I hope my blog can show how studying abroad in Argentina helped me break out of my shell. At the start of the program, I was hesitant to venture far from my homestay and often chose to explore the city alone. I was too nervous to put myself out there and connect with others.  

Most mornings, I was awake before my roommates and spent time with my host mom, a professional chef who began prepping orders at 5:00 a.m. each day. She was a strong, independent woman that I came to admire deeply. After a few weeks in Buenos Aires, I hadn’t made many friends and was growing tired of spending so much time alone.  

My host mom in the kitchen. This is a significantly cleaner kitchen that does not show the normal flurry of activity, but there she is taking a picture of her most recent artistry. Nothing she made was less than exceptional, and she always took such great pride in her work.  

My host brother and I on our regular runs. As soon as he learned I was a runner, he asked if I would help coach him into shape. He was a way better sprinter than I was. It was great to have that bond with him. As a distance runner we would often run a short loop together and then I would head back out for a bit more mileage. 

Hoping to grow closer to her, I asked to join her on errands one day: shopping for yarn and visiting a plant nursery. She seemed surprised, thinking I’d be bored (to this day, I’m not sure if her concern was real, or if she just didn’t want me ‘cramping her style’). Nonetheless, we ended up going together. I had a great time listening to her pester the employees (I love her, but she is a picky woman!). That day marked the beginning of a meaningful connection.  

I traveled to Uruguay with a group of students (some in my program, some not) and we stayed with my host brother’s best friend. He was the best guide ever! He took us all around Montevideo and we had a great time. I still keep in touch with him.  

My host brother was in school to become a professional chef like his mom. I also really enjoy cooking, and he asked me to show him how to make my family’s pretzel recipe. 

At school, I still struggled to make friends. Thankfully, my host brother was incredibly welcoming. He both immediately and frequently invited me to hang out with his group of friends. To this day, one of my favorite memories from Argentina is of the first weekend. My host brother announced we were to have a game night on a Friday evening. As a board game enthusiast, I was thrilled. What I was not expecting was how late it would start. When I finally thought to ask Thursday afternoon... 

“They’ll arrive around 12:30 or 1 a.m. más o menos,” he said.  

“In the morning?!” I asked, completely baffled.  

To be fair, dinner in Argentina rarely starts before 8:30 p.m.—a far cry from my 5:00 p.m. dinners back home. True to his prediction, his friends showed up well past midnight. By then, I was half asleep and was literally falling asleep between my turns. Thankfully, I knew the game well—and somehow, I won. That victory came with the price of endless teasing for snoozing upright at what they considered a “perfectly normal hour.”  

It is also important to make friends at school. One day for lunch, a group of us international students went out to lunch in Chinatown where we could walk to from Universidad de Belgrano  

This is a photo of my host family’s family. We went over to celebrate the birthday of my host mom’s niece. We ended up spending a decent amount of time with her family, and specifically her niece and I formed a relationship in that she loved how I would braid her hair.  

This a photo from a big soccer match that we all watched together as an apartment (my host mom, her boyfriend, my host brother, and my four roommates) 

Despite the rocky start, I grew close with his friends. They invited me out regularly—whether it was to concerts, clubs, or to play fútbol. Those late nights, spontaneous plans, and shared laughter helped me open up in ways I never expected.  

My roommates and I in the salt flats during a CEA CAPA excursion to Salta  

This is a photo from a time we were hanging out with all of our host brother’s friend group at the apartment of his best friend. 

This one is not the best quality photo, but this is the first time I met my host brother’s best friend. We all got together for a movie night. We ended up spending a lot of time with him. 

Looking back, my time in Argentina was transformational. From plant shopping with my host mom to dancing until sunrise with new friends, I learned how to step outside my comfort zone and embrace the unexpected. I’m grateful for the people who helped me feel at home and for the courage I found to connect with them.