Love and Observations

Walking around Belgrano

That's right, folks... Reppin' the KY in BA!

Empanadas= Pillows of heaven

Walking around Palermo

El Cementario de la Recoleta

The beginning of my BA car obsession

Hola from Buenos Aires!

I cannot believe I’ve only been here for 4 days. It feels like weeks! I feel like I’ve done so much, when in reality I’ve mostly just explored my new surroundings. I honestly don’t have words to describe this place. It’s such an interesting mix of things- the influence of many European countries is certainly recognizable, but it’s still very South American. It is simply splendid.

There is a quote I’ve always loved, and it pretty much sums up these past few days: “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” (by Freya Stark) Although I know and have been connected to several people in Buenos Aires, I wanted nothing more than to take my first few days here and explore completely solo. I even resisted the urge to bust out the iPod while walking miles upon miles of untracked territory. I want to hear, see, smell, taste, and feel everything!

The very first thing I noticed about BA (noted on the drive from the airport) is that drivers here SON LOCOS. They’re crazy. I thought Chicago was bad- nuh uh. Not even comparable. For example, 4-way stops here? No stop signs. They’re nonexistent. It seems to be a sort of “roll on through and hope no one else does the same” type of mentality. This means that as a pedestrian, you just have to be extra careful.

Observation #2. The cars! Oh, my sweet dear baby Jesus… I am highly amused by them, and will continue to be. They’re the cutest, chubbiest, most hilarious-looking things ever. If I ever hear one of my friends in the US complain about their car, I will have to remind them that their “crappy” little 1979 Chevy Cavalier would be a high-rollin’ throne on wheels here. I see quite a lot of American brands like Ford and Chevrolet around, but it’s strange- the types are nothing like I’ve seen in the US. Either way, the automobiles of Buenos Aires are downright sweet.

Observation #3: We are in the middle of “winter”, and their “winters” are a joke. During the day, it’s anywhere from 50-60 degrees (Fahrenheit), and at night it’s generally in the 40’s. Are you kiddin’ me?? This is where I look back to my beloved Chicago and say “Thank you, dear city of Chi-tizzle, for exposing me to your inhumanely frigid winters of pure misery”, because I look at all these poor portenos (residents of Buenos Aires) in their goose-down North Face coats and silently chuckle. Also, as most know, I was blessed with overly-excited sweat glands, which means that this type of weather is perfecto for being able to walk around comfortably without breaking a sweat. We’ll worry about the hot and humid summers later…

Observation #4: The men are EXTREMELY vocal to female passers-by. Everything from “Que bonita!” to bus drivers holding up their crowded buses in order to loudly make kissy noises at you on the street… you name it, and it’s done. It can be a bit overwhelming, but it is what it is, so I’ll usually just smile and say “gracias”, or simply ignore them. Even though it’s done to most women, I have to say that it’s quite the ego-booster!

Observation #5: Argentines are some of the friendliest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. I was walking around with my host mom on Friday, and at almost every shop/kiosk we passed, she or the kiosk worker would briefly stop and exchange a few words. Everyone is so willing and patient to help or just say something nice. As I was walking to the bus stop this morning, at least 3 people said “Buen dia!” as I passed them. I also met up with an old friend last night who has been living in BA for several years now- Bryant Hillas. We met in South Africa, where we both lived for 2 years, and our families became pretty close and have remained in touch ever since. His mom is Argentine and since he’s lived here for so long, he basically is too. Anyways- after a few cervezas, we went our separate ways on the Subte, getting home around 9:30 or so. As I was drinking my coffee this morning, Mirka told me that she got a call from “a boy named Bryant” last night around 10 to make sure I got home safely. How did he get her number?! I never gave it to him! I am still baffled as to how he found it, but it felt so nice to know that he clearly went out of his way to make sure I arrived home okay.

