Have you ever considered how a simple coffee break could feel completely different in another country? Moving from Argentina to the States taught me exactly that.
Afternoons in Buenos Aires mean just one thing: Mates, friends, and bizcochitos. Imagine my shock now, where my afternoons are more about drinking Dunkin’ and sitting at a table alone as I finish my school work.
Nothing ever prepares you for such a drastic change; it’s like one morning I’m talking in Spanish, and paying with Mercado Pago, and the other I’m trying to understand the Boston accent and uploading all my cards to Apple Pay. The struggle is real, but you learn to love it with time. It really helps you to connect with other people. Before arriving, I thought I’d be the one who’d have to do all the talking when meeting new people. It turns out that I underestimated Americans; they are really social and very, very curious about my culture.
However, in my short time here, I have learned many key lessons to “survive” in Boston. The first one I learned very easily was the food portions. There’s no way to describe how my face paled when I saw the enormous plate full of pasta in Olive Garden. On one hand, I was happy because I got my money’s worth. On the other hand, I was actually wondering how I was even going to finish that, after eating the famous breadsticks and the salad, and adding that I couldn’t just take it home since I didn’t have a fridge back in my dorm. I just can’t understand how they manage to eat so much food and STILL be skinny. I swear to god I was round-shaped by the time I finished that plate. Lesson learned, start to share plates or order off the kids’ menu.
The second lesson I learned was the moment my family and I started driving. Goodman, if there was traffic, I would understand it if we were in New York City, but I have never expected it from Boston. We quickly understood that renting a car was a mistake, but we had already paid for it. So, trust me when I tell you to take the bus or the subway because it will be so much faster.
All in all, these are the two most important lessons I have learned in my short time staying in Boston. I’ll keep you posted about new lessons and cultural shocks I find in my stay here in this beautiful city.
Have a great day!
