FAQs About Our Time in Buenos Aires
If you're new here, welcome! My name is Emily. I have ADHD, but normally I'm a DIYer and I focus on creating usable spaces for my neurodivergent family. I say usually because for the second half of 2024, my family lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I want to talk about some frequently asked questions I got while we were in Argentina. Just wait, there are some interesting ones.
Why were we in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 6 months?
My husband works for a global company. He was contacted because his job in the company is very specialized and the branch in Argentina needed someone at his position level to train people to also work in the specialty. My husband is also fluent in Spanish which made him kind of perfect for the job. We knew he would have to be gone for more than a standard business trip and we were not willing for him to leave without us for 6 months. I was willing to uproot us and go, so we checked all of the boxes. Part of the reason I feel that way is I've actually always wanted to do something like this. As a kid growing up, my grandparents lived in Germany and we would go and spend summers there. We spent Christmases there and traveled all over Europe doing that.
My dad also had a very international job and traveled all over the world and we would travel with him when possible. Since I grew up doing it, it was something I wanted to do for my kids as well. This was an opportunity we were presented with while our kids are still very young (7 and almost 2) and before they are old enough to have a lot of commitments so we felt confident in our decision.
What did we do with our house while we were in Argentina?
I think in one of the videos I made about getting our house ready to be gone for six months, I must have edited out that our house WAS occupied while we were gone, which was very concerning to people. For the six months we were gone, we had friends who are in Tennessee for grad school whose lease was up on their apartment around the same time we were leaving. We know and trust them so they essentially house sat for us while we were gone. We only charged them utilities, so they were saving money and it was beneficial for everyone.
Did we bring anything we didn't end up using?
Yes, there were definitely some clothes I brought that I didn't use. I think I overpacked clothes-wise. When we got to Buenos Aires, it was winter even though it was summer at home and when we came home it was summer in Argentina. There were just some pieces that once I got here I second-guessed myself because I knew I would never need them.
Also, my hair dryer didn't work in Argentina so I definitely didn't need to bring that. Apparently that's not uncommon even with an adapter. I tried the one my mom brought when they came to visit and it didn't work either so I sent my Shark dryer home with my mom because it was just taking up space. I brought a bunch cards and games for the kids to play while they were here because before we left, my daughter was super into games. We hardly used any of them.
What was my access to gluten free food while in Argentina?
If you've been following me for a while, you know that I have a wheat allergy. I was diagnosed in 2010. I had a plethora of health issues growing up including migraines, foot pain, digestive issues, etc. and I found out that a lot of those issues could be explained to my allergy to wheat. I don't have Celiacs so its not a gluten allergy or intolerance, it is very specifically a wheat allergy. To make things easy, I am strictly gluten free. I've heard about how Europe is really great with gluten free food. I really haven't spent a lot of time in Europe since my diagnosis to be honest, but Argentina is far and away beyond incredible when it comes to gluten free food.
They have this label, it's called Sintac and it means it is gluten free and it's super regulated. In order to have that label, you have to pass the strict regulation standards, but you can find clearly labeled Sintac foods everywhere. Certified gluten free items are at grocery stores, and almost every restaurant. If they don't have a dedicated section then you can always get grilled meat and french fries. Its incredible how many dedicated gluten free restaurants, cafes, bakeries there are in Argentina. I cannot tell you how incredible the gluten free bakeries are here. It's sad being back in the States after being spoiled in Buenos Aires.
How did you I get my medication while in Argentina?
As I mentioned before, I have ADHD. I was diagnosed when I was 16 years old and I have been taking medication ever since. Since I've been married and especially since having kids, I've been very, very good at taking my meds consistently. I take my meds every day without fail. However, stimulants aren't easily accessible in Argentina, even with a prescription. Everything I read in preparation for the trip cautioned that if you bring meds to Argentina, make sure keep them in the prescription bottle so you're not stopped because I guess it's technically illegal.
With that in mind, I contacted my insurance and I talked to them about the best way to go forward. They were able to provide me with a 90 day, travel dosage and then an additional 90 day emergency dose. I don't remember what the exact, coding they used was, but it was two different 90 day dosages that they were able to give me with the prescription from my doctor. There was a little bit of a mix up so I was able to bring 90 days with me, and the rest came with my mom when she visited. I ran out before she came so it was a little bit hard functioning with no meds, but I made it work. If you're visiting for an extended period of time, make sure to research what you need beforehand.
What trips did we go on?
I really wanted to do a lot of trips while we were in Argentina, but I didn't factor in that my husband would be doing a busy season while here. So, for the first three months while we were here we weren't able to really go anywhere because he was so busy. We didn't get to spend as much time traveling as I wanted to, but we did go to Colonia de Sacramento, in Uruguay, on a short ferry trip across the bay. Colonia de Sacramento is a really cute city. It's smaller than Montevideo, which is the capital of Uruguay, which is about three hours away as opposed to Colonia, which is only about an hour and a half away by a ferry.
The next trip we went on was to Iguazu Falls, which is where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay all touch. It's one of the largest system of waterfalls in the world and was an absolutely incredible once in a lifetime trip. The animals we saw were amazing and the falls are stunning. There are two different parks, one on the Argentina side and one on the Brazil side. We stayed on the Argentina side and I was surprised the town of Iguazu in Argentina as opposed to the town in Brazil. The Brazil side was a lot more developed, as we had to go to that side to find a decent grocery store. So that was interesting, but the trip in general was amazing.
It was a great experience for our kids. You do have to fly there and our flight experience was kind of a nightmare, so do you research before you go. We took a couple of day trips to Tigre, which is just north of Buenos Aires. It's a really quick train ride and makes for a fun day trip. We took any visiting family with us to Tigre and were able to take a ferry around the delta area where the water hits the Bay. There are a bunch of islands to see and it's just really pretty.
The last trip we went on was to Puerto Madryn, which is South and is one of the best places to see marine life in Argentina. It's absolutely incredible! There is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can see humpback whales, orcas, sometimes seals, sea lions, penguins. We also did a guided tour a little bit further south where penguin colonies come to nest. This trip is what our daughter looked forward to the entire time in Argentina because of her love of penguins, so she was thrilled. We got to walk with the penguins and get up close and personal with them. It was a once in lifetime experience and I highly recommend.
We are so grateful for the time we spent in Argentina. We already miss the friends we made, the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, the wildlife and, of course, the food, but we are happy to be home for the Holidays.
