After a stay in Nordenberg, 2 flights, and barely any sleep we finally arrived in Buenos Aires. As we deboarded, saw the airport, and headed for customs, I noted the modern design of the airport. Knowing this would be a trend to see along the way. I had mixed emotions as we stepped outside. Part of me knew that I was in another country thousands of miles away from home, but another part of me felt like I was still in a familiar place that I have been to millions of times.

We were ushered to a van where we stored our bags and headed for our hotel. Our route had a lot of scenery which was expected. Most notable was a mural of Messi, soccer fields/nets, and many apartments and houses. The housing was quite similar to those I have seen depicted in movies of Latin America. I noticed that almost all of the apartment buildings had balconies for every room, and found this strange. This is not what I usually see in the States for apartment buildings. I knew everything I saw at the beginning of the ride was outside the city, but I thought that even in the city this would be similar with just some tall office buildings in between. This was not the case.

We checked into our hotel. It is a wonderful place with beautiful rooms and added bonus points for our rooms being ready almost 5 hours than expected! I headed to my room and showered the gross plane smell off and changed into some clean clothes. I was ready early so my roommate Marissa and I decide to go for a little stroll. As we walked I had trouble comprehending that I was Argentina. the buildings that surrounded our hotel and the park were giving off a mix between New York City and Europe. New York City because of the park right outside our hotel and the elegant building remind me of the upper east side. I also include Europe because while I have never been the pictures I have seen from friends and online look similar and relate because of the international aspect. The picture above was taken on our walk to the wonderful IES Abroad building where we were treated to a wonderful barbeque with another beautiful view. After a much need time to rest some of us met up to walk to a bakery. They had so many delicious options it was hard to choose. I even had the pleasure to find an all-gluten-free bakery. I will have to try it before I leave. Later all of us went to dinner. Dinner was interesting and ordering food is definitely a challenge. We are thankful for those in our group who can speak Spanish fluently to help us order correctly.

The difference between the two was astronomical. I could not grasp how they are both considered Buenos Aires. The atmosphere that is perceived is vastly different. After our visit to IES Abroad I learned about the poverty rate in Argentina and stuff I had seen was starting to make sense.

I hope to explore the city in more depth. I cannot wait to try more food and see culturally significant landmarks. After our full schedule of events, I hope to be able to see similarities and differences between Argentina and the States. I also hope to leave with no regrets and do everything I possibly could. Well, that is all for the first day. I’ll keep everyone posted on my daily adventures. See you all tomorrow!