nervous laugh I saw that she was holding a guitar case in addition to her two under-stuffed suitcases (very opposite than my approach to packing).

Leigh!!!!


She and I became instant friends that first day. It was fate that we were roommates, I could not have found a more perfect person to live with. We talked about our backgrounds, where we were from, our families(how close we are to them and how young and fun our parents are) we also toured the entire city of Buenos Aires together. We were exhausted that first day after doing every possible thing we could. It was that evening that Leigh broke it to me that she suffers from a mild form of insomnia...I couldn't understand how anyone could have a hard time sleeping(I sleep like a baby, all the time), but I told her "oh, that sucks". Well, it's been three months since meeting Leigh and being with her everyday and night that I too suffer from the same miserable issue. Maybe "insomnia" is contagious, maybe it's not, all I know is that before moving to Argentina, I slept wonderfully and now having been here for a few months I DO NOT SLEEP EVER. This city is nonstop. Leigh, I don't REALLY blame you for this.

Moving on...that first night most everyone at the road house was asleep(VERY RARE) and I heard music in the common room. I creeped down the long dark hallway to find Leigh beautifully playing the guitar and singing with the voice of an angel. I was so excited to hear the live music so I went over to her, started asking her questions about how long she had been playing, how she writes her own music, sings all the time, etc etc etc. I was completely enthralled with her talents and music interests that I couldn't help but become obsessed with it. After a few minutes of watching her play(so naturally) I started singing along with her to a few of the songs she was playing. Now, again, for those of you who know me well, this is a HUGE DEAL FOR ME. I do NOT like to sing in front of people, I never have cause I have a huge shy issue. For some reason my mindset was "I am in Argentina, why the hell not?!". I did not feel nervous with Leigh in the slightest because she was so comfortable at singing and playing and did not judge me in anyway. If anything she just kept telling me how great I was doing, how it's so easy to write songs that even I could do it. She gave me confidence and encouragement to pursue my passion and I think that is all I really needed..

Me and Leigh!


That night was one I won't soon forget. It was the first time I actually sang in front of someone, the first time I realized how badly I wanted to play the guitar and how serious I was about starting a music career in some form or another whether here in Argentina, or back in the US in Nashville (home of the greatest country stars!). Living with Leigh for that first month in VERY close quarters at the Road house was meant to be. I think she was brought into my life to help me pursue my musical passions. It is amazing having her as a friend and roommate; I love watching her play and truly enjoy listening to her sing. Leigh is so chill about everything, she makes singing in front of people and playing the guitar seem so fun and un-intimidating.

The next set of events are strange, they happened fast and they were a little bit impulsive, but then again, that's how I live my life. The most meaningful and wonderful things that I have done in my life have always been impulsive. Anyways, after finishing our first month in the Road house, getting TEFL certified, making many incredible friends, traveling to Uruguay, being homeless, jobless, crying, laughing, touring Buenos Aires, and listening to Leigh play the guitar we finally moved into an awesome apartment. One night we were sitting on the couch, Leigh was playing and I asked her to teach me. She taught me the simple basics and told me it was normal that my fingers hurt for the first few weeks. We played for about an hour. I was VERY rusty, stiff and completely horrible at playing,but Leigh gave me confidence the whole time. She reminded me that practice makes perfect and that it takes YEARS to get completely comfortable and to be able to freestyle. The feeling I had that night sitting there, playing(what I could) and singing along was a defining moment in my life. I couldn't help but wonder why the hell it had taken me THIS LONG to get started with music like this. It was SUCH a release for me. Some people like to go running, others like to paint, draw, write or drive, well I definitely think I found my release and it's the guitar and singing. I just wish it didn't have to take SUCH practice to be good and that I could just BUST out an amazing country song after a few weeks....I can dream can't I?

The next three weeks consisted of me playing the guitar nonstop every morning for about three hours. I didn't have a job, I had toured the entire city numerous times, read books, written in my journal, uploaded facebook pictures, etc etc etc. This new passion was addictive. It was a sloooooow process to even remotely get the strumming down, but I think i have definitely improved in the last month, at least a tad bit. Leigh had told me the night she taught me the basic cords, that "the hardest part about playing the guitar, is actually buying one". Well, to show just how serious I am about this new guitar obsession, I bought my own for about $180 pesos(about 40 dollars) at a gaucho fair just outside the city. I had NO idea what to buy, if it was a good deal, if it sounded good etc, but of course my prodigy roommate was there by my side the day I purchased it and she helped me decide which one to get. (Thanks LEIGH!!!)

