Buenos Aires Argentina: A city that never sleeps
- studyabroad15
- Sep 8, 2023
- 8 min read
Hi there! My name is Hannah King and I am a senior at Randolph-Macon College. This past Spring 2023, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina for five months at Universidad del Salvador. Although five months is almost half of a year, this experience flew by- and it absolutely changed my life.
I never would have thought I’d get the opportunity to travel, let alone study in another country. This experience was my first time outside of the United States, but it won’t be my last! I want to thank the Office of International Education for giving me the help and resources I needed for this dream-come-true.
I am writing this blog to anyone who wishes to study abroad but thinks it's impossible-- it absolutely is possible! Get in touch with anyone in the OIE; they are beyond capable of helping you find the right program for you.
Before getting started, I’d like to share some background as to why I wanted to study abroad. I am currently double majoring in Psychology and Spanish with a dream to become a licensed professional counselor (LPC). I’ve been studying Spanish since I was in middle school, but I found my love for the language when I first started college. One of my goals is to become fluent in Spanish to be able to use that language and my skills to help the Hispanic community in Virginia with mental health issues. The Spanish language grew on me quickly and I had become pretty proficient in speaking. However, around the beginning of my sophomore year, I felt stuck at my level. Going to class to practice was great, but I felt I needed something more for my Spanish to grow. Then it hit me-- I need to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country! Not to spoil the ending, but my Spanish has greatly improved. If anyone out there is feeling the same way I did, studying abroad in a country with a different language will give you that push. I couldn’t be more grateful.
Without further adieu, here is my study abroad experience in a nutshell!
Here is a video of my first night in Argentina. I stayed with a wonderful host mother and her dog in a typical Argentinian apartment. I recommend staying with host families when traveling to another country. When I got homesick for the first time, my host mom was there for me and treated me as her own. They also have wonderful advice about the area and tips to keep you safe!
Since I lived with a host mom, she was always there to cook dinner. Here are some of the home made dishes she made for me:
A word of advice; do some research on how the country you wish to travel to makes food and what kinds of food they have! Not every place has the same food as the U.S. or the same cooking customs. Something I found interesting that was culturally different in Argentina was their opinion on salt. Usually at a restaurant at home, salt and pepper are already at the table. In Argentina, you have to ask. My host mom was not very fond of salt! The same goes for sugar.
Another cultural difference was what time dinner was made. During my time in Argentina, I usually ate dinner between 9:00-10:00 pm. I learned real quick to eat snacks between lunch time and dinner time. In fact, Argentinians have a specific time for that! The word in Spanish for snack is “merienda”. The locals I met usually have a “merienda” between 4:00 and 5:00 pm with a cup of “mate” or coffee, alongside a “medialuna”, or a croissant. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of my own, but here is a picture from the web of what a typical “merienda” looked like:
Photo: https://www.cronista.com/clase/gourmet/cansado-de-los-abusos-de-precio-creo-el-indice-cafe-con-leche-con-medialunas-y-revelo-las-cafeterias-mas-baratas-y-caras-de-la-ciudad/
Although I had a wonderful host mom to cook me dinner, sometimes I wanted to eat out! The restaurants in Argentina were amazing. To my surprise, the food was also cheap. The economy in Argentina fluctuates often, so the peso can go up or down in value. Usually a whole meal would cost anywhere between 1000 and 7000 pesos. 1000 pesos converted to USD is about $2. Here are some pictures of food in restaurants I went to:
While abroad, I also got to explore a lot of the city! The biggest piece of advice I can give is to EXPLORE! If you get to study abroad, you must find some down time for yourself. While you are there to study, it is also important to do something fun! Whenever I felt down or missed home, I’d go out with friends or walk around the city. It made the biggest difference! To me, the entire city was beautiful (at least the parts I got to see). It was a huge adjustment for me however; the difference between Ashland and Buenos Aires is huge! The title of this blog is called “Buenos Aires: The City that never sleeps”; I decided to go with this because the traffic literally didn’t stop. It’s also quite common for clubs to be open until 7am! Here are some photos of the beautiful city and nightlife:
The photo to the left is one of my favorites; we were right next to "Casa Rosada", which is the equivalent to the "White House" in the U.S! A fun fact I learned is that the president in Argentina doesn't live in the "Pink House". He lives at home with his family!
Here is "Casa Rosada". We got to tour the inside with my class. "Casa Rosada", or "Pink House" in English, is told to be pink due to it being painted by the blood of animals. This building was inaugurated in 1898 and is very dear to the people in Argentina.
