18 months have gone by since I moved to Buenos Aires. It’s such a short time, particularly compared to those who have lived here for years or even their entire lives. Before leaving Miami I started this blog as a way of understanding the city and my life here. This entry marks the 200th post to this blog, more than 60,000 words.
I now know Buenos Aires better than I do any other city in the world. Walking the streets of Buenos Aires makes me feel alive. If I’m feeling depressed, a simple stroll around the city raises my spirits. Certainly, I am fortunate in my circumstances. If I had to struggle for survival here, then I may not be so in love with Buenos Aires. Then again, struggling anywhere is a heartache.
Each walk I take in this city brings an unexpected discovery, a fresh perspective. Go to an unfamiliar barrio or even one you think you know well, perhaps the very place you live. Choose a street, just start walking with no destination in mind. Don’t hurry, you’re going no where. The walk is the journey; walking Buenos Aires is your life at that very moment, nothing more.
Put other thoughts out of your mind. Forget annoyances from work and the things that must be done at home. Simply walk. Open your senses to the street, observe the life that is circling around you. Don’t hurry across the intersections. Wait on the corner for another change of the traffic signal. Look down the road, find the buildings that you may have missed with a quicker pace, each has something new to offer.
Just as important, pay attention to the people, those you normally might not notice: the man carrying a basket of bread from the bakery; the finely dressed old woman carefully leaving a building; the child on a balcony.
Listen to the sounds. Each street has its own voice, waiting for you.
