This week a weird thing happened. I was sitting in traffic for my commute to work and all of a sudden I saw something on the street and Buenos Aires immediately popped into my head. I was filled with images of the streets, the buildings and the people. Five years ago, I lived in Buenos Aires over a summer and had the time of my life. For the past couple of years, I hadn’t thought much about my trip. Life keeps us busy these days. I don’t even know what I had seen on the street that somehow triggered my Buenos Aires trip, but I am glad it did.
I am a traveler at heart. One of my dream jobs is to be a travel writer. I’m so blessed to have lived/traveled to several countries when I was younger. Each one is different and holds a special place in my heart. Since I am currently day dreaming of Buenos Aires, I thought I’d share some things I love about this amazing city. The great thing about having a blog is you can document your thoughts so that one day you can go back and read them.
Buenos Aires is…
Artistic
I love discovering the local art scene of a city. It reflects the “personality” of a place and gives you a taste of what the country values. In Buenos Aires, there is a huge appreciation for anything artistic. Tango, of course, is the traditional dance, but they have an eclectic music and film scene throughout the country. One of my favorite things about the city is the museums – there are so many! I love being in a city that embraces art. I feel right at home. Buenos Aires has a variety of museums, and most, if not all, were practically free, if not completely free. In the middle of the city, they have this huge art installation of a steel flower in the United Nations Plaza called Floralis Generica. What’s unique about this art piece is that it opens and closes like a real flower in the morning and at night. How rad is that!
Architecturally Stunning
The city itself is absolutely gorgeous – it’s this exquisite combination of Parisian & Latin American architecture. At some point, you also feel like you are on the streets of Paris because its buildings resemble it so much. I love a city where you spend the day walking and exploring – New York, London, Paris and Buenos Aires.
Yummy
If you visit Buenos Aires, I can promise you that it will be a foodie paradise. They really know hot to indulge in the tastiest food. Of course, they are known for their super awesome churrasco’s (BBQ), which, at least when I was there, were significantly cheaper than anything you could ever find in the States. An all you can eat churrasco for about $20 (including a bunch of sides) is guaranteed to put you in a deliciously wonderful food coma. They’re also know for their sweetly wonderful pastries and their scrumptious empanadas. You can definitely do an entire food tour of Buenos Aires and never be bored.
Fashion
I don’t think this needs much explanation, except that I came back with so many cute outfits. People who live in Buenos Aires are so fashionable; I love their style! There are many neighborhoods with the cutest boutique stores where you can find a one-of-a-kind piece from a hip fashion designer for not too much money. I was lucky enough to experience Buenos Aires Fashion week. I was actually seated in the fashion show! Oooohhhhh…..dream come true!
Life
I am in love with Buenos Aires. Not because it is so beautiful, but because the people of Buenos Aires live their lives to the fullest. They take three hour lunches, eat dinner at ten o’clock, watch plays in the theater district, and they drink, dance, and walk around their city into the wee hours of the night. It is definitely a place where people work to live, not live to work. It was refreshing being in a place where people took time to enjoy life. You feel this vibe everywhere you go. I would spend hours writing in a cafe and see people taking the longest lunch breaks I have ever seen! For dinner time, people can sit forever at their table and the check is never handed to them…not until they ask for it. There is a slowness in the life, which I guess I miss. Life in the U.S. can be so hectic and it seems all we do is work our butts off.
If you are looking for an escape, I highly recommend visiting Buenos Aires. You will be enchanted by the city and have flashbacks of your visit years later.
I hope you all have a pretty weekend! I have some fun movie reviews planned for future blog posts.
Photo credit: Mrs. ShuGar all photos 
