A few of my favorite things

Wow I cannot believe it's been almost 3 weeks already! I've definitely gotten more settled and comfortable, and today the tables have turned: someone asked ME for directions :) AND, I understood, knew the answer, and could say the answer in Spanish. Horray!
Other things that have been "favorites":

Gelato and café. The ice cream shops all have at least a few flavors that don't have milk but still taste creamy and delicious like soft-serve. The coffee here is great, too. One of my favorite things to do is to go to a café and sit and read, journal, or do homework. Generally things here are expensive, but $2 for a coffee also comes with a cookie or two and sparkling water. What's weird is that before this trip I didn't like coffee, but I guess it's because I don't like the watered-down coffee in the US? The coffee here is as strong as espresso in the US, and is deliciously smooth and rich.


I also love the plazas. There are many in Buenos Aires. Although fall is almost over here and we're nearing on winter, during the day it gets hot enough to sit out enjoy the sun's warmth. On the weekends the plazas are all filled with markets and art fairs with occasional musicians or tango dancers.

Last but not least, my favorite day so far was probably Saturday last weekend. I went with a couple other students across the river to Uruguay. We were in Montevideo that day, which is now one of my favorite places in the world. It's a city with lots to do but it also feels very relaxed. Within 24 hours I spontaneously danced Tango with the guy who works at the hostel, went into the famous Teatro Solis, went to a great outdoor antiques market, sat on a park bench and people watched, strolled along the river and had some absolutely delicious steak. There were a couple hundred high school students out and about for the Global Day of Youth Service, and at one point they invited us to join their team building dances/activites in the plaza! Here are some offering "Abrazos Gratis" (free hugs).

So many favorites!! Is there anything I don't like? Well, the pollution in quite bad. It's a bit hazy near certain streets, and also I feel like I inhale about a cigarette's worth of secondhand smoke per day. The other thing that is challenging, of course, is the language barrier. BUT I'm getting better, and that's what I'm here for!