Last Licks

So this is it. The final countdown. I arrived back in Buenos Aires 24 hours ago, and I have 24 hours until I leave. I am definitely excited to come home. But that doesn't mean I didn't have a total blast here.

People seem to think the two are mutually exclusive. That if I want to come home it must mean that I didn't have a good time. Au contraire. I just feel that I accomplished my goals. I did what I came to do and now I am ready to return to the American lifestyle I didn't know I loved until I left.

But before I jetset home, I decided to have my last licks in Buenos Aires. Last night I had a traditional Argentine meal at approximately 11:15pm. None of my friends are in town because Monday is a national holiday and everyone has a long weekend. So...there were literally zero people to go out with. I was bummed that my last Saturday night in Buenos Aires was so lame, but it's not like I was deprived of the BA nightlife scene while I was here. Nothing lost, nothing gained.

I guess the perk was that at 9:30 am when my alarm went off I was conscious. I went shopping and - drumroll please -----------------------------------------------------I BOUGHT BOOTS. After searching the entire city top to bottom, I bought my boots. They were the first ones I ever liked, naturally. It's just like me though. I had to know. I have two pairs of boots from Argentina and I can't wait to show them off to all of you back home. One short, grey pair of high heels and one tall, tan pair of medium heels. I know you wanted the details. They're even better in person.

I wandered around Avenida Florida for a bit. It seemed really empty. Either I was awake before the entire city, or I am one of the only people here on the holiday weekend. Maybe a bit of both.

Then, I had plans to meet my friend Jan from Calafate at 1:30 so we could go to the San Telmo Fair together. I had wasted the entire morning because I got my shopping done so fast. But, of course, I had wandered too far from any subway stop. It was 1:30 when I first got on a subway and I was freaking out. There was no way she would still be there when I got there. I switched from the D line to the C line. It was already 1:40. But sitting in my car was a familiar face. I never forget a face. Apparently neither does this guy. We had met for 10 seconds on the bus to the National Park in Ushuaia. He was going to the fair too.

So he and I ventured on, looking for Jan. No sign. We decided to go to the fair and see if we could find her.

SO MANY PEOPLE. There was no way.

Frenchman and I wandered for a while, talking about Argentina and travel and the history of the fair. It turns out, he's a Parisian Jew. Kinda cool. And it also turns out that in the middle of talking about keeping kosher you could literally bump into...Jan!!

The three of us walked around for a while until Frenchman had to leave to take a bus to Iguazu. Jan and I were on a mission to find all of the last presents we were looking for. We did it! But we also had a great time looking at all the knicknacks people were selling and just chit-chatting the whole way.

We also stopped for a short meal that ended up being an hour and a half. We forgot. We're in Argentina. There is no such thing as a short meal.

But we made it through and walked through the antique part of the fair. I don't know who buys that stuff, but it's fun to look at. And as the sun set we bought our final purchases and came out the other side of the fair right in front of the Casa Rosada.

It was perfectly poetic. The Casa Rosada and the Catedral were the first places I visited here in Buenos Aires. It only makes sense that these should be the last landmarks I saw. So I say goodbye to the city the same way I said hello.

Just writing now, it is a bit sad that my adventure is coming to an end. It was one wild ride. Full of awesomeness. Tomorrow is my last chance to tie up loose ends, say goodbye to my friends and speak some good old castellano Spanish.

I promise to make the most of it.

More reflections tomorrow.

BESOS!