So I've been talking to a lot of people about my time in Buenos Aires lately. The usual questions, but it's still nice to talk someone's ear off about a city that means so much to me, and why I enjoyed myself there so much.
However, I've gotten similar responses from a couple people when talking about my plans for moving back down there after graduation. As most of you know, I hope to graduate in May 2010 and get back down to BsAs by Christmas 2010. On more than one occasion, people have asked/told me, "So, you think you really want to live down there? How do you know that's the right city? Where else have you been to know that's the right place to go?" To which I think, "Hmm...I did spend 13 months in Buenos Aires. This isn't some irrational tourist saying they want to move there after spending two weeks in the city."
I must say, this was not the response that I was looking for. Hearing it from these people, it almost came off as an insult, something along the lines of, "So what makes you so special that you can just up and leave the US and move back to Argentina?!?"
I just found it really interesting that these people would somewhat verbally attack me for saying that I planned to spend another year or so in Argentina. Maybe it should be chalked up to jealously, but I'm really not sure.
Thoughts?
-Patrick
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
2 comments:
I think it's a normal response and you may be overreacting a bit. It's not to say that you aren't a fair judge of where you want to go, or what's a good fit for you. It's just a response that begs the questions of "where else have you gone/lived" or "what other places have you spent enough time in" to make you rule every other place out EXCEPT BsAs. I think it's a good question for you to think about before investing a lot of time or money into a place. Maybe travel more extensively (world wide) for a few years first and THEN pick the spot that feels right. If nothing else, it will solidify your choice to go to BsAs.
lindsay
If someone I cared about a lot said to me that they were planning on moving back to a country that was far away, it would be hard to react in an accepting, "I'm glad for you" manner. Because we want the people we care about to be nearby, you know? Just my opinion on the matter. I'm glad you found a place that you love though.
Post a Comment