And my travel journey officially begins!

In this post, I’ll be writing about my first week in Buenos Aires and some of the things that have come up so far.

In Truth, My Travel Journey Kind of Started a Long Time Ago

For all intents and purposes, my travel journey kind of started a long time ago. Ever since I could remember, I’ve been enamored with all things travel: learning about different cultures and languages, the magic of planes, and that feeling you get in the airport when you’re heading to a new place.

But outside of my experience studying abroad, this is my first time living in a place outside of the U.S. semi-permanently.

It’s also wildly different because I had a clear end date when I studied abroad. Not to mention the psychological comfort associated with being a college student,

Though there is an end date to this specific trip, when I left Miami just a week ago, I had left the only life I have known as an adult. I left my job and family and started a new chapter of my life.

All that I had known for the last several years was to completely change.

In many ways, then, this is the actual start of my travel journey.

Before Arriving in Buenos Aires

I don’t think I’m going to ever forget what I felt while waiting at the airport in Montevideo, Uruguay. 

That was the moment it hit me.

It was the moment I realized that in chasing my travel journey, I was all alone.

No one was there to watch my stuff while I went to the bathroom or to help me decide where I should eat.

I had to figure things out on my own.

I thought, “Oh, this is real…” Which is exactly what I wrote in my journal.

On the plane ride, it didn’t hit me that I was doing the thing I had envisioned for the past year.

Part of this was likely because I knew just how long of a journey lay ahead.

Another reason is because I was so entertained reading The Pathless Path. So much of what Paul Millerd writes about in the book, I was experiencing. Yet the concern, anxiety, and uncertainty aspects wouldn’t hit me quite yet.

It didn’t really dawn on me in that moment, at least in a concerning way, that I was about to be all alone in a foreign country.

But, boy, did I wake up in Montevideo!

The feeling wasn’t necessarily bad or good. It was simply an awakening and realization that I could do nothing but sit with.

I couldn’t express it to anyone else at that point. The emotion was just raw.

Hello, Buenos Aires!

Fast forward: a 30-minute cab ride, a 2-hour bus journey, a 2-hour ferry, and I’m finally in Buenos Aires.

When I arrived in Buenos Aires and was on the way to my apartment, the feeling from earlier didn’t completely go away. Yet through the madness of trying to figure out the taxi situation and waiting in immigration lines, it began to subside.

Looking back, I now know that this was merely a distraction, as that distinct feeling of being alone would return later that day.

After taking a few minutes to scope out my apartment, take in the balcony view, and just be for a second, I went to Western Union to get cash.

Once I got enough cash to last for a month (about $500 USD, 224.000 ARS), I walked around for a bit before settling on a place to get something to eat.

This is when “Hello, Buenos Aires” turned again into “Oh…This is Real”. 

Questioning My Travel Journey

Sitting alone at the bar in Palermo, watching everyone enjoy their day in pairs or groups was another wake-up call that I was alone.

In full transparency, I questioned myself at that moment.

I wondered, “Wait, was this the right move? Am I always going to feel like this? Why am I not ecstatic that I’m in a different country right now?”

Perhaps it was because I was so tired from the 28-hour journey, but I remember being able to calm myself down and not catastrophizing. Deep down, there was still a weird, semi-negative feeling lingering but I tried not to make too much of it. Instead, I enjoyed a beer and read Travel as Transformation by Gregory Diehl.

I didn’t spend too much time at the table. Probably because I was forced to sit with those feelings, however distracting the book was. After less than an hour, I decided to get back to the apartment and relax.

Adapting to Being Alone on My Travel Journey

What is said about humans and our amazing ability to adapt to new situations is incredibly accurate.

The next day, I went to the San Telmo neighborhood to check out the indoor market and Sunday feria (handmade crafts market). To say I was enamored by the market would be an understatement!

In so many ways it reminded me of Mercado la Boqueria in Barcelona or Mercado San Miguel in Madrid. If you haven’t been, it’s an indoor market where you can buy fruits and veggies or eat and drink at the tapas bars. There were also so many vendors selling empanadas and doing wine tastings.

This was my happy place, for sure!

I found a spot at La Lucia and ordered some of the best tapas I’ve ever had! The picture below only shows 4 tapas (I ate one before remembering to take a picture!), but for the price of $8 USD, you get 5 meat tapas and two beverages.

Again, happy place!

The real reason this is all so significant is that this was the moment I felt like I was adapting to being alone, or at least I was starting that process.

While I waited for the food, I journaled about how fulfilled and grateful I felt to be in that physical and mental space. And, how grateful I was to finally be putting everything I dreamed of in motion.

This was another moment I know I will never forget.

A Week or so into Buenos Aires

At this point, I’m a week or so into the trip and I am fascinated by this city so far!

I don’t think I could have asked for a better experience, at least as of now. It’s been so easy meeting both locals and people from the States. And it seems like there’s always something to do! 

Whether it’s playing basketball, rugby, going to boxing classes, or meeting new people at MundoLingo, there’s pretty much something to do. And for the most part, I’ve done exactly that!

I’ve honestly been so surprised at how much I’m doing and the extent to which I’m interacting with and getting to know people. This was definitely not the Jovan that I was in the States. I’m loving every single bit of it.

I’m feeling more confident and willing to try new things, as opposed to doing the same old things that I was used to doing back home. I can’t help but think that travel and switching up my environment has played a substantial role in who I’m becoming.

I can’t wait to see how I continue to change when I’m even further along on my travel journey. Until then, I’m going to take it day by day, be as present as I can be, and enjoy the ride as much as possible.

‘Till Next Time, Travel Friends!