Moving to Argentina for love?

[Cheme]

I moved to Buenos Aires for love almost a year and a half ago, after a year I left. I worked for a top company but just struggled with feeling like to only gringo and also found the lack of work/life balance really hard as a newcomer, also financially it was hard to put in the same hours but earn 20% of my European salary and see inflation swallowing up what little was left. Socially there were no office drinks etc etc and i felt really lonely. I moved to Argentina for love but my partner lives in campo and we did a long distance relationship as i couldn’t see anything for me to do in the campo, im not a teacher and we just were not financially ready for us to settle up home. Anyway I panicked and when a great short term job op came up I left. Since I left i miss him terribly and I want to go back to him but Im scared of Argentina and the fact that life is such a struggle compared in many ways to Europe. He now thinks we could move to Cordoba and start something in hospitality there. In Europe I can have a great career but not him. Has anyone else struggled a lot but gone back and things were better after the initial first year of almost acclimatising? I need to let him know if I am coming back pronto, is it natural to be so afraid? Im in my mid 30's and I have travelled a lot. Argentina just felt so hard ha... maybe im a European softie.

 

[Napoleon]

My first thought after reading this:

In Europe I can have a great career but not him.

Is "What can't he move to Europe?"

 

[citygirl]

Can your partner not come to Europe? Are you financially able to support yourself if you return? "Starting up something in hospitality" is a little vague - do you/he have a plan in place? Have you considered what it would be like to work with him? How would you split work and financial responsibilities?

(Not saying you should answer those questions here, but questions I would be seriously thinking about).

I don't want to sound like Debbie Downer but everyone I know who came here for "love" wound up leaving Argentina. The first year is the honeymoon year - years 2 & 3 are usually a lot worse. If you have already been here once and didn't enjoy it, what would be different this time?

I'm not saying I wouldn't do it but I certainly would want to make sure there were plans in place to make this experience different if you return.

 

[TrevorCito]

Cheme, the value of true love cannot be undervalued. When you are 105 years old and on your death bed, will you have regrets? The most valuable commodity you have is time, not money not work so try your best to find a way to be together.... There is always a way. Good luck.

 

[RobinsonGO]

dont come back......
sorry, it just doesnt work that way.
god bless

 

[scotttswan]

Came here for love in 2008 and ended up getting married. Its taken a while to adapt to Argentina but i'm now happily married and wouldn't change anything for the world.

Initially i started working for a few companies here but the wages were shite, luckily i had a little saved up so i started working for myself online. If i couldn't make my own money i could find other work, but i much prefer being my own boss. I know a couple of others from Europe who are doing similar things, and also a few who work for local companies.

I think its all down to the person really. If you can adapt you'll eventually find lots of things you love about Argentina. Sure things like crazy import rules affecting almost everything you want to buy will piss you off, huge inflation changing your buying habits one week to the next and many other problems that most "normal" countries just don't have but that's what you get in the "Third" world.

If you really love him and he wont/cant move to Europe, why not give it a go in Argentina again.

You only live once!

I also have a Spanish friend who decided to get married and moved to Australia with his then girlfriend/wife who's UK visa was running out. They had made a deal that they would live in Australia until he got his "permits" then move back to Europe until she got hers and after that work out where they wanted to live.

 

[chris]

If you get married doesn't he have a right to a European passport? Can't he move to Europe?

 

[PhilipDT]

Statistically if there were only one perfect person for each of us in the world, then none of us would ever be happy. You'll find someone else somewhere else; don't despair, and don't come here if love is your only reason for coming.

 

[Bairesgirl]

My 2 cents: Many people move for love.... be it to Argentina, the US, Australia, timbuktu....
Lots of people on this board here because of their significant other and children, not all have left.
In London I met a LOT of Argentines (latinamericans, australians, french, belgian) who had moved to follow thier british/european partners..... and many people here have followed their boy/girlfriends/partners elsewhere
(an Argentine guy in a relationship with a Dutch Diplomat recently followed her to Tailand her next posting)
But it is a very personal decision, you need to weigh all the benefits and shortcomings... your feelings etc.. is as most suggest on this board any way he could
live there/in your country for a while? Learn or improve on the languange, see what life is like?

It is a difficult decision I imagine.... best of luck...

 

[nataliewardo]

Cordoba is beautifull and a lot different to buenos aires. The country side is heaven and there is cheap land there... If you are truly happier with him why not give it a whirl at least? You might regret it if you don't even try. By the sounds of it you are sad without him, so really, that is your answer isn't it?

Please let us all know what you decide!!