I’ve never had such an amazing experience in my life.

So much has happened in such a short amount of time that it’s hard to keep track of everything. I haven’t been keeping my blog updated in a while, so sorry about that. I’ll try and fill you all in about the past week the best I can.

I’ll start by saying that the past week in Buenos Aires was extremely emotional. I’ve never been exposed to such an open world and the millions of possibilities that it offers. I met such wonderful people and made friends that I know will last for a long time. I had to say goodbye to people that had become an important part of my life in Argentina and that was quite difficult for me. It is amazing how fast you can make great friends while traveling. After just one day of sharing a dorm it’s like you’ve known each other for a year.

Max, Pia, Constantine and I made our way overnight on a 10 hour bus ride to B.A. on Friday the 28th of February. We stayed at a hostel called Milhouse Avenue, where our friends Dan and Caitlan had been staying for the past week. Upon arrival we walked around the city and watched as the locals protested in the streets in the name of their beloved Evita.

They have protests practically every day in Buenos Aires, so this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The city is massive and full of things to do and places to see. Unlike your typical tourists, we took our sweet time with everything. We didn’t even get to see all of the main sights, but we didn’t really try (which is okay!). After a very relaxed first day we decided to check out the legendary night life. Milhouse has parties practically every night so we started out there and around 2:30am we headed out to Terraza del Este, an extremely nice club in the city. Dan, Caitlan, Constantine and I partied all night and had a great time.

The following day we went to a market that stretched for more than 15 blocks of the city. The bustling cobblestone street invited us to buy knick-knacks of all sorts. The smell of freshly squeezed orange juice at every corner danced in the warm air as we meandered through the sea of people. The savory aroma of meat slowly cooking over an open fire made our mouths water and stomachs growl with desire. We were surrounded by mate cups, leather bags, handcrafted jewelry, paintings, instruments, clothing and so much more. It was nearly impossible not to buy things because every sales man won you over with ofertas y rebajas (deals and discounts). The sound of beautiful spanish acoustic guitar echoed against the buildings and completed the wonderful scene. We spent all afternoon strolling down the street until we finally reached the end and headed back to the hostel. We were staying in a dorm room with 8 people in total.

That night (March 2nd) we went to a restaurant called Filo. To our surprise when we arrived there was a carnival show during dinner and three lovely men who cross-dressed as women were singing and dancing around. Our newest acquaintance, a 21 year-old from England named Dugie, came along with us all day. He was the perfect addition to our already dysfunctional clan. He brought an interestingly intellectual side to every conversation which balanced out the goofy and nonsense filled conversations we usually had.

Day 3 consisted of walking around the city aimlessly and going shopping in the mega-mall called Abasto. Pia and I couldn’t resist from the hundreds of shops and quite frankly Max was just as eager to go as well. After a very relaxed afternoon we went over to Palermo (a very nice part of BA) for dinner. Caitlan found a really good Chinese restaurant; we were dying for any food other than typical Argentine cuisine. After a lovely meal full of laughs and stories we headed off to a drum festival.

We were mesmerized.

Around 2 in the morning the band, La Bomba de Tiempo, came onto the stage and slowly began to capture our souls. They were beyond impressive. None of the videos that I look serve them justice. They played until 5am and we just couldn’t stop watching and listening. There was a feeling of freedom and joy that ran through us all. Every time that we looked at each other in our group, we just smiled and continued dancing.

There’s nothing better than just letting lose and enjoying the moment. It felt like nothing else in the world mattered. The fact that I was spending time with my 5 best friends was enough. The flashing lights and smoke circled above the enormous crowd as we all danced. I closed my eyes and felt the vibrations in my chests and the rhythm of the drums in my heart. That was pure happiness.

It was a truly unforgettable night.

Tuesday was a rough day.

This was one of the hardest days for me so far. Dan, who was one of my first close friends in Argentina, left. It was time for him to continue on his 10 month journey around the world. However awesome that may be, it was still very difficult for me to say goodbye. He always brought a comedic and laid back vibe to our little familia; he completed the group. Not only was he one of my first friends, but he was the first friend that I had to part ways with during my trip. I am so glad that I met him because he taught me so much about life and myself. People like Dan inspire me to continue traveling and to live life with purpose. He was an important part of what made the first month of my trip so great.

