How do you celebrate a birthday abroad?

I wanted to take a quick minute to describe the experience of having a birthday abroad. In a word, it's strange. There is something very unique about spending your birthday in a far away place, away from most of your friends and all of your family. Yesterday, as I walked around my neighborhood in Buenos Aires, I had the sensation that my birthday was my little secret. I just smiled to myself as I went about my day, surrounded by people who had no idea who I was.

Yesterday marked the end of my teenage years. I am now twenty and feel somehow more adult. It seems fitting that I should end my time as a teenager by spending my birthday abroad, navigating everything on my own. It's probably the most grown up I've ever felt because it has been one of my most challenging experiences. My self-reliance and independence has been challenged constantly. There is no hand holding in Buenos Aires!

There is definitely a bit of sadness that comes with this experience. Yesterday was a bittersweet day because it reminded me of the fact that I am thousands of miles away from the people I love. There was no family dinner, no crowd of people coming into my dorm room at midnight to sing happy birthday and eat cake with me. My birthday was a strong reminder that I'm on my own.

And yet, I chose not to dwell on the sad parts. Instead, I spent the day doing whatever I felt like. I slept in and then had a bite to eat. I went to get a manicure (something that's actually more reasonably priced in Buenos Aires than in the US). I sat at a sidewalk table in a small cafe in Palermo Hollywood and read a classic book I've been meaning to start for years. I ordered a cafe cortado (a tiny little cup of espresso with just a little bit of milk) and sipped on it while eating a chocolate raspberry tortita. (A tiny cupcake without the unpleasant mountain of icing.) It was a lovely day and I enjoyed walking around my neighborhood and appreciating its charm. Palermo is quite adorable actually. Plenty of tree lined streets, cafes, bookstores, and art galleries.

Later, I skyped with Donovan and then with my dad. Finally, I met up with a group of friends to have dinner at an Armenian restaurant called Sarkis. It was delicious! In true Argentine fashion, we finished dinner around 1:15 AM. I might be far away from most of the people I know, but I have been lucky enough to get to know some wonderful people here in Buenos Aires. I am so grateful for the opportunity to live in a new part of the world and get to know people who I wouldn't have known otherwise. Starting over in a new place is fascinating and exhilarating.

I didn't remember to take a picture of my dinner, but google helped me find a picture of what I ate. (minus the beverage) - A skewer of lamb with onions & tomatoes, but topped with a yogurt sauce. It was delicious! I had trouble deciding what to order because there were no descriptions of the food items and the waiter was a bit hard to understand. The waiter was standing in front of me, awaiting my response. So I just ordered something without really knowing what to expect. All I knew was that the dish involved lamb, but it was a happy surprise!

The point of this story is that I had a lovely birthday and enjoyed exploring my neighborhood and spending time with friends. It also made me appreciate all the people at home who wished me happy birthday from afar. I promise I'll be in the US for my next birthday :) (Since I do need to finish my degree...) Buenos Aires has a certain charm and I am lucky to have been able to celebrate here. Thanks to everyone (near and far) who made my day great!

P.S. general life updates

1. I had my first midterm on the 2nd 

2. I moved into a new apartment and like it better (more on that later)

3. I went to my first milonga (tango venue) and loved watching the dancers - tomorrow I am going to see a tango show so I will write more on that later