People are People: Lesson from Buenos Aires

 

I’ve been spending a small amount of time in Buenos Aires, and it’s reminded me of one of the best parts of travel: perspective.

I’m always struck by regardless of location, people are people. Kindness shows up everywhere and is overwhelming. What we experience through media usually doesn’t reflect reality. 

Learning Portuguese is adding an interesting twist to my short stay in Buenos Aires. With some Spanish background, my brain now mixes the two languages. I find myself answering in Portuguese when someone speaks to me in Spanish before I can stop myself. I’m mainly getting by in a mix of PortuSpanglish (pretty sure I just made up a new word) and plenty of hand signals. 

It’s a good reminder that life, like language, is about intent more than perfection. When people see you’re genuinely trying to connect, they meet you halfway. Empathy always translates.