I spent the fall semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires is sometimes called the New York City or Paris of South America. Despite these comparisons, I did not realize how huge the city was until I arrived. When I first arrived, I was a little intimidated by the vastness of the city, the rush of the city, the huge and sometimes confusing public transit systems and the constant noise. Luckily, I lived in a slightly more residential area of the city but even then, I would never get used to the trash trucks coming at 3 a.m. or the parties going on until 7 a.m. all around me.

My weekends had a bit more variety to them. Since I never had class on Fridays, I was able to travel on the weekends with friends. Though, traveling in South America takes up a good amount of time and money, unless going by bus, due to the size of the continent. On the weekends I was in town, I would go to local artisan markets, like the San Telmo or La Boca market, or go to one of the many vintage pop-ups in the Chinatown of Buenos Aires or opt for a peaceful day at the various parks throughout the city. 

I would spend the evenings usually at dinner with friends. Like I said, dinner lasts forever in Buenos Aires. We would start dinner around 9 p.m. and still be chatting and eating around midnight.  After dinner, we would head to a friend’s apartment to hangout, hit the town, go watch live music or even go to a concert! One of the nice things about living in such a huge and busy city, is there is always something to do– no matter the time of day. 

And, just like that, my week would start again! While studying abroad and traveling all over South America is amazing, there is something so special in creating a new normal in your new home! Don’t forget to slow down occasionally and make sure you know your city – it is likely just as special and amazing as all the other cities you’re traveling to on the weekends!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: CEA: Latin American Studies in Buenos Aires