By Zachary Maretzki, 2023-24 McCall MacBain International Fellow in Argentina

When I arrived to Buenos Aires, Argentina, there were a lot of new things to get used to, and I quickly realized that actually moving to a new country is quite different from spending a week’s vacation somewhere. I found myself, for the first while, being a little less social than I’d like to be, and I attribute this to the fact that I was quite overwhelmed adjusting to my new way of life, as well as learning the language. That being said, I also knew I had to push myself to carve out a place in my new country so that I could feel at home. I did this the only way I know how: with consistency. I went to the same gym every day, went to the same shop for coffee every morning, ventured out to punk shows (I love music) consistently, despite not having anyone to go with. I also sent many, many, follow-up emails to the organization which I now volunteer at (they are a little disorganized) to work to secure my position there. Overall, my consistency made it certain that I would become a familiar face in many places, and eventually, this led to new friendships and community ties.

It wasn’t easy at first, but I quickly learned what my lifestyle ‘non-negotiables are’. For example, one night I was contemplating on going to a concert alone. I was apprehensive to go, but realized that music is a ‘non-negotiable’ for me, and my desire to see the bands outweighed my fear of going into a foreign environment alone. When moving to a new place, I think it’s important to ask: What makes you who you are, and how will you seek out your ‘non-negotiables’ in your new environment?

Moving to Buenos Aires has been a great adventure, and a lot of fun. Since moving here I’ve made many new friends from all over the world, and have been able to travel around the country. I’ve worked towards my lifelong goal of learning a second language, and observing my own progress in this has been so rewarding. The most exciting thing has been not knowing for sure what opportunities will arrive next – every day/month has brought something new for me. One highlight for me was spending a week in Northern Argentina, with some friends I made at language school. We traveled to Salinas Grandes, the world’s 2nd largest salt flat at over 3,500 meters elevation. So much fun!