Settling In (…Yet Always on the Move)

Moving from California to Michigan for university, I know the process of settling into a new place very well. It’s all a bit much moving to a completely new place where you know no one and must find your rhythm, however after a few weeks I feel like I am finding my footing. There have been a few things contributing to my settling including the weather finally cooling down, feeling like my homestay is home, and of course being able to get around the city. For those that don’t know, the colectivo may be my favorite form of transportation; for less than .50 cents I can go across the city! After avoiding it for the first week and a half, because I have a fear of looking like a dumb tourist, I finally used my SUBE card and will not be looking back.

I have also had my first full week of classes at IES Abroad—which was a bit strange after not being in school for nearly three months—and I am glad to finally have some structure in my life. I have not been in school for nearly 3 months, so starting classes has been quite an adjustment but the material is interesting and my professors are wonderful. For those unsure if I am actually going to school and not traversing around South America; I am taking classes in Marketing, History, Cultural Studies, and of course Spanish. The portion of class that I particularly like are the field trips (I have had four in the past two weeks). Speaking of field trips, the IES Abroad staff has jam packed the month of March with plenty of excursions. Within this past month, I have toured the neighborhoods and walked around markets of San Isidro, Feria de Mataderas, and San Telmo. Also, IES Abroad planned excursions to see the shows Bomba del Tiempo and Fuerza Bruta. These shows were especially fun and unlike anything I have ever seen. Bomba del Tiempo is a drum/percussion show that happens every Monday and locals come to dance and enjoy the sounds of the improvised rhythms of the band. Fuerza Bruta is an incredible 90-minute performance art piece that cannot be summed up in words (if you ever have the chance to see this show…GO).

All in all, Buenos Aires is starting to feel like a familiar place in which I don’t feel like a complete outsider. Of course, there are everyday instances that I still feel like an unknowledgeable tourist but it subsides a little more each day.