Livin LArgentina – Post #9

Alone in Argentina
 
This weekend I had the unfortunate experience of being left (almost) alone in BA, while the majority of my roommates and also my friends were traveling to various, exotic locations. Don’t get me wrong – Buenos Aires is amazing. But, as I learned this weekend, spending a weekend alone in a foreign city is a whole different story.
 
My immediate reaction upon learning I was going to be spending most of the weekend solo was, naturally, oh crap. However, I took this momentary panic attack as a cue to crack open that Buenos Aires guidebook I’ve been meaning to read and get goin’. Luckily for me, I also had a weekend full of gorgeous, sunny weather ahead of me, which meant one thing: tanning.
 
I decided to go to a park during the day to do some serious tanning. I walked not even a block from my apartment to a park called Plaza Armenia. The park was hilly and grassy and perfect for lying out; there was also some great people watching (i.e. adorable little babies riding a carousel, equally adorable old men playing checkers), which provided an added bonus. Armed with a towel, some sunscreen and my Kindle, I spent both Saturday and Sunday soaking up the sun and came home with a great (and pretty even!) tan.

The park at Plaza Armenia
 
The thought of being alone at nighttime was daunting, because let’s face it – I had no idea what to do with myself. The sun had tired me out though, so I figured a nice dinner would be enough for me. I whipped out my BA guidebook and found a vegetarian buffet that offered takeout…ding ding ding! The eatery was called Spring, and it was a hidden gem. I piled a takeout dish high with vegetarian sushi, pizza and some delicious fresh fruit, and raced back to my pad to enjoy this feast.
 
My second nighttime activity was a little different: I took myself to the movies. I had been to a couple movies already, and my experience was thoroughly enjoyable. The movie theater, located in a ritzy, upscale mall, is downright luxurious. The seats are cushy and recline at quite a comfortable angle, and the popcorn – half salty, half sweet – is outta this world. So I hunkered down in my cozy seat, with a massive popcorn in one hand and a massive hot tea in the other, and watched what may have been the best rom?com of the year (No Strings Attached, obviously).

Alto Palermo, the mall where the movie theater is located.

The rest of my weekend went quite smoothly, with a few Starbucks trips and some window shopping thrown in here and there. I realized spending some quality time with me, myself and I was completely and utterly relaxing – and the beautiful tan I got made it all worth it!