After a long day, and night, of traveling, we finally arrived in Buenos Ares around 11:00 in the morning, and i was immediately excited to start exploring. One of the first things I noticed was our hotel room, which ended up exceeding my expectations. We had two full bathrooms and a small living room area, which definitely made settling in easier. Although I was a little salty seeing that some of the other groups got bigger rooms, I honestly could not complain because ours was still great.
Shortly after arriving, we headed to our orientation lunch, which was one of my favorite parts of the day. We were served two different cuts of steak topped with some delicious chimichurri, and the food was incredible. On top of that, the restaurant had an amazing balcony view overlooking the city, which made the experience even better. After lunch, I walked back with the group while stopping at a few stores along the way. One of my first impressions of Buenos Aires was how vibrant and energic everything felt, even in the cold weather. The streets were constantly busy, people were outside everywhere, and the culture just felt so much different then back home in Pittsburgh.
Later in the day, I decided to explore part of the city by myself for a little while. I became pretty familiar with a certain part of Buenos Aires, which was really helpful when my phone died later that night while walking a mile home. I did some shopping and spent some time taking in the architecture, which I thought was beautiful. Most notably, the streets being brick instead of asphalt and the rounded corners on the buildings were gorgeous. I was also pleaseantly suprised by how affordable a lot of the clothes and food were compared to the States. While exploring, I found a high-end gaming cafe about a mile away from the hotel, which was something I definitely did not expect. I booked some time there and ended up spending a few hours playing games with my friends back home while also meeting some people who were there playing the same game as me. Everyone I interacted with throughout the day was extremely nice and welcoming.
After leaving the gaming cafe, I grabbed food at a nearby bar and really appreciated the atmosphere. Everyone seemed relaxed and genuinely enjoying themselves. One thing that suprised me was how few people spoke English, but honestly, I liked that because it made the experience feel more authentic and immersive. By the end of the night, I headed back to the hotel and spent time hanging out with the rest of th group before getting some rest. Overall, my impression of Buenos Aires was extremely positive, and I am already excited for everything else we are going to experience during this trip.
As a side note, since it Mother’s Day, I just want to say: I love you mom! (and all the other mom’s)