Coming to Argentina the first time, I had no idea how complicated the exchange rates and access to cash would be, if you don’t want to lose money!

In a time full of uncertainty, it can be hard not to feel despair as the news cycle makes the state of the world seem ever more desperate and beyond repair. This can be made worse by social media, which exposes us to (often unverified news) on a constant loop, making it very difficult to feel anything but anxious and powerless. Unfortunately these feelings, understandable as they are, stop us from taking action. The more dread we feel, the more paralysed we become and the less likely we are to mobilise. And whilst any one individual is unlikely to effect great change, there’s a whole lot that we can do together! That’s why volunteering can be a great way to get involved with a community, and break this cycle of feeling powerless. But sometimes it can be hard to know where to start, so I’ll share a few tips with you that have helped me:

Bariloche was not somewhere I’d heard of before coming to Argentina. Rather, I discovered it through recommendations from locals and the Instagram stories of exchange students. In most aspects of my life, I tend to plan and research diligently before doing something, but on this trip I took a step back and barely glanced at the guidebook or google images before going.

‘Los pibes’ in Rioplatense Spanish means the kids, and that, unsurprisingly, is what this movement is dedicated to. To the children of now, but also those of the future, a future that will hopefully look different for those in the famous and infamous neighbourhood of La Boca. Whilst the ‘El caminito’ area is a hotspot for tourists who come to admire the brightly painted buildings and the street performers, according to several guidebooks and foreign travel advice pages, leaving this part of town leaves a traveller vulnerable to violent muggings.

When moving to a new country, or visiting it for a shorter period of time, it’s always good to know that you’ll be able to easily get food in line with your dietary requirements. In my experience, Buenos Aires is definitely a place where you can be celiac with relative ease. There are of course times when looking for gluten free food can be frustrating (as is the case in almost any country you go) but on the whole it’s probably close to the experience you’d have in any big European city. Here are my tips on how to eat (out and in) comfortably as a celiac in Buenos Aires.

When I first considered my exchange year abroad, and which Spanish-speaking country I wanted to be in, I thought initially of a continent, and then of a specific country. I’d studied some Latin American, and specifically Argentinian literature last year and I’d heard really good things about the country, so, after a bit more research, I knew Argentina would be the place for me.

All of my comparisons here are generalisations, taken from my own experiences in the UK (extensive) and in Argentina (much less so) I’ve now been in Argentina for just over a month, volunteering as a communications assistant and I thought now was a great time to take a step back and note down some of the differences I’ve noticed in my short time here. The differences I’ve briefly outlined are completely based on my own experiences. Give this a read and see if the ones I’ve noticed match up with your own perceptions!