So long, Argentina (or, as they say here, chao chao!)

Photos

I promised photos and I intend to deliver. I realize I haven't uploaded any since my weekend in Olavarria, but that is now rectified. Check out my "Summer in Buenos Aires" album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/elizabethries

**3:30 am note: Photos uploaded hours ago but still not labeled. Will label once in NYC I promise.

Preparation

It's been an interesting month since I got back from the beach. The weather has been perfect: in the 70s and breezy most days as the fall sweeps in, though not a single leaf has started to change colors yet. Sadly I've been so busy with work that I've mostly been looking at it longingly from my desk.

I've also been shopping. A lot. For myself and others; mostly leather. I had a knee-length leather jacket custom altered and then when I went to pick it up decided I needed a short bomber jacket as well. But, the leather is amazing quality and the prices are 1/4 of what I'd pay in the states, so I figure it's an investment since these jackets will last forever. Now it's just a matter of getting them into my suitcase. I am about 80% packed but it's the last 20% that kills you. I'm trying very hard to not go over the weight allowance and so far have my bigger suitcase packed and weighing in at exactly 23 kilos. We'll see about the other one which has most of the heavy stuff but is smaller.

I'm carrying on my ukulele which has been sorely neglected and I'm hoping that the labor of love of carting it internationally will spark my interest once again. I've also packed most of my jewelry into the uke case, partly because it's saving me 1 lb in my checked baggage and partly because I don't want it to get stolen.

Culture

I've been trying to take advantage of as much of the local culture as possible before I go, and although there is always more to do and there are definitely things left on my 'to do' list I think I made a sizeable dent. Here is one part of one of my many lists outlining some of the things I've done in the last month. (Note: this does not include 'places I ate' which is a whole other section of the list. Suffice to say I did a pretty good job hitting all my favorite restaurants one last time and getting to a few new ones as well.)

Things I did:

Aerial silk classes
Went to a polo tournament (free)
Went to the Natural Science museum
Watched a free ballet show by Teatro Colon at the Eva Peron Auditorium in Parque Centenario
Went to a stand-up comedy show on Corrientes (their version of Broadway)
Went to the Recoleta fair and cemetery
Walked Puerto Madero and saw the 2010 bicentenial Regatta boats
Went to the Costanera ecological reserve/ate a bondiola sandwich (delicious street food)
Went to the botanical gardens
Feels like so much more... surely I'm forgetting some things??

People

I wrote the rest of this blog hours ago with the 'people' section pending poetic descriptions. I have so many wonderful things to share about so many people and right now is not the moment to do it justice. I just had a lovely farewell dinner, it is now 3:36 am and the cab comes in 1 hour 24 minutes. I'm 99% packed and the only two things left on my list are 'upload photos to Picasa' which I have done with the aforementioned caveat, and 'write farewell blog.' This will have to do.

More from the flip side. It's been real, Argentina.

(Taken at my going-away party.)