One Year BA Anniversary!

It’s been exactly one year since I moved to Buenos Aires, and I have to say that I’ve never been happier. Sometimes it seems like I just arrived and I can hardly believe a year has gone by. I can still remember all the different things I had to struggle with when I first got here. There were the big things: finding an apartment to live in, finding employment, making friends, improving my Spanish. And then there were the little things: learning how to re-load my cell phone credit, buying fruit from the stands on the street, navigating the streets of BA without getting lost, stepping in dog crap, falling in a hole, getting run over by a bus, etc. But I learned. Slowly but surely I found my way.

First I had the amazing good luck to find my apartment…cheap, spacious, in a great area, and owned by a super generous and kind family. I had a series of jobs that taught me a lot about various things, specifically about myself and the kind of person I am and want to be. I made friends and acquaintances of all kinds that helped me in their own ways through the various stages of this past year. I met my boyfriend, who has made the last 6 months even better than I thought they could be. And last week I got a part time internship with a travel boutique, which will give me some great experience in the tourist industry and which allows me to get out of the house and meet more people.

There have obviously been some difficult and challenging times during the last year, but that can happen to anyone, anywhere. It’s just life. When it comes down to it, my BA life is pretty good.

Of course, I’ve had to adapt to living here in a huge city, in a second or third-world country, on the other side of the world from my family and everything I grew up with. As well as getting accustomed to things like eating late and only speaking Spanish, I have a list of things that I’ve learned to live without here in Buenos Aires, including air conditioning, a car, a clothes dryer, and a TV (until recently).

But I am proud to announce that in honor of my 1 year BA anniversary, I have taken one item off of my Without list, and I am SUPER pumped about it. Please meet the newest addition to my household:

YAY!

It’s really old, probably about 15 or 20 years, but it works perfectly! Acquired from a really nice guy who is relocating to Brussels for work for the grand total of 250 pesos, this machine is going to make my life so much easier. I like to cook, and when I do I tend to make large batches of things like pasta or mashed potatoes or soup. When it comes time to eat the leftovers, well…let me just say that reheating cold pasta on the stovetop is a challenge. No more! My new microwave will change all that. We had a little photo shoot today, Micro and I…doesn’t he look fabulous?

Work it baby.

Isn't it GLORIOUS!

Anyway, the acquisition of this high-tech piece of equipment was the highlight of my weekend, clearly. I also went to see Inception (El Origen in Castellano) with the BF, and I have to say it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in my life. I mean, I know everyone is saying that, but really, it was good. Jump on the bandwagon and go see it if you haven’t…it’s worth it. Also go see Despicable Me (Mi Villano Favorito) with Steve Carrell. We watched it online (gasp) and it was hilarious. Movies are perfect for cold days like we’ve been having, and recently there has been a slew of good ones to choose from. And yes, I just said “slew.”

Off to heat something up in my new microwave! Joy!