Pre-Departure Jitters

Everything feels so much more official, despite having been confirmed for this program since mid-November. My name is Kiki, and I am spending the spring semester of my junior year studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, en la Universidad de Palermo. I’ve never blogged before, but I get the feeling that I’m going to be a wordy blogger, so feel free to skip to the end of the post for the highlights if long-windedness isn’t your thing.

I just finished booking my housing, discussing visa requirements with the Consulate General in Atlanta, booking my flight, and soon I'll be picking out my classes. Things have already been moving differently between the university coordinators in Buenos Aires and me. For Argentines, summer break is December through February, but my research on the porteño lifestyle indicates that a more laid-back and friendly pace is something that I’m looking forward to year-round. I’ve never meaningfully been outside of the States, and I’m excited to have the chance to experience and live in an entirely new culture.

I feel like I’ve made as many preparations as humanly possible, and I think I’m very informed about the logistics of living and studying in Buenos Aires, but I still feel unprepared for the reality of living in a large, unfamiliar city, which primarily speaks a language that I’m not 100% fluent in, yet! I cannot prepare for the unpreparable, and I’m spending my time worrying about things that are out of my control - like housemates, professors, and what route I should take to classes. I’m trying to break the habit of worry, and it’s somewhat working. I’m prioritizing what I can control. I’ve been brushing up on my Spanish as much as I can, reading about public transit in BA, studying neighborhood maps, and getting to know other international students in advance.

I approach everything in life as a learning process - expecting perfection is ridiculous when starting something new, and so I’ve learned to be flexible and constantly aware of alternatives. If a plan falls through, at least I gained an experience, or in my most recent case, a friend. Securing housing has been a bumpy ride - I knew I didn’t like the sound of a homestay, and my university doesn’t have dorms. My options were limited to renting an apartment (alone, or with others) or going through a third-party student residence company. Universidad de Palermo (UP) provided a recommendation to a company that solely hosted international students, and I nearly signed the contract for a room in an 11-bedroom house… But the contract didn’t feel quite right. The contract terms weren’t BAD, but caused a few raised eyebrows from me and my parents, which led to a swift change of plans that includes an interesting Airbnb arrangement that I feel much more secure with. Before receiving the contract, the housing company allowed me to join a WhatsApp chat of every student interested in a room with the company. Here, I was able to meet another member of my exchange cohort for the first time! While we aren’t in the same major, we’ll have the same Spanish classes, and this is a huge comfort to me. All this to say - I’ve already made a friend, and he’s from Switzerland, which is super cool to me. And, even when things don’t go to plan, good things can come from any path you may decide to take.

In line with my outgoing nature, I’ve also joined a variety of Facebook groups - I recommend this to any student studying abroad, but ESPECIALLY if you haven’t visited your host country before. The most helpful group thus far is one for expats in Argentina. I posted in this group asking for recommendations about which areas to prioritize for an apartment, and which ones to avoid as a solo, foreign woman, and got some incredibly detailed and thoughtful responses and opinions. I have also connected with another international exchange student who doesn’t go to my university, but to another local one. These small interactions with these communities have given me confidence that I will find a supportive, friendly environment in various parts of Buenos Aires.

I think I’m going to miss my people the most. There isn’t much I’ll physically be lacking, aside from my car. I place a lot of value on my relationships with the people around me, and I think I’ll feel the separation as one of my most negative experiences while gone. However, I had a lot of good times with my friends and family recently - attached is a picture of myself, followed by a picture of my section in the Carolina Band. I had a fulfilling goodbye, and I look forward to a meaningful return when I arrive back in Columbia in August. Follow along with my journey; I look forward to providing future updates!

HIGHLIGHT REEL:

~ Feeling: Frozen in time, nervous, excited, wary, like I’m forgetting something

~ Preparation: I believe I prepared as much as I could. I recommend extensive research on your host university, visa policies, entry requirements, budget limitations, accommodation options, airline options, and community support/resources

~ Excited for: my accommodation host, my fellow international students, local students, gastronomy, cultural sights, good weather, a walkable city with amazing transportation, and affordable goods

~ Nervous about: messing up visa requirements (they are VERY particular), safety as a solo woman, missing my family and friends

Carolina Band Banquet - my last time in Columbia before leaving for Argentina!

Tenor Saxophone Section :)