Was Moving to Buenos Aires the Best Decision of Your Life — or the Hardest? (USA/Canada Expats)

[LivingAbroadwithEric]

Hey everyone,

Quick question for the Americans and Canadians living in Buenos Aires:

Has moving here been one of the best decisions you’ve made — or one of the more difficult ones? And how has that situation been changing over time?

I’m currently in BA after riding a motorcycle down from Minnesota through Latin America, and I’ve been interviewing expats in every country along the way — from Guatemala all the way through Central and South America — sharing real, unfiltered stories of what this lifestyle is actually like.

Now I want to focus on North Americans here in Buenos Aires.

I’m looking to meet people in person for a casual interview — especially those who have a strong opinion either way:

• People who love their life here
• People who struggled more than expected
• Or those somewhere in between

Why did you come?
What surprised you?
What’s been better — or worse — than you expected?

If you’re open to sharing your story on camera (or know someone outgoing who would be), I’d love to connect.

The goal is to give people back in the U.S. and Canada a more honest picture of what it’s really like to make this move.

pic below is my blue beast at the port and me near the casa rosada on sunday.

If you'd like to see an example of these stories, this was my most recent story in Bolivia posted:

– Eric

 

[Vagrant Violet]

I would say simply "yes": coming to live in Argentina has been BOTH one of the best decisions I've made by far, and equally one of the most difficult.

For context, I grew up mostly in Ohio in the United States. I arrived at Ezeiza airport in January 2009, using my severance pay from an English academy in South Korea following being unexpectedly laid off there. Two suitcases, a few hundred dollars in cash, and a wild dream to make Buenos Aires my home (but without any important connections, without a garantía for renting, and a fairly mediocre level of español - NOT castellano!).

Fast forward 17+ years later, and it's really been a whirlwind: meeting and marrying my media naranja, having my two beautiful sons born here (who both turned out to have special needs); from working en negro through a crappy English institute in Constitucion to a coveted job at the Lincoln School (only to get laid off yet again) to being a full-time freelance English teacher. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

But through it all, I have never identified as an expat - strictly as an immigrant. It was never my intention to stay short-term, nor just to take advantage of the times of plenty when the U$D was strong. From the beginning, Buenos Aires has been my home. I've acclimated and integrated into life here; when I refer to Argentina, I use the pronoun "we," not "they." I feel that I'm more Argentine in some ways than I ever was American (or in South Korea, for that matter). Maybe it's this mentality that facilitated my relocation in some ways.

Obviously, there's a sacrifice for living away from "the old country": I couldn't attend my only sister's wedding. I was left completely numb but helpless when I found out from a relative that my dad had passed away. It's things like these that have made times difficult (very, VERY difficult) - even more than adjusting to inflation, getting on in my second language, and so on...

But al fin y al cabo, I regret nothing about my choice to live here and stay here. I'm proud of my decision to walk on the road less taken.

Your milage may vary.

 

[LivingAbroadwithEric]

I would say simply "yes": coming to live in Argentina has been BOTH one of the best decisions I've made by far, and equally one of the most difficult.

For context, I grew up mostly in Ohio in the United States. I arrived at Ezeiza airport in January 2009, using my severance pay from an English academy in South Korea following being unexpectedly laid off there. Two suitcases, a few hundred dollars in cash, and a wild dream to make Buenos Aires my home (but without any important connections, without a garantía for renting, and a fairly mediocre level of español - NOT castellano!).

Fast forward 17+ years later, and it's really been a whirlwind: meeting and marrying my media naranja, having my two beautiful sons born here (who both turned out to have special needs); from working en negro through a crappy English institute in Constitucion to a coveted job at the Lincoln School (only to get laid off yet again) to being a full-time freelance English teacher. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

But through it all, I have never identified as an expat - strictly as an immigrant. It was never my intention to stay short-term, nor just to take advantage of the times of plenty when the U$D was strong. From the beginning, Buenos Aires has been my home. I've acclimated and integrated into life here; when I refer to Argentina, I use the pronoun "we," not "they." I feel that I'm more Argentine in some ways than I ever was American (or in South Korea, for that matter). Maybe it's this mentality that facilitated my relocation in some ways.

Obviously, there's a sacrifice for living away from "the old country": I couldn't attend my only sister's wedding. I was left completely numb but helpless when I found out from a relative that my dad had passed away. It's things like these that have made times difficult (very, VERY difficult) - even more than adjusting to inflation, getting on in my second language, and so on...

But al fin y al cabo, I regret nothing about my choice to live here and stay here. I'm proud of my decision to walk on the road less taken.

Your milage may vary.

Thanks for sharing Vagrant Violet! Quite the experience!