New guitar I bought on Easter Sunday:


After practicing here and there, NOT really getting much better, but progressing inch by inch I realized I really need to continue this obsession upon returning to America. SO if there is any one out there reading this and is interested in teaching me more about the guitar...hit me up!

Now, here is where things get juicy! I was sitting in bed one morning, without a job or anything else to do that day. I was skyping with my mom telling her about my obsession for the guitar when I got a text message from my dear Argentine friend, Fer. Fer is the HOOK UP in BA. He works at the clubs and always gets me and my friends on the VIP lists for free etc. He is an awesome person to know, extremely caring, and very generous. He texted me that day and asked me if I sing. I said yes, I love to sing. One thing lead to another and it turns out that his boss is in a rock and roll band that plays Beatles, Creedence Clearwater, Eric Clapton etc. He asked me if I wanted to go rehearse with the band about 45 minutes outside of the city. I agreed because yet again, "I'm in Argentina, why not?" WELL, little did I know how intense this would all be.

I went to the rehearsal last week. I arrived at 8pm and was taken into this basement/warehouse-( home of Fer's boss, Jorge). Fer, Tash (the adorable English girl from previous posts) and I walked into the room where 6 Argentine men around the ages of 50 were ROCKING OUT with two guitars, electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboard etc. They had a legit set up and were amazing!! I couldn't believe how serious this rehearsal was and wasn't sure what the hell I was getting myself into especially after the fact I had NEVER performed or even used a microphone before. Turco, the adorable man who sang and played the guitar invited me onto the stage right off the bat. I greeted him with a standard Argentine cheek kiss, smiled nervously and stood up to the mic.

Me and Turco:


Me singing:




Fer Montes!


Although I was beyond nervous, shaking actually, I held it together and just did what I knew to do...BELTED it out, confidently! I sang for three hours nonstop and just fell in love with everything. We sang TONS of Beatles, and other rock music and by the end of the night it felt like I was just up there doing karaoke. After conversing with the band in what little Castellano(Argentine Spanish) I know, the men in the band (La San Francisco) asked me to come back next week to practice again and then to sing four songs in their concert on Friday night at the local bar; Il Fango. I obviously agreed and am now anxiously awaiting tomorrow nights CONCERT! I have invited all my friends in this city to come and I expect the night to be an amazing time. Of course I am terrified seeing as I have only ever performed in front of people twice (not counting my private session with Leigh) but I have nothing to worry about. I will be singing The Beatles: "Get Back", "Oh! darling", "Come Together" and Creedence Clearwater, "Proud Mary". If I forget the words, no one will notice considering most of the people who will be there...won't even know English, THANK GOD!

Wish me luck..more to come after my debut!!!!

Bariloche: Day 2

Day two started off with the rise of the sun shining through our hostel window and a free scone and jelly breakfast polished off with a side of burnt coffee( I love free hostel breakfasts). After a quick meal and lots of contemplation on what to wear for the day, Byron, Tash and I were pumped to get our day of kayaking started. We had spoken with a few hostel friends the night before about fun adventures we could try, kayaking was one of them. The Kayak trainers/instructors were two brothers, Fernando and Alfredo and a son, Francisco or "Nacho" who had been kayaking for years and absolutely loved their jobs. They were the sweetest three men who very soon became our good friends.

Our instructors:




Eleven people in total piled into a piece of tin van that was freezing and we headed up and down and through the mountains of Patagonia to our destination in a national park where we were to suit up in our kayak gear and head out to the rapids.



I was pretty nervous to go kayaking, but everyone assured me it would be a fabulous time and everything would be okay. I have a fear of water sports, but I figured I couldn't miss this chance. On the hour and a half van ride to our destination Byron, Tash and I passed the time by playing typical "road trip" games! We chatted in Spanish to our drivers/instructors while sharing "mate"(Argentina's national tea), asked about their lives etc. The conversations we had together(Byron Tash and I) were NEVER dull. We talked about things from life, and love, to death, murders, clothing, travel, sex, Spanish and the list goes on. When you spend a week with people in amazingly beautiful places, galaxy's away from anything/one familiar, it's natural to become so close to your new friends and ponder life together.