To add to my already stressful day, Max and Pia decided to get their own private room at another hostel, leaving me in the 8 person dorm, alone. At first I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about that, but it worked out wonderfully by the end of the week. In the moment however, it made me feel worse. After spending the majority of the day alone I was able to process and reflect on the situation, and so, by the end of the day the tears of uncertainty and “loss” were gone and laughs of new friendship filled my dorm as I got acquainted with my new roommates.

La Boca

On Wednesday Max, Pia, Dugie and I went to the extremely touristy neighborhood called La Boca. The buildings are all painted in fun and vibrant colors along the water. The perfect tourist attraction.

We walked around the colorful area for a few hours taking classic pictures and goofing around. It was a lovely day and had just the right amount of tourism for us. La Boca is also home to the top division Argentinian football club, Boca Juniors and it’s beautiful stadium that we visited. That evening we went out to dinner with Caitlan to a place called Mumbai in Palermo. Once again we were trying to avoid Argentinian food by having Indian instead. (It was really great curry!)

The new group that moved into my dorm at the hostel was a blast! Timo from Finland always played his acoustic guitar and told stories about his travels in South America. I became good friends with Isabelle from Sweden, Rory from Australia and Dor from Israel. Dor and I got along really well and hung out on Wednesday and Thursday. He was a very interesting guy and had a lot of insight on life. After serving his three years in the Israeli military, he decided to travel the world for over a year. He only has one month left in Brazil and then he heads home, but from just the two days that we spent together he inspired me so much through his countless tales of struggle and hardship along with adventure and happiness. He left on thursday afternoon, but it was great meeting such a down to earth guy.

Isabelle just started her six month long journey and is going to Bolivia next to teach English. From the start we had a lot to talk about and after a day it felt like we had known each other for years! We might be traveling together in Peru during May, so I am looking forward to hopefully seeing her again! We went out together on Friday night and had the time of our lives.

For our last night in Buenos Aires we decided to go to the Milhouse party around 11:30 after we got back from dinner and then out to a bar in Palermo with Caitlan as a goodbye celebration. I invited Isabelle and Rory, but only Isabelle joined us.

I met an extremely awesome Brazilian guy named Augusto at the hostel party and I couldn’t help but to get a picture with the legend himself.

We ended up going to Bar Utopia with Caitlan and Marieke and after to a club, that was more like a tango bar, called Azúcar. Overall it was a classic fun night out in Argentina. Loud music, flirty guys, strong drinks & good memories. A very appropriate way to end my stay in Buenos Aires.

To completely end our time in B.A., Max, Pia and I went to the nature reserve on the Atlantic coast for a picnic. It was absolutely gorgeous there and after not getting home until almost 7am, a super relaxed day is what I needed. We strolled along dirt paths between tall grasses and exotic trees for a few hours before stopping by the water’s edge for lunch. Even though the ocean is a murky brown color and no one can swim in it, we enjoyed the cool breeze and view. We sat under a large tree and reminisced about the amazing time we had together and how fortunate we were to be able to do all of it. After going to get an early dinner at one of our favorite spots in the city, Continental, we got on a bus and headed back to our beloved Córdoba.

It was the perfect end to a perfect week.

After the emotional roller coaster of a week I can only think of how lucky I am to have experienced it all. I’m so fortunate to have such great friends like Max and Pia in my life. It’s actually quite difficult to put how I feel about everything that happened into words, but just know that I am living my dreams and enjoying all that can be enjoyed!

As for now, I am settled back into the routine based life in Córdoba. My new placement at the day care is tough. The kids range from ages 1-4 and are extremely misbehaved, but I manage. Last night a group of us went out to dinner for Max’s 19th birthday at our favorite restaurant, Black Sheep, and had a great time. That’s all for now!

Chauuuu amigos!