Buenos Aires

Let me preface this by saying I've never traveled alone and I've never been to South America...

After flying for 20 hours, I arrived in Buenos Aires at 9:30PM on a Sunday. Customs took about an hour (I also had to go through an hour of customs during my connection in Mexico City before falling asleep on a departures bench for 2 hours - insert sad face). I took an official taxi from the airport as I was advised for a steep $48 (cards accepted).

This is where I learned my first lesson: Choose a hostel with a 24 hour front desk. There wasn't anyone at my hostel so I had to go to another hostel over a mile away to get my keys. I wasn't about to walk that with my backpack in an unknown city close to midnight as a single female. Fortunately I had the worlds nicest taxi driver and despite the fact he didn't speak a word of English, he offered to take me and bring me back. So I finally get into my room at Babel Palermo close to midnight. The rooms open up directly to the outside which is always a red flag for me. You're still within a front security gate, but there's no guard and it's not a well lit street so I think I better skip dinner and just take a shower and head to bed. Well apparently you have to flip a circuit breaker in order to get the overhead lights and AC to work and I don't know this because there isn't a front desk person. So little old me terrified of the dark uses my cell phone light to find a lamp, turn it on in time to see a bug scramble past, and proceed to unload my bags, take a shower, and go to bed slightly concerned. Day 1: My entrance last night wasn't ideal. I was hangry and thirsty. A bad combo for anyone that knows me. With the daylight, I found the circuit breaker, texted my Argentinian friend back in the states to figure out that the tap water is fine, and found the wifi password. After a quick pep talk that this was all going to be fine and imploding my life wasn't a terrible idea, I set off to find coffee and breakfast.

I'm staying in Palermo which I've been assured is like the SoHo of Manhattan, super safe and good for walking. It quickly becomes apparent that not as many people speak English as I had thought. I studied in Spain 8 years ago, but that mental muscle hasn't been flexed in a long time and I'm struggling to remember lots of words. Furthermore, if I compile a badass sentence, the recipient thinks I'm a fluent gringo and they speak back to me quickly and I comprehend nothing. I can't win. I grab a delicious cup of coffee at Barrio Cafetero Palermo and I realize I don't have Argentine pesos. Add to the to-do list. I'm really starting to question this neighborhood. I keep walking and realize I am 3 streets too far over the train tracks (literal train tracks) and actually not in Palermo SoHo. I walk into this pristine, tree-lined, colorful neighborhood and my spirits instantly perk up.

I walk along the amazing street art and parks and end up covering over 6 miles on foot this first day. I have lunch at Don Julio Parilla where I am assured it's the best bistec in Buenos Aires. Steak for lunch? Sure why not. It was. Actually maybe the best steak I've had in my life.

Later in the day, I walk to Palacio Duhau/ Park Hyatt in Recoleta to meet one of my cousin's friends for drinks. It's an hour and a half walk (note: Buenos Aires is HUGE), but it is the absolute most beautiful courtyard to have a cocktail in. I sit with the nicest two people in the fashion industry and discuss what I should see in BsAs and the current political climate throughout the world. I test out my Spanish but I have to admit it's nice to speak in English a bit.

I have dinner reservations at 9 at Francis Mallman's restaurant Patagonia Sur which I am overly excited about. The front desk calls a taxi and I am quickly reminded that this is not NYC and things don't happen quickly in Latin America. Once in the taxi, I realize La Boca is a half hour away because again, this city is HUGE. I also realize I don't know how to say things like "I'm in a hurry, can you please pass in the left lane?" I get to Patagonia Sur which is in the middle of nowhere and doesn't have a sign 17 minutes late. Knowing how strict these tasting menu places can be, I quickly mumble that I'm so sorry I'm late to which the handsome mesero responds "I didn't even notice" with a wink. Relief.

I take in the room. It looks like a home. There is a living room with couches, book shelf, bar cart, and 5 tables all separated in different corners of the room. It does not look or feel like a restaurant. I'm greeted with a cocktail and empanada on the couch while Frank Sinatra's voice fills the room. I'm taken to my "mesa por uno" and proceed to have one of the best 6 course meals of my life with half a bottle of Malbec.

I tell the waiter I'm learning Spanish so if he doesn't mind presenting to me in Spanish and English, that would be great. He seems to find my constant questions funny so strikes up the conversation on how I got there. I briefly tell him my story in Spanish and when he asks why Argentina? Why Patagonia? I tell him how I always dream about where I would go in a single moment if I could travel anywhere in the world. And for the last 3 years, the answer for me has been Patagonia. I finish by asking him where he would go right now. I ask this question to almost every one I meet for the first time so I'm used to the other person getting a bit flustered. He quickly says "China, I've read about it and I'd like to explore the culture" and walks back to the kitchen to continue doing his job. He comes back out later and tells me that no one has ever asked him that before and it has him thinking quite a bit. I'm addicted to that look on people's faces when something awakens in them they hadn't realized before. He tells me about where he grew up and how he also works at Francis' restaurant in Uruguay, but he's still searching for his passion. He offers me a free bourbon which I politely decline because I'm still a bit nervous about getting into my hostel at night. Later, I fall asleep completely content with day one.

Day 2: Feeling more confident this morning, I put on exercise clothes to go for a run. Mainly because my feet are so blistered from all the walking the day before, I need an excuse to wear my trailrunners. I look like a complete gringo in my Colorado flag tshirt but I don't care. I run down to Brandon and grab breakfast then keep running through Palermo.

I visit the Immigrants from Armenia square because I'm Armenian. It's nothing to write home about, but I take a picture to make my Dad feel at ease ("See we're more welcome here than in the States!"). I run along the botanical garden, but can't figure out how to get in. Alas, it's closed. I run home to shower and take a phone call with the CFO of my dream company. She asks what offices I'm interested in and I confidently say "I'll go anywhere in the world" and I actually think I mean it. I then go outside for some street side empanadas and a beer during sunset. At this point I'm already in love with the city and trying to figure out how/when I can come back...

The friend of my cousins from the Embassy cancels our drinks so I head back to the room for a siesta. I plan to go to Nicki NY Sushi via a friend's recommendation as soon as they open at 8pm. I set my alarm wrong and wake up at 8:15 - eek. Quickly call my first foreign uber and get to the restaurant by 8:30 only to be turned down despite a mostly empty restaurant. Gringo problems. Fortunately I had another recommendation a few blocks away, La Hormiga.

I should mention that I have a car coming to pick me up for Rojo Tango at La Faena at 9:30 and I'm too afraid to walk the mile back to my hostel in the dark so I'm going to have to call another uber to get there. I, again, forget how slow Latin America is and wait half an hour for my meal and then scarf it down in 5 minutes and rush back. Just in time. I head to La Faena and enjoy a beautiful night with free flowing Malbec, Latin performers, and some tantalizing dance moves.

This time, I go to bed with a bit of anxiety again. I'm traveling at 3:30AM and I know there's the struggle/excitement of a new place ahead of me.