Bienvenidos a mi Casa

I came to Buenos Aires for 12 days in August to get a sense of the city that would soon become my home as well as find an apartment. Madeline and I were having such a great time exploring the city that I didn’t start seriously thinking about finding an place until Mads made me aware that we only had 4 days left in town. Kelsey and I had discussed living together, but after a lot of thought, I decided that I wanted to live with a local. It would have been much easier to live with someone I knew and who shared the same interests and objectives as me, but I was coming down here to improve my Spanish. That wouldn’t happen if I only hung out with expats (which is very easy to do). So I set out to find a porteño (person from Buenos Aires) roommate. I checked out a few apartments I found through Craigstlist ads but none seemed right. Some had bad living situations, others awkward potential roommates. My friend Jouliette’s coworker had a friend from high school that was looking for someone to rent a room. After going to meet her and checking out the apartment, I knew it was the right place! 

THE APARTMENT/NEIGHBORHOOD:
The barrio (neighborhood) that I live in is called Caballito. Lonely Planet describes Caballito as “a calm and pleasant neighborhood where locals go about their daily routines and tourists are nowhere to be seen.” Which is exactly what it is. While it doesn’t have the buzz of Palermo with all its restaurants and bars, Caballito is a perfect place to live. I find myself speaking Spanish every day in my barrio. I have my own carnicero (butcher), verdulería (vegetable stand) and lavandería (laundromat) where they all know me by face, if not by name.  It is also very central and I can easily get to any part of town via bus (note easy does not equal quick - but then again nothing is quick in this city).

Our apartment is very spacios in part because it is actually a house. We live in the upstaurs potion of the house my roommate grew up in; her mom converted it into a duplex after seperating for her father. My room has a big window which lets in plenty of light as well as having ample closet space for all the stuff I brought ☺. The best feature of the house, in my opinion, is the terrace out back. It is a great place to sit out and get sun!

MIS COMPAÑERAS (Roommates):

Ceci:

Ceci and I at my birthday party

Ceci grew up in the house we live in. She is currency in school studying Art History at the University of Buenos Aires and also works as a freelance photographer. Her mom lives downstairs. She is a doctor, which came in handy recently when I came down with terrible case of strep throat. It’s always nice to have someone who can diagnose/treat you from the comfort of your own home! It’s great living with Ceci. We’ve become close friends who often gossip about our lives and talk about the differences between the US and Argentina. I’m happy I decided to live with a local. Not only do I have plenty of time to speak in Spanish, but I am also exposed to her wealth of knowledge on local restaurants, bars, etc…

Valeria and I at my Thanksgiving feast

Valeria:

My other (former) roommate, Valeria, was from Russia. She had lived in Washington, D.C. for about 10 years prior to coming to Argentina so she spoke perfect English, in addition to her perfect Spanish and native tongue Russian. I hate people like her! In Buenos Aires she worked at a Russian travel agency catering to the rich Russian tourists who came to BsAs in January and February to escape the cold back home. Valeria moved out mid-January, which made me really sad as we had become quite close. She and her boyfriend, Emi, are now doing a one-year trip around the world. Currently they are making their way up South America to DC and then over to Europe and Russia to visit her family. I was able to catch up with them in Bariloche for a few beers, which was very exciting! I hope our paths cross again very soon.

Valentino:

Valentino is Ceci’s cat. He is probably my popular roommate amongst those of you at home, who have had the chance to meet him via Skype/video Gchat, as well as my friends who have come to visit (sorry Ceci- but he is just too cute!). While I would normally not call myself a cat person, I LOVE having Valentino as a pet. He is the cuddliest thing on earth. I used to think he really liked me because he was always napping or hanging out in my room on my bed. Then I found out that my room used to be Ceci’s room when she was growing up – in turn it was Valentino’s room too.  Valentino is also the most spoiled cat I have ever met! He is quite smart and has trained us so well, that when he meows (in his very hoarse tone) we jump and do whatever he wants, which he will clearly show you by leading the way (constantly making sure you are following). But you can’t be too mad at him because as mentioned he is too cute!