How long before BsAs loses its shine?

[xohmyx]

Hey everyone hows it goin? good i hope?

anyway i understand my question is quite subjective and each persons individual experiences will alter there point of view towards the city, but as a general rule how long did it take for BsAs to stop being a magical exciting far off place with (at first intresting) quirks, to a place that made you want to punch people in the face and wish that you'd never left the familiar comfort of your homeland.

I ask because I was in BsAs for a month eariler this year and i had a cracking good time, which seemed to contrast a lot with a lot of peoples experiences on here (granted i didnt get mugged and met up with great people while i was here) I was planning to come back next year for a longer period at first i was thinking about 6-8 months but now im thinking that may be to long im guessing that after awhile it starts to become less of a vaction or an adventure and more of a routine day-to-day living thing, and i want BsAs to remain an intresting place.

So how long did it take for the lights of Buenos Aires take to dim for you and what was it that happened or that you experienced to make your point of view change?

 

[citygirl]

There is a huge difference between vacationing and living someplace.

In my experiences, the average is a little over a year for the shine to wear off. Very few make it past 2 years.

 

[surfing]

My honeymoon with Buenos Aires lasted three years; now after seven I am itching to leave.

 

[steveinbsas]

Here are two mega threads that deal with the subject:


How many of you want to leave Bs As? (over 11,800 views)


Change in expat attitudes? (over 16,400 views)

 

[Zissou]

In my opinion there are a few factors that have people stay/ go/ determine how long they stay/go.

1. weather. When the weather is at its best (ie summer), it is such an amazing place to be. Interesting people - foreign and local - great nightlife, cultural events, etc. I mean everywhere is fun in the summer but BA certainly takes it up a notch.

2. employment. Unless you work independently - and earn in anything other than pesos - then that's going to dull the shine. Few people can accept/ adapt to what a different culture it is professionally & low salaries. Also, your income level is what will shield you from having to deal with the sh1t that drives people nuts (ie you rent nice, furnished, apartments with all bills and services included, inflation doesn't significantly affect you).

3. integration. The people who have really fallen in love with the place have really integrated themselves into the city/ country. They're fluent in Spanish and have as many if not more friends that are Argentine than not. Since many foreigners will have primarily foreign friends, when their friends leave, they get the urge to leave to. It's normal. Our sense of home is often tied to people and if those people aren't there, things change.

4. career. There's also a certain career issue where for many, it is simply not advantageous to their career or financial goals in the long-term to remain in BA. I think there are a lot of people who leave for that reason, that would have stayed if they had found an option that didn't force a significant compromise on that level. Of course this depends on the age of the people in question...

 

[jantango]

Zissou makes excellent points for people to consider before they move to BsAs. It's a different culture and language in which you have to assimilate or you'll wonder why you came.

I came for the tango. It's a tiny community into which it has taken me years to assimilate and be accepted. I didn't come to BsAs to work; I retired when I left Chicago in 1999. The weather is a big plus for me. If I were living in the USA, I'd still be working as a dance teacher. However, in BsAs I live on my monthly social security benefit with no other income. My friends and acquaintances are mostly Argentines.

I'm still in love with the city, walking the streets, gazing at the blue sky, enjoying peace and quiet in my apartment, and especially going to the milongas when I need to dance tango.

 

[bsas]

Id imagine that for some of us the culture is a real good fit, we have almost exclusively local friends, and speak the language well. I think that even for us, the sameness of it all eventually gets to some. Every wedding, asado, or even where you take your summer vacation are the same, year in and year out.

In my case i lasted 5 years full time before starting to leave for longer periods of time. I think that those who last for the long haul enjoy that kind of lifestyle.

 

[chris]

the sameness of it all eventually gets to some. Every wedding, asado, or even where you take your summer vacation are the same, year in and year out.

This is very true. To the newcomer it is all different and exciting. After a few years you realize that it is quite a conventional place. Little variety. Only one fairly cosmopolitan city. Same way of doing things, same menus etc

 

[mini]

My honeymoon with Buenos Aires lasted three years; now after seven I am itching to leave.

Two and a half to three years give or take for me too. I'm quite ready to move on now.

But it's my own fault as I said to myself I would be here 2-3 years. If you this sort of attitude, I don't think you "invest" in making it your home. For me it was a stop off period. Which is fine. But you need to decide what's your purpose here, what do you want to get out of it, how long are you willing to invest to make that goal happen, what is your exit strategy if need be, etc.

Then never be afraid to "make a mistake". We came thinking "hey, it's an experience and if it was a mistake, so be it". Of course, I do not regret one bit having had this experience.

Good luck!

....gazing at the blue sky....

I have to say, I was just thinking that yesterday. The sky here is beautiful and I will miss it.

 

[Ashley]

I think it depends on your objectives here. If you're still in your 20s and want an experience abroad, it's great and you'll be fine for a year...as will anyone, I think, coming for the experience (a year or so) with some kind of financial buffer.
I loved it here for years. I was also lucky enough to find two jobs here that have been beneficial to my professional growth in my 20s (very rarely the case). However, I'm finding taking the next step in my career here impossible. There is just nothing out there. And while my friends back home settle into well paid, senior and semi-senior positions as they reach their 30s, I am stuck with a lot of experience and nothing to do with it (feeling underpaid, under-appreciated and a bit like I'm going backwards). This is making all of the other issues with Bsas (inflation, dollar restrictions, lack of variety in food, etc, etc) seem 10 times worse than they ever did before. It is for that reason that I'll be looking to move back within the next 12 months.
Even so, I would still highly recommend coming here for a while...living here is great too depending on what life stage you're at.