Observation #6: The sidewalks might as well be obstacle courses. I’ve almost face-planted at least 97 times now. But I must say- all the dipping and tripping makes for quite the leg workout, because my calves are completely blasted right now. Watch me come back from BA with really lean, toned legs… “Hey Caroline, your legs look great! What’s your secret?” “Thanks! It’s called the Buenos Aires Sidewalk Diet.” I can’t even imagine what it’s like for mothers with strollers… I feel horribly sorry for them! It doesn’t really bother me (minus the embarrassing almost-face-plants); You just have to be a bit more aware of where you’re walking. OH- and there’s a fair amount of dog poop too. I was de-virginized by it last night when I took my eyes off my path for a split second, skimming the top of my white Chuck Taylors over a huge pile of gold. But, as Bryant put it, “it wasn’t fresh”, so not much damage was done.

Observation #7: My Spanish has already improved dramatically since arriving. I remember walking onto the plane for Buenos Aires and freaking out a bit, because it was like I was walking into their country already… yet we were still in Dallas. Spanish was everywhere, and I didn’t feel at all ready to bust out my Americanized, broken Spanish. But thanks to sitting next to an Argentine futbol (soccer) player who made me feel completely at ease, I opened up a bit. And living with Mirka, who speaks zero English, has helped a bunch too. Mirka loves to talk, talk, talk. I’m becoming more and more impressed with myself, because I’ll listen intently to a 10-minute schpeel of hers and realize afterwards that, “Holy crap, I (mostly) understood all of what she said!” She’s also very patient with me, even when I have to awkwardly bust out the English-Spanish dictionary.

Observation #8: It has been immensely satisfying to accomplish even the smallest of things. It makes me realize how much we take for granted in our home countries. First and foremost, figuring out the bus system here is like rocket science. It’s hard to explain why it’s so confusing, but, just trust me- it is. When I successfully boarded and exited a bus for the first time, ending up where I wanted to be, I felt like jumping up and down. I went to a café on Saturday for a coffee and croissant. I was feeling good, feeling in control… and then realized I didn’t know if and how much I had to tip (in the US you generally tip much more and for many more things). Uh oh. To tip? Not to tip? I ended up leaving him a peso or 2, and found out later that it’s customary to just leave 8% or so. So I did okay! YES. I also had to buy a plug adapter for my laptop the other day, which is confusing in and of itself. Imagine trying to explain this in Spanish. After popping my head inside at least 9 kiosks, I finally found one that had what I needed. Success! And THEN- are you ready for this? Yesterday… I bought myself a local CELL PHONE! I feel so proud just typing that out. You can imagine my pride walking out of Claro (the Verizon Wireless of Argentina) with a brand spankin’ new red and white celly telly. I may or may not have used more hand gestures than actual Spanish words, but hey, I got the job done. I just bought the cheapest phone they had, “sin plan” (without a plan), and will periodically buy cards with credit on them in order to call people. Turns out to be very cheap. I still don’t know whether or not I can text message on it… hmmm…

Observation #9: There is so much energy in this city, yet the people are incredibly laidback and seem to really enjoy each other and life in general. They walk slower, they eat slower, everything’s a little slower. Now, the flip side of this is that Argentines’ sense of punctuality is very lax. Giving an hour with “-ish” on the end is very common, and no one seems to feel bad about being late. Other expats probably get annoyed with this, but what can you do? Nothing. It’s like trying to get Americans to stop watching reality TV.

Other observations include: Lots of smokers (cigarettes here are dirt cheap), amazing food (a lot of Italian influence and their beef is dee-lish), very attractive people, superb vino (Malbec, to be specific), many stray dogs that are incredibly street-savvy (Honest to God, I saw one look both ways upon reaching a 4-way stop), and much more.

If you can’t tell, I am really enjoying it here. In fact, I love it. It hasn’t been easy and it will continue to be a challenge, especially as I’m learning Spanish, but that’s the thrill of it. It also makes you both appreciate and critique so many aspects of your home country and customs, and who you are as a person. And no matter how happy I may be in this faraway country, I will always be missing everyone back in the States! I especially did last night, when I called my mom and she informed me that my sister was in a car accident with some friends. The car flipped about 4 times and is totaled. She is okay for the most part, but it’s hard not being able to call her right away.

I am teaching my first English practice lesson tomorrow to a group of intermediate Spanish-speakers, so must start planning for it. Wish me luck! I miss and love you all so much, and will definitely keep the posts coming as often as I can. Hope you’re all enjoying them so far. Keep in touch, my loves!

Hasta luego!

