Mi amor maduro

Today marks my four-month anniversary in Buenos Aires, and I am a little blown away by how fast 2/3rd of my exchange has flown by. It feels like I have just arrived yesterday, and like I have been here forever at once. One thing is certain: I am far from ready to go back to the Netherlands within two months to start writing my thesis.

When I travel to new cities and new countries, I am prone to fall head-over-heels in love very easily. Exploring new places is one of the simplest pleasures in life for me, as it enables me to experience the good feeling of freedom and to learn new things. More often than not, I am mesmerized quickly. Many of my love affairs are short-lived, with the next place replacing the previous one in my adoration. Nonetheless, I have been lucky to have two big loves in my life.

The first one was Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, one of those places that truly represents la Pura Vida. This was my first solo adventure, and living in this town known for its surf beaches, nightlife and yoga, was so worth it. Even cold showers, itchy mosquito bites and cockroaches didn’t bother me anymore. I loved it but I left it, motivated to explore the rest of the country, before returning home to start my studies and get back to real life.

Then, a few years later, I got the opportunity to move to Buenos Aires, my second love, to spend a semester studying abroad. I fell hard and fast, but this time it isn’t a fling. Whereas Puerto Viejo was the Latin Lover that swept me off my feet in a whirlwind romance and then let me go, Buenos Aires is the mature love I will introduce my parents to.

The city is big, but contained, modern yet ancient, busy yet laid-back, European yet Latin. It is continuously moving, with an unlimited amount of things to do literally any given day and hour, yet all porteños take the time to sit back on a terrace and enjoy a coffee or an ice cream. It is these contradictions I love, but what really makes me love this incredible place is the people.

No one is as warm and friendly as Latin Americans, and Argentinians are no exception. As I already wrote in one of my first blog posts, they are super helpful and inviting, whether they help me out when I am lost, or welcome me to their places moments after meeting me.
What makes people here even more interesting is their rich background, created by a history of immigration from Spain, Italy and France, and freedom of movement between Latin American countries as discussed in the Argentine Culture and Language course.

Living with people from Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Argentina, my residence is a melting pot of cultures. They remind me of why I chose Latin America on a daily basis.

Of course no place, or love, is perfect. I will admit I have my moments of pure frustration, especially when being packed in the metro, or stumbling on a crooked paving stone. Nevertheless, I try to accept its faults, and thereby cherish a different way of life. Every day Buenos Aires and the amazing people I have met here, teach me something new, allowing me to grow as a person.

Maybe I will fall out of love someday, or fall in love with another city. For the time being, however, I am very happy living in Buenos Aires, enjoying its café culture, and endless parks and green spaces. I call it home, and I love it!