Back to Buenos Aires

I first came to Buenos Aires in January 2023. It was a random choice to be honest. I was fresh off a breakup, had a remote job, and ready to escape the Toronto winter. I didn’t necessarily ‘choose’ Buenos Aires with intentionality., but it fit the criteria of what I needed: somewhere warm, similar timezone to EST, good internet, and decent cost of living. And so, I was off.

You meet an interesting mix of people who leave their home countries to travel and work remote. Most come for some sort of fresh start or reset. It makes sense - if you had a kid or a large mortgage, packing up and moving to South America for an extended period of time is difficult. Buenos Aires seemed to attract others just like me. Internet workers focusing on building their careers and businesses, chasing the best flat white in aesthetic cafes, getting in shape at local gyms, at indulging in Buenos Aires’ world-class nightlife. Everyone seemed a bit lost in their own way. Not necessarily a bad thing.

What I didn’t expect was how welcoming and at-ease I’d feel in this community. Growing up, you don’t need to make much effort to find friends. You relate based on proximity and stage of life. When you enter a new environment for the first time, the way you go about connecting with people is much more intentional. For me, it was based around ambition and entrepreneurship, sport (specifically basketball), and desire to travel and learn new cultures. What I came away with was a group of friends that I didn’t only share interests with, but people who I could relate to.

Here I am, back for my 3rd winter (or summer depending on who you ask) in Buenos Aires. As each year passes, I feel more at ease in my second home. My Spanish is better, the neighbourhoods feel a bit more familiar, and my relationships ever stronger. I didn’t think I’d start ‘snow-birding’ at the ripe age of 27, but alas, here we are.

The internet economy has given way to a completely new way of living. It feels like a life hack to be able to skip the Canadian winter every year, experience a completely new and inviting culture, and learn new languages, all without needing to slow down my career. Every year here in Buenos Aires, I’ve been able to retain and excel at my software jobs and ecommerce businesses while continuing to make progress on my financial goals.

So here I am, back in Buenos Aires at a hip new cafe with tasteful interior, strong coffee, and an upbeat house playlist, finding some time during a slow morning to get some thoughts down. I can’t help but feel gratitude about how fortunate I am to have these experiences.