Trio in the van:


When we finally arrived at the lake we parked the van and found a special little cove at the shore of the lake. We made avocado, cheese and tomato sandwiches and fooled around taking pictures, climbing trees and doing yoga in front of the breathtaking scenery.







After a protein filled lunch and some quality relaxation at the cove, we went back to the van to suit up for our imminent kayak adventure. We shoved ourselves into the tightest rubbery body suits, put our helmets and little booties on and grabbed a boat to take to the shore.

All suited up:



Tash was lucky enough to be paired with Fernando (our masculine and all protecting guide) as I was lucky to be paired with Byron, the hyper and fearless New Yorker who insisted on constantly shaking the kayak trying to tip it over JUST to get a reaction out of me. Regardless, Tash and I were satisfied to have strong men in our kayak's because the water was not calm. One boat of two girls from our hostel were basically a joke to everyone else because they were so horrible at steering their kayak. They continually got stuck in the rapids, washed up onto huge rocks and flipped over numerous times. At one point, Sky, one of the bad kayak girls fell out of the boat and started floating WAY down the rapids, luckily Fernando(who seemed to not be human because he was so amazing at kayaking)saved the day and swam after her.

The sights we saw were yet again, breathtaking and beautiful. The entire kayak day (total about 10 hours)was magnificent. We had such a fabulous time with our guides, and with the other people on the day trip. The weather was definitely not warm, but the smelly and tight wet suits kept our body temperatures at bay. It wasn't until the very end of the rapids that we pulled into this one private cove, that we started to become numb and frozen. Byron and Tash jumped off a cliff into the water while the rest of us paddled around taking lots of pictures with Bryon's water proof camera(greatest invention).

Kayaking:


When our kayaking adventure was finally over( It was the most amazing time ever, but a tad long in that freezing cold wetsuit), we found the tin van in the middle of a field with all our warm clothes in it. Each girl and the one boy, scurried off behind trees and bushes to change into our warm/dry clothes. Now, I can't describe this in as much detail as I would like, but I have never been that numb in my life. It probably took me 20 actual minutes to take the wetsuit off and put on my warm clothes. There was an obstacle I was faced with on top of the cold weather and the tight soaking wet rubber suit. This obstacle was that there were a million little prickly thorns attached to my legs from walking through the field. There were hundreds all over my wetsuit that I had to take the time to pick each one off before I could continue getting changed. My fingers couldn't move in the way that my brain usually makes them move, I had a hard time breathing (because I was naked in the middle of an empty field at 6pm on a chilly night in Patagonia), but by the grace of God, I successfully changed into my one pair of spandex and my one sweatshirt that I smartly packed (I was completely unaware of how freezing Patagonia was). FINALLY, after everyone struggled to change, we packed the van and huddled together for warmth.

This next part of our Kayak trip may have been my favorite part of the entire time in Patagonia, because it was authentic, and rustic. The kayak guides took us to this little Estancia/restaurant on the side of the mountain where they knew the owners. When we walked up to the cabin (we were all still defrosting) the warm glow from inside looked inviting and comforting after a long day of kayaking. We entered the wooden door and looked around inside. There were tasty fresh empanadas on the table for us, cafe con leche, tea and beer sitting there. Handwoven socks and scarves were hung on the walls for sale, there were leather goods, jams, cheeses and other goodies that were all home made as well. I was so cold and decided to buy myself a nice pair of socks.

The estancia:




It was such a relaxing time to get to know the locals. The family who owned the little cabin had two of the most adorable little girls, Carmen and ( I can't remember the other ones name) who I became quite fond of. Their lives were incomparable to mine, so simple, a mountain lifestyle in the middle of no where. I could tell they didn't have much money by the cleanliness of their clothes and the simplicity of everything else. I wish I had had some exciting gift to give the two little girls, but I sat on the ground of their little cabin and spoke to them in Spanish while playing imaginary games. It was such a cozy evening in the little hut. There was no pressure of time, nothing in the world to even worry about. I just sat on the wooden and dusty old ground of the cabin playing with the girls, who will probably never remember me whereas I will never forget them.

