Farewell Buenos Aires

I've been meaning to write my "farewell Buenos Aires" entry for quite sometime but for some reason, I've never been motivated to acutally sit down and write one. I don't know if it's because I'm surrounded by everthing that's Chicago...family, friends, and yummy vegan food or because I had a love/hate relationship with the city that's called "the Paris of South America." Whatever the reason, it was this article-Journeys: Buenos Aires Spotlights It's Cafes, in The New York Times that made me start typing away.

-So, here I am at almost two o'clock in the morning at work nonetheless (for all of those who don't know, I'm back to working as a pediatric nurse . . .and don't worry, all my patients are sound asleep, well taken care of, while I'm wrting this entry) writing my blog entry-

I started my work night off as usual, a couple of vital signs, a couple of medications, some chit chat, and some reading. I started skimming the New York Times online for any interesting arcticles. Lo and behold, there was an article that caught my eye and it had do with Buenos Aires. Since Jackson and I called BsAs home for almost a year, it was only natural that I'd read up about the Argentine cafes. The article mentioned a couple of well-known Argentine cafes, Las Violetas, Cafe Tortoni. This wasn't what struck me to start writing though. The picture slide was the real reason. Seeing the pictures brought back so many memories, good, beautiful memories. I never thought I would say this but there are times that I truely miss Buenos Aires. I miss the get togethers with all my wonderful friends. I miss walking around Palermo at night with Jackson coming home from Spring, watching people eating, drinking and laughing in the restaurants. I miss sipping mate from one of Jackson's many gourds, while sitting at the park. I miss our little apartment on Goritti with the old man down stairs who criticized me for not walking Zoe for a longer time. I miss the people on the streets at 3 in the morning just chatting away while taking puffs from their cigarettes. I miss my favorite stores...my favorite spot for licuados and tea. I miss my stay at home mom role (minus the kids). I miss my stress free life. My life that involved mingling, mate and medialunas...the three "M's".

There are definitely things that I absolutely hated about BsAs but I won't mention them. I want this entry to be about the reasons why I loved BsAs. I've bitched and complained too many times about my dislikes. This entry is my beautiful memory.

For anyone who truely knows me, I really came out of my shell while in BsAs. I feel that my experience there helped me grow in so many, many ways. BsAs was my initiation to adulthood. Although I was super happy to leave BsAs, as I look back, I can honestly say that I do not regret one moment. BsAs will for always be the greatest adventure of my life that I'm happy to have shared with mi gran amor, Jackson.