After a long travel day, our group arrived in Buenos Aires at 10am, where we were welcomed by members of IES and picked up by a bus to take us to our hotel. During the 30 minute bus ride, we got a first glance of the city, where many different things caught my eye. The building styles, car models, and roads were unlike what I’m used to in the U.S., especially coming from a city like Pittsburgh. We also passed by some important city landmarks, such as la Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world, and the Obelisco, a well known monument. Upon arriving at the hotel, we headed to the IES building, where the staff hosted a wonderful lunch on a rooftop that had a beautiful view overlooking the city. Here, we enjoyed some traditional Argentine foods, such as various grilled veggies, chicken, sausage, and beef. The food was very delicious, and a great first taste of our cuisine for the upcoming two weeks. My personal favorite was the choripán with chimichurri sauce.

After lunch, we attended an IES safety presentation, which addressed some things I never had to think about before, such as wearing a backpack backwards to protect items from being stolen, and the fact that Uber is illegal in Argentina, meaning we will have to use only taxis for transport throughout the trip. Another very new experience for me was having to exchange my currency from the U.S. dollar to the Argentine peso. This process was much more efficient and simple than I had anticipated, as we were able to find an exchange location right across from our hotel.

Every person I encountered today through the program was extremely welcoming, kind, and helpful, and I greatly enjoyed my time with the group. After my first day, I am even more excited to spend more time with the everyone and explore and learn more about the city!