The little girls:





Tash and Byron were making friends with the other hostel people, the parents of the little girls and just enjoying the refreshments in the little cabin on the side of the mountain. It was the most perfect ending to the most adventurous, fun and perfect day. On the long dark drive home we discussed life back in the States; where were grew up, family, and friends and compared life back home to the simple life out there. We didn't get back to the hostel til very late so we were exhausted and fell right to sleep in our warm beds.

Bariloche: Day 1

Patagonia. A place I always dreamed of seeing especially after the winter coat brand became popular in the US. I never knew what Patagonia was all about, but it sure did make me curious- the snow, mountains, hills and lakes looked beautiful in all the South American travel books. Upon coming to Argentina I made a list of top places I must see before my return back to America. Of course, my number one was Buenos Aires and following not far behind was Patagonia. I didn’t care what part of Patagonia I saw (for those of you who may not know, it’s HUGE) as long as I made it to the most southern part of the world.

When I arrived in Buenos Aires, an angel sent two amazing women to me, Leigh and Natasha. Out of luck, we were randomly put in the same room at the Road2argentina dorm/sorority house, where we were roommates for a month. Naturally we became each other’s best friends and have been inseparable since.

Tash, Leigh and I


Natasha, my adorable, blonde, bubbly English friend (with the cutest accent ever) planned a trip to Bariloche, Patagonia about a month ago. She had originally invited Leigh and I to join her on this voyage. Having just moved into our new apartment after an intense 9 day adventure in Uruguay and having been homeless, jobless, and lost in life, Leigh and I didn’t think we were up to the task. Days past, my job search was meek and I had walked around the city of Buenos Aires so many times I could do it blind-folded backwards. It was after my 7th interview with an English school that I decided my job teaching English was NOT going to kick off for another week or two and I must make drastic moves fast. I texted Tash, two days before her 20 hour bus ride and told her I was on board. She helped me book the hostel and bus and was THRILLED to have a partner for her upcoming trip.

Byron, my out-going, dark and handsome, adventurous friend from New York was out with me the night before our big journey down south. We were having a grand old time, but after a few brewskis and my convincing him to yet again push back his medical internship (he was supposed to officially start the upcoming Monday, and had already pushed it back three times...) Byron decided he too should not miss out on SUCH a great adventure, especially with everything already booked and planned out for him.

Byron...


Needless to say, the next morning, (after going to bed at 4 am the previous night/morning), and after a VERY sad good bye to Leigh, Natasha found herself with me and Byron on that 20 hour bus, sneakers laced up, camera’s charged and backpacks stuffed. For a trip that she had originally planned to do alone, she was now thrilled to have two amigos come along…

Arriving in Bariloche is noteworthy in itself. We arrived on a Sunday morning at 10am. When we stepped off the bus, the crisp and fresh hair touched our skin and sent shivers up and down our necks. Stupid and unprepared, none of us realized it was FREEZING in Patagonia.

View from the bus:


The first thing we did was buy those beloved “Patagonia fleeces”. I got myself two for extra warmth. Now, I must mention how breathtaking every single thing in Bariloche was. The last hour arriving on the bus was incredible. I have never seen anything on Earth so naturally and breathtakingly beautiful as the lakes and blue mountains of Patagonia. Pulling up into the small Swiss town was enthralling. This was when I realized my decision to come was the right one. I felt SO far from Buenos Aires and everything “City” and light years away from my home in Chevy Chase, DC.

Town center:






Our hostel (Pudu) was cozy, warm and very friendly. We made instant friends with the travelers staying there and were invited on our first night to go on the 30 minute hike to “CampAnario”, one of the “ten most beautiful views in the world” according to National Geographic. Well, that was reason enough for us to go. We followed the other 16 hostel lodgers on a bus that took us to the bottom of the hill and started on our exhausting hike up the mountain. Conquering that mountain (especially after no sleep and a LONG bus ride) the view at the top was the most worth it thing I’ve ever experienced. It is hard to even begin to describe the feelings that went along with the scenic view of this place. In a few detailed words I’ll try to remotely capture it: breathtaking, divine, pristine, enormous, overwhelming and free. Sitting on that mountain top with Byron (a machine who practically ran up the mountain while Tash and I had to stop every twenty feet to catch our breath), and Natasha watching the sunset with a cheap bottle of Malbec is something I’ll never forget.

