Me Quiero Ir

[ARbound]

It's not even been 6 months yet and I'll get by DNI by the sounds of it tomorrow and I'm already starting to plan on how to leave.

I know a lot of permatourists come here and give up and go home after a few months/weeks but I work a full time job here now and I'm currently saving my dollars for the great escape.

In hindsight I should have taken people's advice about not coming here and I seriously warn other people thinking about it to pick a different country. I considered the people who bitched about Buenos Aires/Argentina as bitter people who are too lazy to leave or stuck in their lives but now I must admit I totally see where they are coming from.

Perhaps it's a been a rough couple of weeks for myself but I've worked 54 hour weeks recently and come home to sleep and deal with bitchy Argentines at work, on the subway, on the street, in the grocery store and today at OCA. I just have started to not want to associate with any Argentines (no offense intended) and come home/go to work where I know I will see people from other countries.

I guess besides my rant, my question is to the people who came after things started turning shittier (post-2011): Why do you stay? How do you stay? Aren't there days where you feel you are on the edge of sanity?

I honestly can't wait to leave here and the only thing keeping me is the lack of money I have to move on.

What do you guys think I can do to keep my sanity for the next 2 years or so while I work to save money from wanting to
strangle every person sipping Mate I see and screaming I hate Argentina.

I know it's a bit dramatic but I honestly think I'll have a stroke before I save enough money from the anxiety, frustration, bullshit, corruption and general rude nature of the average Argentine I meet on a daily basis. Also doesn't help working near where every protest/soccer destruction seems to be...

 

[PhilipDT]

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you. I'm even sorrier to hear that you're stuck here.

As far as keeping your sanity, get a hobby, or 3. Even if you're working 54 hour weeks and get home absolutely wrecked, try and drag yourself out to do something you enjoy at least a couple times during the week and no the weekends get crazy. Siting at home stewing in bitterness is the path to madness.

Its a huge city and there are tons of things to do. Go to a free concert at the usina del arte, get some half off tickets from the TICKETSBSAS stand for a headlining show and take a date. Go to wine tastings. Buy a bike and ride to tigre and come home on the train. Go to the Lujan zoo and take advantage of the nearly unique opportunity to hug a tiger. Go rowing in puerto madero. Go take trapeze clases near the golf course. Take a free photography class or cooking seminar. Do you have a barbecue? Go redneck style and invite all your friends for choris and quilmes. Don't have one? buy a bag of charcoal and go to a park and use a public one.

 

[internationalguy]

It might be the heat. That makes you and everyone more easily irritated and obviously everyone becomes more irritating. You've mentioned all the places you've lived in, I'm sure you have some experience on how to cope and patience must be one of your things. Just wait a couple of weeks and according to everyone the city will be practically half empty. With less traffic, less crowds, and less people it might just become easier. Who knows maybe by fall you'll start enjoying it again.

 

[Peony54]

Sorry to hear that things aren't working out! Why don't you give us some more info about what you're doing now (where are you working, living arrangements, etc) and we might be able to give you some tips to more enjoy your stay. For example in the many years I've spent in buenos aires I found it very important to have amazing friends (for some this means you need expat friends others are lucky enough to make true argentine best friends), and a good job that you enjoy where you make enough money to not be restricted in your social life. Sure these things are important no matter where you live but you feel the pain more when you are far away from home in my personal experience! Try not to absorb yourself too much in the negative (I do think people need to be more proactive to try and make the city/country where they are living a better place and not just say "es lo que hay" but there's a difference between getting depressed about it and trying to stay positive while trying to make things better). I recommend giving it a few more months and if you are still unhappy after giving it 100% you should try and find a way to leave even if it means taking out a loan or asking family for help to move back home- I don't know your situation so I can't say hey just do this it will be easy but I do know if you are truly unhappy it will just be torture waiting another 2 years before you can leave.

 

[Alicia karr]

Some people swear by daily exercise. Others by meditation. Prozac, or other antidepressants also helps. Seriously!
I've been trying to practice gratitude. Stopping myself when the negativity starts to play its tape and substituting awareness of some small but significant things I need to be grateful for. Trying to stay in the moment and not go down the road of "what will I do" next week, month , year....try smiling at a little old lady or man. Feel their pleasure at your smile. Make a small difference. It's the small things in life that count....so sorry you feel this way, but I'm sure that all of us here longer term have had similar feelings for varying amounts of time....I find travel helps me put things in perspective and is a good gauge of what I'm really feeling. Interestingly, I still look forward to returning to BsAs whenever I'm away. Despite the dirt, heat, and all. Please be kind to yourself in the present. You never know what is around the corner. Best of luck!

 

[PhilipDT]

I've spent in buenos aires I found it very important to have amazing friends (for some this means you need expat friends others are lucky enough to make true argentine best friends), and a good job that you enjoy where you make enough money to not be restricted in your social life. Sure these things are important no matter where you live but you feel the pain more when you are far away from home in my personal experience!

I think this is a very good point. Most people I know who are miserable in buenos aires, would be miserable anywhere doing the same things that they are doing or not doing here. Instead of identifying them (crappy landlord, looser friends, dead end job, poor health habits, etc) like they would in their home country they just blame their general misery on Buenos Aires, which begets bitterness and consequently more misery.

 

[Somewhereinba]

It's hard to give advice without knowing your full situation (eg. single, career, home country etc). Argentina is not a great place to save money unless you are earning a foreign currency. In the mean time realize that you are at the bottom of the mountain but things will get better given time, I have learnt that life will always have ups and downs, enjoy the ups and know when your down that things will get better given time and a positive attitude.

 

[nicoenarg]

Sorry to hear what youre going through but it might be the counting down of days that you seem to be doing that might be making things worse than they are. Set a goal (in dollars) as to how much you wanna save and forget about how long it takes. Once you reach the goal, pack up and leave. And whatever you do, please oh please don't strangle people sipping on Mate...thats just cruel!

What keeps me here? Family. And understaning that things are in general crap and they'll never get better so i dont worry about how horrible it is. But honestly, if it werent for my lovely wife and her loving family here, i would have packed my bags a week after arriving here.

With that said, we're probably going to leave if we all of a sudden wanna collectively start strangling people, regardless of the financial situation. Our sanity is more important than most anything else.

EDIT:

You should read some of my earlier posts....boy was I having a hard time here...

 

[nicoenarg]

It might be the heat. That makes you and everyone more easily irritated and obviously everyone becomes more irritating. You've mentioned all the places you've lived in, I'm sure you have some experience on how to cope and patience must be one of your things. Just wait a couple of weeks and according to everyone the city will be practically half empty. With less traffic, less crowds, and less people it might just become easier. Who knows maybe by fall you'll start enjoying it again.

Finally I must ask, why the Twitter like post?

I'm going to assume you're not familiar with our great ex minister of economy's world famous one liner?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHGLkCYnMY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

Couldn't do it without my wife and her family, and it is absolutely essential to speak the language. I love/hate the people! I like living here though as I don't cope well with routine and it is anything but routine.

I get why it's not for everyone, but it works for me for now.