En route to BsAs!

Okay folks, this is going to be short 'n sweet! I am currently sitting in the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport (on a very comfortable chair, by the way), and will be boarding my flight to Buenos Aires in less than 50 minutes.

Remember how I said in my last post that I wasn't scared at all? Welllllll, I have to admit, these past few days have been a bit nerve-wracking. Being in the comfort of my home in Louisville, with my mom and kitty, knowing that I will soon be shipping off to a completely unfamiliar place... yeah, you get the point. I had a great 10 days in Louisville, and saw so many of my best friends. No matter what, it will always be home to me.

I somehow managed to squeeze a pretty stellar wardrobe into 2 suitcases. Yes! Well, with a little help from some oh-so-awesome space bags. Saying goodbye to my cat was hard. When I said my "final goodbye" (for the 17th time), I looked back and she just had the most pathetic look on her face. But I know my mom will take great care of her, and the 3 dogs and other cat (Nelson Mandela, as we got him in South Africa) have taken to her really well so far. Driving to the airport was pretty rough, because it really hit me like a brick that as incredible of an experience this will all be, I'm going to miss everyone and everything so much. Then I had to say goodbye to my mom at the airport, and we were definitely struggling to fight back the tears. Needless to say, the fighting didn't last long and I was crying like a baby in the security checkpoint line.

I have to end this, as I am about to board. AND, I just met a girl who is a student at UCLA and will be doing a study abroad program in Buenos Aires. I got her name and we're going to hang out ASAP. I'm ecstatic right now.

The next time I publish a post, I will be in Buenos Aires! Cannot believe it.

BESOS! ("Kisses" in Spanish)

Goodbye Chicago

I'm leaving Chicago tomorrow.

This city has truly been so good to me. If it weren't for the body-numbing cold of the winters, everyone would live here. The summers are downright phenomenal. Once it starts getting warm, it's like people literally come out of hibernation. Pedestrians and cyclers flock the streets like the salmon of Capistrano. Runners abound on the lake path, and pasty girls crowd the parks to soak up the UV rays and Vitamin D. I realize it's like this in every city that has a winter, but for some reason Chicago just radiates. I remember the first warm weekend back in May, and honestly feeling like the city was bursting at the seams with joy.

I'm really going to miss it here. I've spent so much time over the past few months looking forward to Argentina, but right now I can only think about all the great things I'm leaving behind in Chicago. I went to my roommate's new apartment today, which is in the middle of downtown, and we went up to the rooftop deck on the 60th floor. I looked around and couldn't help but feel incredibly proud. This place has been my home for the past 2 years and I've gotten more out of it than I could have possibly imagined. I've met so many great people from such interesting backgrounds, and will miss them all terribly. One of these friends gave me a card today that brought me to tears, because it also sums up exactly how I feel about my closest friends. It reads:

"Once in a while, someone comes along, someone who just naturally makes everyone feel a little happier, a little more alive to life. You've been that someone to me. You've given me a new perspective on a lot of things- including myself. There are things you've said to me I'll always remember and ways you've helped me I'll never forget. The times we spend together are always good times that leave me looking forward to the next time. So thanks for being the wonderful person you are. I'm very glad and grateful that you're in my life." -D. Walley

I cherish my best friends so much, and this just says it all.

Off to bed, as we'll be up and at 'em around 7am to pick up the Uhaul trucks. Kristen and I hired a few guys to help, because moving my excessive amount of crap into our 3rd floor apartment was quite possibly the most horrendous experience ever. Hamstrings were shot for days. Anywho, once everything's loaded up, my mama, Lexi the cat, and I will be hitting the road for Louisville... and Kristen will go to her spiffy little 45th-floor bachelorette pad downtown. While she'll be spending the next 2 weeks admiring her new views of Lake Michigan and the Hancock building, I'll be figuring out how to stuff my life into 2 suitcases.

Buenas noches, Chicago... for the last time.

15 days away

My first post! Wow, where do I begin? Here goes...

