Living and working in Córdoba reminded me that you don’t need to be somewhere long to get a sense of place. Three days in and I was already at ease and smitten with Córdoba. For starters, we had a wonderful city welcome from Coti and Santi, our RY city team. On that first Sunday afternoon Coti couldn’t have been more excited to share her city with us and her excitement was contagious! We all went to dinner after the preview and I got to talking with Santi.
Just like his hometown, Santi reminded me that you don’t have to know someone long to get a sense of who they are. Early in our conversation, Santi asked me about my disability. And he did it so naturally that he normalized the conversation for me. He went on to share that his cousin is paraplegic and plays wheelchair rugby, or murderball, and invited me to watch a game. Side note: I did and it was incredible to watch and also to see the bond between him and his cousin. Santi ended our conversation by cheers-ing me for traveling around the world.
That cheers put things in perspective for me and highlighted the growth this experience has gifted me. The other thing this experience and Córdoba in particular gave me, is the vantage point of having two months in one country. I consider this one of the many gifts of this itinerary. I value getting to see more than one city as it lets you pick on on the little things, like which spots are actually regional and not local (I see you La Club de Milanesa), and it gives you a deeper sense of place and culture than one city can afford.
And I will say that Córdoba was not the city I was expecting. Prior to our arrival, people would speak about Córdoba as if it was this sleepy little town, a “good month to recharge.” We arrived in Córdoba eight months into our itinerary. I was tired. The travel and lifestyle were catching up to me and I was looking forward to a forced slow down.
I was imagining a one stoplight town with the token local bar. What I got was a city of roughly 1.3 million people, almost two times the population of Seattle, Washington. Make no mistake Córdoba is a big city. Sure in comparison to our previous stop in Buenos Aires (almost 3 million) Córdoba might seem quiet, but a one stoplight town it is not.
It is a charming and highly walkable city which combined with the mild spring weather made it a very easy place to call home for the month of October. I came to Córdoba from BsAs which was the hardest month of this journey for me, particularly with work. BsAs was also the first month that felt long relative to the journey. So I brought with me some residual feelings of depression and homesickness. In Córdoba I focused on working my way out of it by taking time for myself and doing restorative things.
I easily settled into my work routine for several reasons. First, the 15 minute walk of a commute. Remote Year has effectively ruined me for any future commute. It is not lost on me that in every city we are able to walk to work, usually in 20 minutes or less. It’s one of those “little things” that’s actually a major luxury and I am grateful for it every time I set out for the workspace.
And did I mention that there was a Starbucks in our office building? Commonplace in America, but in South America it is a novelty. And even for this loyal Dunkin Donuts drinker, it was oddly comforting to have a Starbucks as part of my morning routine. I typically make coffee at home (2018 has been the year of Nescafé Gold) but I was pretty regular at the Starbucks and forgot how much I enjoy barista banter, particularly when I get to use my Spanish. It was a little luxury that went a long way for me as I focused on getting my happy back via the little things that bring me joy.
With my Starbucks in hand, I would head up to our co-working space, La Maquinita. La Maq was a big reason why the work transition was seamless this month. It was a space I looked forward to getting to each day thanks to the layout, the view, and the people. I thrived there. It was an enjoyable place to be and easy to be productive there.
It’s no wonder I felt more connected to the people at La Maq. Typically we stick to our RY crew at the workspace, but this month was different. Our first week in Córdoba, we got paired up with some of the locals who work at La Maq and went to their houses for dinner. It was one of the many things this year that I can’t imagine happening in America: people opening their homes to complete strangers and cooking for them. That Friday night at Caro’s house with Mire, Alex and my fellow Ohana was so much fun! We played games, shared music, and overstayed our welcome.
My evenings in Córdoba were a welcome change of pace. I had a lot of quiet nights and would schedule no more than two evening activities during the work week. This is easier said than done in RY land because there is always something on the calendar or someone inviting you to dinner. I flexed my “no” muscle pretty hard and enjoyed the solitude of having my own apartment for the month. I continued the TV streak I had started in Buenos Aires and enjoyed getting sucked into a show and getting to bed earlier.
Córdoba was just the month I needed at just the right time. I had a chance to enjoy where I was yet not feel overwhelmed to go, go, go. I I got to feel like a local: hitting my bodega every day, comfortable in my routine, walking everywhere and enjoying my surroundings. When I look back on Córdoba I will remember the people the most, and you will get to meet a few in subsequent posts.
I feel in love with BsAs from my first visit three years ago (see Get Back to Where You Once Belonged). And Córdoba had me from day one. So, again with the two-city vantage point, Córdoba confirmed my feelings are not solely tied to BsAs. Córdoba thanks for sharing your light with me. You showed me that my love for BsAs is not an anomaly but a love of country. Argentina it has been a gift to spend two months with you. Hasta la próxima.
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