Last year, I decided it was time for me to get out of the country for a little while.  So I went to the IPENG office and signed up for the Summer Abroad in Buenos Aires program.  Then, after a semester of preparation in Spanish 199 and 5 weeks of summer at home, I boarded a plane at O'Hare and 12 hours later we touched down in Buenos Aires.  I had no idea what to expect.

This was my host family.  We were presented with the options of either staying in student dorms, or staying with families.  Everyone from our group chose host families, and I believe it is the best option.  Most of the host families have vast experience dealing with foreign students, and they are ready with a wealth of helpful information.  My host mother presented me with maps of the city and lists of various cultural activities (museums, parks, historical landmarks, etc.) while my host brother  always knew where to find good restaurants and the best nightlife each night of the week.  Host families also provide a great opportunity to learn and practice your Spanish on a daily basis. 


5 days a week for the first 4 weeks, we attended culture and language classes at La Universidad del Salvador.  This is where we learned about the history and culture of Buenos Aires.  It was much more interesting seeing landmarks in the city after we had learned their historical significance.  We were also placed in one of 3 different Spanish classes, based on our scores on a verbal and written test we took during our first day at the university.  The professors were suprisingly easy to understand and greatly advanced our Spanish abilities.

See if you can differentiate between the Americans, the Argentines, and the French-Canadian in this picture.  Not very easy, is it.  As long as you don't try to speak, it's not too hard to blend in in Buenos Aires, but that's not always a good thing.  Going out to clubs and bars to meet people was an integral part of learning the language.  In class, we learned the grammar, but at night, at the clubs is where we really got the chance to apply everything we learned.  This is also where we learned the slang they use in everyday speech.  Of all the students we met in Argentina, 9 out of 10 wanted to study in the US and almost everybody who realized we were "yanquis" (Yankees) wanted to ask questions about the US.  This made practicing conversational skills a breeze.
 
 

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the extra traveling.  There are various travel agencies located near la Universidad del Salvador which made it convenient to book weekend trips all over Argentina.  Argentina is covered with gorgeous landscapes and excellent travel destinations.  There's Patagonia in the south, the Andes in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, and the Rainforest in the north.  Here (above)  we are skiing Bariloche located in the Lake District in the southern Andes.

Here is part up Iguaçu Falls on the Argentina/Brazil border.  This place was absolutely amazing.  Gorgeous waterfalls, amazing wildlife, and some awesome speedboat rides (Take the boat trip to La Garganta del Diablo (The Devil's Throat) and bring your raingear because they make sure you get good and wet).  These trips were all affordable.  A 5-day trip to Iguaçu Falls cost US$130.  This included a 24-hour bus ride (not as bad as it sounds), 4 nights in a hotel, and 4 days of breakfast and excellent dinner.  All you have to do is tell the travel agents what you want and how much you want to pay, and they can set it up for you.  As a bonus, many of the travel agents speak English so you can be sure of what you're getting in your travel package.
 
 

Buenos Aires is viewed as a European city transplanted in South America, and they make you pay for it.  Most everything in Buenos Aires had prices that were comparable to a European or US city, such as Chicago.  But also like Chicago, you can get by on a slim budget if you stick to it.  Over the course of your 6 weeks in Buenos Aires, you'll spend money on a variety of things.  Here are some of the main ones:

Food:  Food is slightly less expensive than in a major US city.  It isn't too hard to find a good dinner for about US$10.
Transportation:  The subway costs US$.70 for one ride, but it closes at 10pm.  This leaves buses and taxis.  Choose buses over taxis because they are much cheaper, but if yuo must take a taxi, look for "Radio Taxis".  They're everywhere.
Night life:  This is hard to put a price on, it depends on alot of variables.  There are clubs open every night of the week,  some cheaper than others.  Ask you family about specials.  Lots of clubs reduce or altogether eliminate cover some nights, and cover can add up quickly.
Souvenir Money:  Buenos Aires is littered with markets where you can get cool souvenirs (one of the best is in La Boca).  They are usually pretty affordable, but you'll probably see alot you want to buy.

How much money you want to bring depends on alot of variables.  If you intend to do extra traveling and to go out to eat and to meet people frequently, bring more money for spending, somewhere in the neighborhood of US$1200-$1500 should cover some extra travel, food, and nightlife expenses.  If you intend to eat with your family each night and stay in a majority of the time, you'll be able to get by on significantly less.

Regardless of how you spend to choose your time in Buenos Aires, I guaruntee you will learn more Spanish than you ever thought possible AND have a life changing experience.  Plus, its way better than working all summer and you can blow people away when they ask how you spent your summer.

If you have any additional questions, please email me at: mawheelr@uiuc.edu