It’s time to say goodbye to Argentina. We’ll be leaving the warm spring season and flying into a cool and crispy late Fall.🌞🌺🛬🥶🍁 In addition to weather lag we will also have jet lag because time will be going back three hours. For a few days, my babe will wake me up at 3:30am instead of 6:30am.👶😴 Temporary adjustments aside, I will be packing some spices and life lessons to take home with me.📝🧳

I will miss our farm life and adopted animals.👩‍🌾 My baby got to hear cows moo, chickens bok, horses neigh, dogs bark and cats meow.🐶🐱🐮🐔🐴The people of Argentina have been amazing. I will miss our dear hostess and her sweet family who made us feel at home and treated us like family.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👶🏠 They helped us acclimate to Argentina and continued guiding us along the way. I will also miss my grocery store friend who saved us that first time when we had no idea what we were doing. I looked forward to our weekly Spanglish exchanges when we would catch up and walk around the store. I hope that we all stay in touch.💬📱❤️

Baby and I really enjoyed our adventures exploring around the large yard and taking leisurely strolls along the dirt road with the dogs.🐾 She learned to walk and run while here. She was taking steps before but really took off for the first time on the racquetball court. I will continue the habit of getting outside with baby girl for at least 30 minutes a day. I would like for us to spend more time connecting with our natural surroundings and appreciating God’s beauty.☀️🌻🍀🌸

I aspire to make more recipes from scratch while using a variety of fresh and colorful ingredients.🍋🥝🌶 I also want to make it a priority to really savor food and life experiences. I will enjoy a guilt free pastry for breakfast.🥮☕️ I will take my little into a cafe and have coffee and cake in the middle of the afternoon. I would like to invite more family and friends over to dine with us. I want family meals to be a relaxed experience with time to enjoy tapas, mains and sides, dessert and coffee. 

We will also try to make healthier choices while grocery shopping. There are multiple rows of yogurt at the local store here but only one shelf of potato chips. It’s quite the opposite in the US. I think it would be interesting to compare our cultures to study which has more longevity. Which population is happier? Most businesses here are closed on Sunday’s. They also shut down for a few hours in the afternoon for siesta and slumber. Sure, less convenient but it leaves more time to rest, run errands or enjoy yourself instead of having to squeeze it all in on your way home from work or on your day off.😎🆚⛹️‍♀️

I will try to be more adventurous and playful with fashion. People here are not afraid to express themselves with color and style regardless of their age or gender. Having fun is a bigger priority than matching. The ladies love platform shoes. Many women have hair dyed bright purple, red or pink.👩‍🎤 Men proudly adorn themselves with funky scarves and hats.👨‍🎤 My favorite look is a nice coat, chic accessories, jeans and bright colored tennis shoes. 🧥🧣🕶👜👟

Argentina people are environmentally conscious. There are rarely any plastic or paper bags at stores. You bring your own totes from home, use a box or just carry your loose items. Tupperware and silverware are used to eat leftovers at work versus ziplock bags, paper plates and plastic cutlery. People get by with less and value cost cutting rather than time saving measures. I will keep this in mind in trying to repurpose everyday items. I will aim to get the most mileage out of products that I’ve already invested in versus feeling pressure to have the latest and greatest version of everything. 

I will miss the vibrancy of this place. There is graffiti everywhere. Street art may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I think it’s expressive and beautiful. It’s better than looking at a plain concrete wall.🤷‍♀️ Our neighbors play music to enjoy outside during the day. Random drum circles break out at night around downtown. Argentines are crazy about their soccer and it’s often a party with lots of spectators and music blasting throughout the games (our house was located right next to a soccer club).⚽️🥅🎶

The community that we live in is very kid centric and likes to organize special activities around the center during school breaks.🎪🤹‍♀️🎨 Children can ride little bikes or toy cars around the grocery store. 🛴 They also have a play area set aside just for them. I often see families walking, biking and jogging together past our house. People kiss each other on the cheek to say hello and goodbye. They help you without having to ask and expect absolutely nothing in return. No one ever seems to be in a rush. It truly is a great culture. I’m sincerely humbled and will forever be touched by this wonderful corner of the world. Ciao for now Argentina! 😘🇦🇷💙

Categories: Uncategorized

Tagged as: argentina foodblog Living abroad south america Travel

Mood Ring Kitchen

I’m a self teaching home cook and aspiring foodie entrepreneur. I enjoy coming up with creative ways to prepare flavorful food such as snacks, desserts and everything in between. Cooking is a way for me to challenge myself and satisfy curiosities about different ingredients.

The hope is to produce something thoughtful, memorable or every once in a while maybe even wonderful. I enjoy following my “gut” and exploring new recipes that can be comforting, exciting and nourishing. Above all else, I enjoy exploring the emotions surrounding food and writing about those experiences. 😝👩‍🍳👩‍💻