Some pics on top of the mountain: CampAnario








After an exhausting hike up and down the mountain, overwhelmed by the drastic change in temperatures and with lack of sleep, our trio went and bought some yummy food. It was a cozy evening in our log cabin of a hostel; we cooked up an amazing concoction in our unsanitary hostel kitchen, ate lots, drank lots, and cheered lots. With belly’s full and blankets wrapped around us, we fell into a deep slumber next to a huge window overlooking the mountains and lakes of Patagonia. We dreamed of our next 6 days in the adorable Swiss town of Bariloche- home to chocolate, St. Bernards, fondue and enormous amounts of out-door-activities that we were about to experience.

View from our hostel room:

Where I´ve been recently...

I grew up reading books about fairies, gnomes, hobbits and witches. I truly believed in fairytales.....believed there were little creatures that lived among the trees and lakes in far off places. Then I realized it was all make believe. I learned that stories such as these were created to entertain and captivate us, to get our imaginations rolling. Well, having been in Patagonia, or shall I say 'Pandora' these past few days, I´ve started wondering if these creatures really do exist.

Argentina never ceases to impress, enthrall and infect me with its mystery and beauty. I think it should be the 8th world wonder; every new place I visit captivates me more than the one before. No photos, words or even feelings can make sense of the beauty of Patagonia. I once read that 'no place on the planet is fully at rest. Only time-unimaginable stretches of time that conceal from human eyes the dynamic natural forces shaping the Earth- creates the illusion of stasis. But sometimes, if you´re lucky, you come upon a place where time seems compressed, where you can feel in your bones how kinetic even geology really is´´(National Geographic). I think this is the closest anyone has ever come in describing how mind-blowing Patagonia really is.

Bariloche is the cutest town I have ever seen. It is VERY Swiss inspired; it's chilly, cozy and there are TONS of chocolate stores everywhere. All the gift stores carry hand-made pottery. They have mugs, salt and pepper shakers and wooden spoons. I feel like I've been thrown back in time or something and it definitally gives the impression that these mystical creatures exist. You can buy a gnome or fairy in almost any gift shop around town. There is so much about this vacation that I want to capture, but I will save it til later.

I just wanted to give you some sense of how beautiful Patagonia is. There will be more to follow, don't worry! My next post will feature Byron (the stong, masculine and protective male on our trip) and Natasha, (the organized, energetic, English girl who planned the entire vacation). Both of these people have made my experience down south extraordinary and I can't wait to go into more detail about all this.

Stay tuned for kayak rides, 20 mile bike excursions, making pizza with 50 year old men, renting a car and driving it for 4 hours in complete darkness through the mountains. This was quite an adventure!

Ponete las Pilas....you're in Buenos Aires now!

There are a few things about Buenos Aires that I would like to note and make aware to those who have never been. They may seem strange to an outsider, but are extremely normal to a porteno (a Buenos Aires resident/local). I have been here for two months and have been accumulating some examples so that I may write this post. I am sure I have missed MANY unique things about B.A. but I need to get started on logging the primal differences I have noticed, otherwise I will soon forget or may become a porteno myself.

1. "ponete las pilas" a saying meaning for people to "put the batteries in" because here, they don't sleep. Portenos wake up, go to work, come home, rest, have dinner from 11pm-1am then go to the boliches(bars/clubs)starting Thursday nights (from 2am til 6/7am). This is the norm in this city...something I am still STRUGGLING to get used to. I value my beauty sleep ;)

Fearsome Fivesome at a Boliche...after "putting in the batteries"



2. Kids wear white lab coats over their uniforms- they look like little Einsteins. They also never seem to be IN class because there is a constant yelling and screaming coming from each school yard.

Little girl in her lab coat...


3.BESOS (Kisses): Men kiss men, women kiss women, women kiss men, men kiss women. With every single greeting (first time meeting someone or greeting your novio(boyfriend of ten years) portenos kiss each other on the right cheek. It's actually pretty adorable. No matter what age, size, color, race, sex etc...portenos will still greet in this way. I LOVE it, especially when I meet the male Argentine gods of the city! I am still accustomed to shaking hands, but it feels very stiff to shake someone's hand these days...almost feels stand offish(am I transforming into a porteno?!!). Regardless, I'm bringing the kissing back to the States!

