How many of you want to leave Bs As?

[CarverFan]

A lot of people on this forum seem increasingly negative about life in Bs As. I see more house/garage sales posted too. How many of you are planning to leave, or would leave if you didn't have commitments here?

 

[gsi16386]

I just got back from a two month break in the US (Jupiter, FL), but had been in BA for 18 months prior to that. I'm now back because my girlfriend is here, but will be happily leaving in three months. I simply just cannot take it anymore. I had to take a two month break in the states because I was going crazy and the smallest things were beginning to set me off, but now I'm back, reenergized, and ready for another three month stint (sounds like I'm coming back to Rikers...lol).

A lot of posts on here mention that most expats don't last longer than two years and I certainly fit into that category. I was one of the many that thought life here was going to be cheaper than that in the states and boy was I naive. A wonderful woman kept me here longer than anticipated, so that's why i'm here

Really and truly BsAs is not a horrible city, but it doesn't even come close to stacking up to life in the US. So for the next three months I'll try to get my fill of wine and meat, take advantage of my OSDE healthcare, and enjoy city living. After that, it's back to cheap living, big cars, and a sense of normality.

 

[legilber]

I´m ready to go home and have been ready, but much like others, I´m here with my Argentine significant other. We´ve got a ski vacation in canada to see my family planned for December, and after that it looks like I´ll be staying in either Canada or the states.

I´m tried of apartment living, hardly ever speaking english, and it´s true, the small things start to bother you eventually. It´s been a great experience, but my Arggie and I are ready to get out of here and get back to the first world (his words not mine!!).

While I´ve loved my time in BA, I agree with most that 2 years is about enough, especially if you can´t see yourself making your future here. Thinking about trying to retire in the states or canada on an Argie salary is just laughable.

 

[Napoleon]

I just got back from a two month break in the US (Jupiter, FL), but had been in BA for 18 months prior to that. I'm now back because my girlfriend is here, but will be happily leaving in three months. I simply just cannot take it anymore...

Really and truly BsAs is not a horrible city, but it doesn't even come close to stacking up to life in the US. So for the next three months I'll try to get my fill of wine and meat, take advantage of my OSDE healthcare, and enjoy city living.

The good news is that you'll be here the 3 best months+ of the year. For me Sept-end of the Argentine Polo Championship in Palermo. You'll be here for most of that.

After that, you'll go back to winter... but you'll be happy.

Good Luck and enjoy the Spring

 

[ellbee]

i am here cause my husband is here and we are trying to get him a US visa. unfortunately, i have to go back to SF in order to process the papers which means, another year apart (we were apart for a year due to my citizenship papers).

I really wanna leave BA but my husband and I are trying to catch up after being away for 1 year.
But he hates BA (he's from here) and we are just sick and tired of so many things here....this country doesn't care about its citizens. salaries are low, everything else is expensive - how can you live like this?
Anyhow, I could write a book about why i dislike BA and the only reason I am here is my husband....and how I have opened his eyes and made him realize that there are better things out there and a better living situation.

 

[MizzMarr]

We, too, are planning to leave BA. I'd live here part time if the business makes that a possibility (or elsewhere in Argentina, I'm partial to San Lorenzo outside of Salta), and while I have a love/hate relationship with this place (oft cited) and dislike many things about the States as well, after 5 years and 11 months I will be leaving Argentina at the end of January 2012 destined either (temporarily) for Chile or (semi-permanently) the States.

 

[Quinn]

i am here cause my husband is here and we are trying to get him a US visa. unfortunately, i have to go back to SF in order to process the papers which means, another year apart (we were apart for a year due to my citizenship papers).

I really wanna leave BA but my husband and I are trying to catch up after being away for 1 year.
But he hates BA (he's from here) and we are just sick and tired of so many things here....this country doesn't care about its citizens. salaries are low, everything else is expensive - how can you live like this?
Anyhow, I could write a book about why i dislike BA and the only reason I am here is my husband....and how I have opened his eyes and made him realize that there are better things out there and a better living situation.

To be specific, the Argentinians, at least those in BA, don't care about their fellow neighbors in BA. I travel often, spending months in one country or another. And this is the country in which I feel people have some of the lowest amount of common courtesy for other people. Things like the habit of holding the door for a stranger are completely devoid from daily routines. The lack of the drive by the citizens to evolve socially in things as simple as walking on the right (passing on the left)...something that is fairly universal around the world (Japan and others it's the opposite: walk on left, pass on right). It's that same lack of drive to evolve that is why the people just accept the awful customer service, the long lines in which something that should take 5 minutes to do like going to a larger supermercado, take 45 minutes die to line waiting...meanwhile there are more security employees in some cases than check-out people...when the simple math tells you that it costs more to pay these security employees than what would be stolen having to be hid in ones coat (since no bags are permitted).

People are quick to point to the top, to the government, and point fingers for the problems. And they play a role. But it's the people who ultimately set the tone...and it's not a great tone in BA.

Great city to visit...perhaps not the best for everyone to live in. To each their own.

 

[Barney]

There would be a lot more robberies without security guards at the door, they just do some extra checking while they are still guarding the entrance

 

[Nicole_Ramirez]

I'm not in BA, but Bariloche & I am ready to go home too. Been here almost 2 years, haven't been home once, so I don't know if I am just homesick or really sick of this place. My husband grew up in BA and he didn't want his kids raised there so we moved to Bariloche which has to be one of the most filthiest places in the world. The volcano made it even worse and the city is doing nothing...at least it appears that way 2 months later. Every night I have to sweep ashes out of my bed before climbing in. Anywho..I think it is much cheaper to live here because in FLorida both of us worked 2 full time jobs and after the mortgage, insurance, day care & all the other bills we were living paycheck to paycheck. No vacations, no eating out, nothing. Here.. we live off of my job that is mostly part time. My Argentina husband makes comments all the time about going back because he is fed up with the way people are here, but the truth is we moved here for our kids. My son who I was most worried about actually has made a really good friend & I don't know if I want to take him away. As far as safety, at least in Bariloche it is great, my kids run all over the pininsula and you don't have to worry about them. They have the freedom to be kids. In Florida they couldn't go out front unless an adult was out there watching. So I really don't know where I want to live right now. I am torn between both places.

 

[withersdavis]

Personally, I am really happy here and have no plans on leaving. One thing I have found to be really important to enjoying life here is having a lot of expat friends.

I've found it much easier to have deep, rich friendships with fellow expats than with Argentines. While this has definitely slowed my spanish language learning, it has I think helped a lot with general quality of life.