by Anngelica Peters
Buenos Aires, Argentina will be my new home for the next 3 months as I embark on my first education abroad experience. As a New Yorker, I initially believed Buenos Aires would be like any other city, but Buenos Aires must be recognized in its own unique setting and history, it is incomparable to anywhere else. While learning about Argentina’s past and present, it is most captivating learning about the customs, language, history, politics right from the source.
Prior to arriving, I never would have thought that I would:
Seek to determine if mate is right for me:
- A drink made with dried leaves of the plant yerba mate, drank as an herbal tea
Feast (more than I would have expected) at one of Buenos Aires’s famous pizzerias: El Cuartito
Be wonderstruck at the Familia Duarte Tomb, located in Recoleta Cemetery:
- Where the former First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, is laid to rest
Laugh and enjoy Argentina cinema with SIA Professor Sophia McClennen:
- El Amor Menos Pensado by Juan Vera
Unwind in the playtime room at Victoria Ocampo’s house:
- an Argentine writer and intellectual, famous for novels such as: Testimonies: Alberdi and Sarmiento in Modern Argentine Life and 338171 T.E. (Lawrence of Arabia)
Hopscotch at Julio Cortazar’s house:
- an Argentine novelist, actor, short story writer, and essayist, famous for movies such as: Hospital Central, Apaches, and Con el culo al aire, and books: Hopscotch, Bestiario, A Manual for Manuel (just to name a few)
Recognize the immigration experience at the Museo Nacional de la Inmigración
- A state-funded institution that provided housing and training for immigrants arriving in Buenos Aires during the early to mid 1900’s
Dance in front of a crowd during a Mexican/Ecuadorian festival:
Located in Playa de Mayo where each weekend, a different Latin American country is represented 
by traditional foods, dance, culture and dress
… All in Buenos Aires!
Stay tuned for what else lies in store for Argentina!
Anngelica Peters is a second year SIA student spending her fall semester studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A Penn State alumni, she is excited to share her experiences in Latin America.