4. Trash diggers. This is one I still can not figure out. On every city street there are BAGS of cardboard and TONS of trash that locals must put out there. In the wee hours of the night, men and women(who must be very poor) snatch up all the trash and load their carts with it. They must make money off doing this because it's a risky job. Numerous times I have seen people pushing their carts FULL of cardboard and bottles, just missing getting hit by cabs. Something, yet again that is normal here and very foreign to me.

5. Los Perros! The dogs here. Dog walking is not a chore, but a way of life, a respected job to say the least. I have seen young, burly Argentine men running up and down stairs, waltzing through the parks, dodging people on city streets, meandering through city markets, you name it! All awhile being accompanied by ten to twelve dogs. The dogs are all trained extremely well because it is rare to hear them bark or growl or fight. There are pure breads, muts, HUGE dogs and itty bitty dogs all walking together, doing their thing. It is cute to hear the walkers speak in Castellano(Argentine Spanish) to the dogs because it just confirms that the pups are all portenos themselves. Every time I walk by I whisper a sweet, high pitched "hola" to the little critters. When the walkers aren't walking los perros, the dogs are tied up to trees, tied up to benches by cafe's or tied to gates in front of museums. I can not figure it out. It's almost as though the walkers do all their chores while walking the dogs, even if that means stopping for a cafe con leche (which brings me to my next bullet point).

Los Perros:


6. Cafe con Leche is my new obsession. Argentine's love sweets and here in BA you can stop for coffee on almost every single block to grab a cafe con leche( coffee with milk, very similar to a cappuccino). With every cafe con leche the waiter brings out a small treat; small piece of cake, dulce de leche(caramel tasting piece of heaven on a cookie), piece of chocolate...you name it. They also bring out a shot glass filled with water to help the intense caffeine rush move through your blood. Grabbing a coffee in Buenos Aires is beyond different than it is back home. I recall, leaving my cube at the Discovery Channel to RUN to Starbucks, order my "tall, sugar free vanilla skinny late please!" put some splenda in it and then RUN back to the office in fear I may have missed some pressing issue that was so important that the whole of Discovery could have changed in the ten minutes I was gone...no(I wasn't THAT important..oops!). This is the issue with Americans- rush, rush, rush...EVERYTHING IS SO IMPORTANT that we can't even leave for a few minutes to ACTUALLY take a coffee break. Now, I'm not blaming anyone here, this is just the way it is back home. It's a mentality of "whats next? what else can I do with every free second?" Adjusting to the laid back lifestyle here is STILL hard for me. I am two months into my experience and every time I sit alone at a cafe,(one of my favorite things to do here)I truly enjoy the cafe con leche for a good 20 minutes, mainly because the waiters take forever to bring la cuenta(check), but mostly because I am TRYING to adjust to "la dulce vida" lifestyle that these portenos value so much.

Cafe con leche:


This is my list of interesting, different, dulce(sweet) things that I have observed thus far in my time here. I know there are a few I am missing, and MANY I have not written about yet. Stay tuned for whats next; trips to the grocery store, the strong, tan, Argentine men who seem to come out of the wood work to give you a helping hand etc...and of course the rest of the tempting things of Buenos Aires. It is truly the city of indulgence. If you're reading this, thinking "hmm...I think I would like relaxing in a city, enjoying coffee breaks, getting whistled at by every attractive man in the city, shopping, eating sweets all the time, yet walking it off by touring the city" then book your flight. Now. COME. This city is infectious, it sucks you in and takes over your whole being with all it has to offer. I may sound ridiculous, but this is true and if you do your research, I am not the only one who feels this way ;)

*UPDATE*
4. I have since found out from my dear friend, Teresa, who the "trash diggers" are. I quote Teresa here: they are called
"los cartoneros, they are a huge thing. There's always one train that goes from the city to the outskirts and it's all dark, none of the doors close properly, and there are no windows. It's the saddest looking thing in the whole world because that's the train that all the cartoneros are on. They are taking the junk out from the city towards the suburbs where they get maybe one cent per item"(Teresa B).
Since finding out the truth about los cartoneros, I did do some of my own research and was truly saddened and shocked at all that I read. For those interested, here is a link I found: http://www.worldpress.org/photo_essays/cartoneros/
Don't forget to check out the pictures at the end of the article. It's a very sad way of life...