saying goodbye to my new “home”
It’s hard to believe that my time in Buenos Aires is over; it feels as though the past six weeks have flown by. It’s bittersweet to have to leave the city that I now think of as home. On one hand I will miss the city, but on the other hand, I’m excited to be back in the United States.
When I wrote my first blog post My New Home Away From Home, I had only just begun my journey, but I already felt at home in Buenos Aires. I was surprised at how well I was transitioning to life in the city and I was excited for what was to come. In the weeks that followed I continued to learn about the city, its history, its people, and its relationship with the rest of the world. More importantly, I feel as though I learned about myself and my own relationship with the world.
we’re not so different
Whether it be ethnicity, language, religion, culture, etc., I think that we tend to view ourselves as separated into groups or categories. This is especially the case when we think of people from other parts of the world. If I am being honest, I felt this way before traveling to Buenos Aires. I was skeptical about the kinds of people, customs, and social norms that I would encounter. I was afraid that the way of life would be so different from what I was used to in the United States that I would have trouble acclimating to my new environment.
After having lived in the city for 6 weeks, I can truly say that the people are practically identical to those in the United States. Of course, they speak different languages and there are small cultural differences, but this does not mean that the people are entirely different. In fact, I frequently told my friends and family that Buenos Aires is just like New York City, except Spanish is the first language. This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but on a fundamental level, it is true.
Buenos Aires is a fast-paced, modern, and progressive city. It’s filled with people from around the world, much like large cities in the United States. There are people that speak a variety of languages, come from diverse backgrounds, practice many different religions, and make up dynamic communities. I think that this is the reason why I felt so at home in Buenos Aires. It is an accepting and diverse environment, a place where anybody can fit in, because there is a place for everybody.
the journey continues
All of this makes me interested to experience other environments and see how they compare to each other. It also makes me wonder why we view ourselves as so different from one another just because we live in different parts of the world, speak different languages, or follow different traditions. Overall, this experience has awakened a new sense of curiosity within me, prompting me to explore what makes us stand apart, and also what brings us together.
I’ll always have a home in Buenos Aires and I plan to continue traveling. My hope is that in the future, I’ll find myself at home in many other countries, cities, and communities around the world.