Project 365, Day 1

I decided to begin taking pictures of myself everyday and saying what I did that day for the next year or so. I figure I will most likely put it at some value when I'm older and wonder what in the world did I do in my best years.

So without further ado-

Day: So, today I left for the University of Belgrano (where I take my Spanish classes) at 9:30 a.m., took fifteen-ish minutes to walk there, then talked to classmates before it began at 10:00 a.m. I had two breaks, one at 11:30 a.m. for 15 minutes, and a 30 minute one at 1:30 p.m. Once the Spanish class ended at 3:00 p.m., I walked over to the ISA office (the program I am studying abroad with), and they gave us some info on what we need to do to apply for our Visa on Wednesday (I have to be there at 6:20 a.m. that day!). 

Afterward, I ran to a shop where I got my entire passport photocopied (cost me about 90 cents), and finally went to COTO, one of Buenos Aires' biggest grocery stores that happens to also have miscellaneous items. It's basically Argentinian Wal-Mart. 

At COTO, I bought 6 empanadas (pastry pockets filled with delicious savory things): Chicken, Beef, Ham and Cheese, and Carne Dulce (sweet meat). I also got some on-sale dulce de leche and the Chocolate Rice Pudding below in the picture.

Picture: First- my nose! Yes, I got it pierced! Haha (Mami if you're reading don't worry! I'm not quickly turning into a bad rebellious child while overseas in a foreign country!) I've always wondered what it'd be like to have my nose pierced... and I don't love it. Will most likely take it out soon. Don't regret doing it because it was an experience, (a painful one at that) and I'm glad I did... but no.

Oh, and the rice pudding was all gone by the time I took this picture. It was super good- tasted like thicker, sweeter chocolate milk with rice floating in it. (And thank you to Mami for my necklace! I love it!

oh, the food of buenos aires

Things I miss from the US: my family. spicy foods. sleeping comfortably and cool. being able to walk outside without being overwhelmed by the vast majority of people smoking. good cheese. pizza.

With that being said, buenos aires is amazing and those things are shrink in comparison to what's happening here.

Things i love in BA: having a jumbo size jar of dulce de leche in my room that i can dip into whenever i want. being able to walk everywhere or take cheap transportation by way of bus, subway, or train (each about $0.50). having so many activities available. the amazing and fresh food (as shown by the many pictures above... haha). the absolutely BEAUTIFUL clothes- it's like walking through a free people/anthropologie/urban outfitters store in the summertime where beautiful flowy dresses abound. being able to go to the beach by free transportation that's 30 minutes away and have picnics- whenever you feel like it.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend! I have to stay in today and write a paper, but I may head to Chinatown later (3 blocks away from my apartment!), and I believe I will go to a beautiful cathedral tomorrow morning that is only one block away, then head to San Telmo after, a street fair held every Sunday.

Chao!
xo amanda

arrival

i arrived in buenos aires this morning after a flight from d.c. to dallas and then dallas to argentina.

it's so weird that i am actually here, after all the planning and paperwork i've had to do the past months.

being here is amazing- the porteños are beautiful and so is their land.

i got lost today, meandering around the city for two hours because i couldn't find the office i was meant to go for a meeting. i'm so sad i didn't have my camera on me- i wish i had those lost hours documented.

homemade vegan empanadas from my host mom- so so good

my host mother is so kind and giving and cheerful. in a week, a woman named fermina will be coming to the apartment from paraguay to do the cleaning and washing and cooking. so far, everything seems like this time and my stay in the building with be tranquil.

this is my straight on view from my window- and i'm actually really happy about it. i've always had a childhood hope that i think was shaped by watching hey arnold of having my window directly across another window of a different building, and the person living there and i would become best friends and we would have secret gestures and would hold important conversations while leaning out our screens. while i get that the fact that i'm excited as an adult is probably creepy and weird, i'm excited nonetheless even though the chance that whoever's in there and i will become best friends and hold important conversations is small.

xoxo amanda