Iguazú
I also got to travel within my study abroad trip. This may not be possible for everyone depending on funds, but I was fortunate enough to be able to explore other parts of the country. Don’t be afraid to look into it! It might be more doable than you think.
My first trip was Iguazú Falls in Argentina and in Brazil. This trip was by far my favorite. The “cataratas”, or waterfalls, were absolutely stunning. I even got to take a boat ride right next to the falls! Experience-wise, the Brazilian side takes the cake. But for views, the Argentinean waterfalls could not be beat.
Brazil Side
Argentina Side
Uruguay
I also got to take a trip to Uruguay, which is another country right next to Argentina. The coolest part about this experience was how close the neighboring countries really were. It sounds silly, but it only took one ferry ride that lasted about an hour and a half. Here is a photo of my friends and I on the ferry:
Uruguay was absolutely beautiful! We only stayed about 4 days, but every second was worth it! I learned through our excursions and tours that Argentina and Uruguay are like sister countries. Uruguay was actually a part of Argentina until they separated in the 17th century. This is another reason their flags are so similar! Another thing that was super interesting to me was how different the pesos were here. They had different economic values and looked different as well. Here are some of my favorite photos:
Salta
My last trip was to another place in Argentina called Salta. It was way up north, so my friends and I had to take a plane! This trip was a little hectic; we stayed for about 2 days, and each day was full of tours from about 7 am to 8 pm. Nevertheless, I still had an amazing time. Here are some of my favorite photos:
Pride and culture:
One thing I learned while I was in Argentina is how proud Argentineans are to be Argentinian. Everyone I met there was so proud of their country. Something else that caught my eye was how friendly the locals are. In America, we generally greet new people with a simple handshake and an awkward “hello”. This is considered crazy in Argentina! Every time I met someone, I was embraced in a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek; but it didn’t end there! Conversation immediately began flowing. No awkwardness, and no feeling out of place. I felt safe almost everywhere I went.
I made two really good friends who were born and raised in Argentina. Their names are Lulu (Lucía) and Maxi (Maximilliano). While most of the friends I made in Argentina were international students from the states, these two made a huge impact on my life. They made me feel the most comfortable in their country, and I will forever keep them in my heart. Don’t worry, we still keep in touch! Here’s a photo of all three of us:
I wanted to share with the world their experiences and what it means to be Argentinean; so, I asked them. Here are their responses:
Maxi:
Spanish: “Ser argentino es algo que todos creo que amamos y odiamos al mismo tiempo. Todo el que vive en argentina ama y odia a sus compatriotas, nos creemos que somos los mejores y creemos siempre que damos para más. Mi país es mi hogar por las personas que conozco y que no conozco, por esto que se que en el lugar del mundo que vaya siempre va a haber otro argentino que solo sabiendo que somos del mismo país ya nos vamos a abrazar como si nos conociéramos de toda la vida”
English: “Being Argentine is something that I think we all love and hate at the same time. Everyone who lives in Argentina both loves and hates their fellow citizens; we believe we are the best and always think we can achieve more. My country is my home because of the people I know and those I don't. For this reason, I know that wherever in the world I go, there will always be another Argentine. Just knowing we're from the same country, we'll embrace each other as if we've known each other our whole lives.”
Lulu:
“Being Argentinean is losing and finding myself over and over again. It’s knowing that no matter how bad things get there’s an invisible string uniting us. It’s pouring soda on wine, sharing mate with every stranger in the room, playing truco at the beach or complaining about how no politician knows how to rule our country or learning about another friend moving away. It’s seeing them all come back because that string often overlooked is much stronger and powerful than we realize.”
Lastly, I want to give some final pointers/advice to anyone thinking about studying abroad.
EXPLORE! I stated this earlier in the blog, but I can’t stress this enough! It can be tempting to sit in your room/apartment/dorm all day, especially when you first arrive or when you’re feeling homesick. I can promise you that exploring the area will take your mind off of things and broaden your horizons. I can’t believe all the sights I got to see!
Make friends! I am so grateful to all the wonderful people I met during my trip. They were the ones who picked me up when I was feeling down. Of course, your friends from home can do the same thing, but having a physical connection with somebody in another country other than your own makes the biggest difference. I truly believe I made lifelong friends.
Girls Girls Girls!
3. Live in the moment!
Overall, I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have this opportunity. Not only did my Spanish improve, but I made so many memories and friends along the way. I grew as an individual and I couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you to my friends and family who believed in me, the OIE, Randolph-Macon, and the wonderful people I met in Argentina. I can’t wait to visit this country again soon!
To those thinking about studying abroad: do not wait, do not hesitate, go live your dream!
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