I decided several months ago that I wanted to move to Buenos Aires, Argentina in order to teach English, become fluent in Spanish, and of course soak up the culture. WHY, you may ask? Well, it was a combination of reasons. I think I should credit my friend Matt Gosnell first. He outlined to me his plan of taking a TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language) in Phuket, Thailand, traveling throughout southeast Asia, and then coming back to the States and looking for a job somewhere in South America. At first, I highly considered going with him to Thailand, but with such short notice (and a lack of mulah), it just wasn't feasible. I'd heard of people moving abroad to teach English, but never really thought to look into it. Another reason for my decision was that I've always, always, always had a passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures. I grew up in an expatriate family, living in Hong Kong and South Africa as a kid, and traveling to every continent except for Antarctica and South America (another reason for doing this!). Reason #3 (or 4? I lost count...): I studied Spanish from 6th grade up through my senior year of college, but never got to study it abroad. Oh, the shame! BUT WAIT- I have an excuse. I played tennis in college (University of Kentucky... GO CATS!!!!), and taking an entire semester off from a Division I sport is just flat-out laughable. Reason #4or5: I've contemplated going back to school for a while now, and think that international relations is something I'd love getting into. Most of the top programs require A) foreign language fluency, and B) international work/volunteer experience. Reason #5or6: I did not particulary love my job as an account exec (sales) for a market research company. Loved the people and company, but the job itself - not for me, really. Reason #6or7: I am 24 years old, single, and have no offspring. 'Nuff said.

AND SO... I began researching heavily. I read more blogs, websites, articles, and books than I care to count. I pretty much scoured the worldwide web until my eyes bled, completely enveloped in my budding plan of moving abroad. I knew I wanted to be in South America, because of my Spanish. But which country?? I looked into Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru... and of course Argentina. For those of you wondering why I didn't consider Brazil, I will enlighten you: They speak Portuguese there. Hence, not a great option. So after (again) LOTS of research, Buenos Aires, Argentina came out the winner.

Since I didn't tag along with my buddy Matty G to Thailand, I had to figure out my own way of getting TEFL certified. I looked into taking a couple of weekend courses here in Chicago, but eventually decided that it would be ideal to actually take a course IN BsAs. This way, I could acclimate myself to the city during the course, get an idea of which companies/institutes offer the best teaching opportunities, and of course get a head start on knocking on their doors with my resume. From everything I've heard, there is plenty of English teaching needed there. Fabulous! So now my next step was to decide on which company to take the course through... WHEW... easier said than done, my friends! There is a plethora of companies out there offering TEFL courses. It is slightly overwhelming, to say the least. In the end, I decided on a company called Bridge Linguatec. They also help with housing options during the course, so I signed up to stay with a host family. Turns out I'll be staying with a 60-year-old woman in Balvanera- a nice neighborhood just west of "el centro" (downtown). Sweet!

Thanks to my Pops having an abundance of British Airways frequent flyer miles, he was kind enough to fork over a few for my trip. I have to say, once the flight was officially booked... it all became real to me. No turning back now! It was a very exhilarating feeling.

So now I sit here, 15 days away from my departure date, and feel a complete sense of glee. I have a plan, but it's fairly short-term and open-ended. I have absolutely no clue how long I will be in Argentina. I have no clue where I will go from there. The Peace Corps? Another country to teach? A volunteer program somewhere? Back to the US? It is all so unpredictable, and I love it. So many people have been asking me "Aren't you scared?", and I can honestly say that I'm not. Anxious? Yes. Scared? No.

I want to give a special shoutout to my mom. From the beginning, she has been nothing but supportive and helpful. When I first talked about doing this, she was beyond excited. I'm not sure I would have pulled the trigger if she wasn't on board, because she just knows me so well... and if she didn't think it was a good idea, I probably would've backed off. She has always instilled so much confidence in both my sister and I, and it's definitely helped make us who we are today. Muchas gracias, Mama.

I will be using this blog to document my experiences, thoughts, feelings, opinions, photos, and knowledge as I embark on this journey. I hope you'll all follow me. I will do my best to make you laugh, smile, inspire you, and expose a place that most know little of.

Okay, back to packing up my life! I'm moving out of my Chicago apartment in 5 days, driving the Uhaul back to my old Kentucky home, unpacking, re-packing, then flying out of Louisville on July 16th. A busy 2 weeks ahead? I'd say so. Chau for now!