If there’s one thing I wish I would have considered a little more before my study abroad, I’m pretty sure it would be the fact that Buenos Aires is a large city. According to wikipedia, although Buenos Aires doesn’t have as large of a population as New York City (3,050,728 vs. 8,391,881), it has a higher population density (38,862/sq mi vs. 27,532/sq mi). I know many will argue with me that New York has many commuters which would skew this number, but either way, I think the statistics show that there is a definite similarity between Buenos Aires and New York City. And this affects my everyday life in more ways than I could have originally imagined.
I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed, and this may have to do with constantly speaking Spanish as well, is that I need more sleep. In State College, I never had a problem consistently getting 6 or 7 hours of sleep and continuing on with my life. But here, if I get 6 or 7 hours one night, I may make it through the day, but will need to make up for that sleep later on. I know they’ve done numerous studies showing that city life is exhausting and now I can whole-heartedly agree.
Another thing I can’t escape is the noise. Whether it’s construction downstairs in the apartment building or loud noises from protests, there is constant noise. The only place I’ve been so far that has been completely quiet was the National Library. And, in my opinion, that building is just slightly depressing in general (if you want to see what I mean, google image search for Biblioteca Nacional Argentina). I’m amazed the noise hasn’t drove me nuts yet. My parents can surely attest that excessive noise and I do not get along well.
I’ve also benefited in some ways from the big city. It definitely provides entertainment and there is constantly something going on here. I’ve benefited from the tango festival, multiple museums, and the zoo.
However, taking into account all of these factors, I’m starting to realize that the city isn’t a place where I want to be for a long time. I’m thankful for this realization and, honestly, cannot wait for my spring break to Chile (in a couple days!), when I have the chance to get out of big cities and enjoy the countryside. It’s quite interesting that one of my friends has a twin sister in Chile, who can’t wait to explore Santiago with us, but all of us from Buenos Aires really aren’t excited about Santiago–we want to get out of the city.
Location: Carlos Pelligrini, ciudad autonomia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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cities can be attractive at first, tiring after a while, and then flip a coin to see if you actually want to be there…the one thing that’s true though is that cities are highly localized experiences – although united by subways and transportation systems, your experience of quiet or noise (and luxury or poverty) can vary dramatically even just moving to a different side of the building (and definitely a different neighborhood)…
Do you think there is less traffic in Buenos Aires than NYC? If the population is more dense, do people live in the city and commute less, leading to less traffic? Or not?
Hey Rachel – if I were you I wouldn’t worry too much about the big city. You kind of have to look at it as an adventure, and like you said maybe it is a good thing that you have realized a big city may not be the place for you in the future… but maybe that doesn’t mean it isn’t the place for you now! Take advantage of your surroundings… don’t see the noise or the size or the architecture as a bad thing.. try to see it as something beautiful in that it is what makes Buenos Aires.. well.. Buenos Aires. Remember that you are never far from outside the city and like you said you get to go on break to CHILE!! how incredible!! Hope everything works out! I, myself, am in a very small British town, which generally would prove to be boring for me, but I have tried to make the most of it by exploring all the areas near me and seeing the beauty in the small town lifestyle. Good luck and enjoy your trip!!
Hey Rachel – if I were you I wouldn’t worry too much about the big city. You kind of have to look at it as an adventure, and like you said maybe it is a good thing that you have realized a big city may not be the place for you in the future… but maybe that doesn’t mean it isn’t the place for you now! Take advantage of your surroundings… don’t see the noise or the size or the architecture as a bad thing.. try to see it as something beautiful in that it is what makes Buenos Aires.. well.. Buenos Aires. Remember that you are never far from outside the city and like you said you get to go on break to CHILE!! how incredible!! Hope everything works out! I, myself, am in a very small British town, which generally would prove to be boring for me, but I have tried to make the most of it by exploring all the areas near me and seeing the beauty in the small town lifestyle. Good luck and enjoy your trip!!