Campbell Gatehouse, of Long Lake, Minnesota, is a Political Science and Spanish Major at the University of Kansas. She is here for a year-long study abroad program with Mente Argentina and hopes to extend her stay here. Here Gatehouse dishes the juice on her life in Buenos Aires and why she has fallen in love with Buenos Aires and its energy.
“Because the University of Belgrano is so accommodating, I was really able to shape my class schedule around the rest of my life. At around 10am, I wake up (on the 22nd floor overlooking the entire city, might I add) and greet my roommates. Through Mente , I have met people from ALL over the world . Right now, my roommates are from Holland and Switzerland!”
Each morning during the week, the roommates drink mate, listen to latin music, and eat breakfast together whenever they can. Then, she catches the Colectivo from Palermo to Belgrano, for class at University of Belgrano (15 minute ride). Her classmates are Argentine and from a plethora of countries.
After class, Campbell goes to a nearby café with friends to have empanadas, before taking the bus home. Then, she jogs through the Japanese Gardens or in the Bosques de Palermo, a large park with a jogging path, filled with walkers, runners, bikers, longboarders and mostly rollerbladers.
Afterwards, she cooks dinner and goes to a café called Voltaire for some coffee and homework action. When the homework load is less, Antares happy hour becomes her scene. (a Mente favorite, might I add)
“Because University of Belgrano only has classes Monday through Thursday, Thursday night is usually a big night out in the city. So, Friday morning (more like afternoon), we like to start the weekend off right by heading to “Oui Oui” (which I swear has the BEST brunch in all of Argentina)”
Campbell often finds herself with too many options to chose from when it comes to weekend activities. She frequents open air markets, the MALBA art museum, and protests on 9 de Julio (the widest avenue in the world). There are also always unexpected experiences, as well, like the pop-up Little Italy Festival that occurred near her backyard.
Campbell becomes whimsical when she tells me of her hours spent with friends at restaurants, watching the slow paced portenos (BA natives) pass by. She also gushes about the delicious natural juices she buys from Tiendas Naturales to cure the occasional hangover. Campbell loves to ly in the parks, which become packed with young people when the sun is out, drinking mate and eager for a tan.
“We also have lots of asados (Argentine BBQ), especially on Sundays.” Campbell meets with Portenos in cafes as well, to practice Spanish, while they practice English. “Sometimes I even just wander around the city, soaking in its beauty, and exploring new places”, says Campbell. She also went on a ski trip to Bariloche with friends during a long weekend, taking advantage of the fresh pow-pow Argentina has to offer.
At night, on weekends, Campbell eats dinner between 10PM and midnight. She likes to then listen to live music at bars to get the night started and sometimes around 2AM, she and her friends move to a boliche (nightclub) to dance until morning. One of the greatest parts of Buenos Aires is the explosion of energy at all hours. A number of bars stay open until 8AM or 9AM as well, for people who are not in the mood for the boliche scene.
Favorite Boliches: Brook, Rosebar, Crobar, and Jet
Favorite Bars: Ocho-7-Ocho, Unico, Ferona, Tequila, and The Roof
Favorite Restaurants: Taco Box, Al Zain, and Sapporo
Campbell lives a very fulfilling life in Buenos Aires, filled with a balance of academics, new and enriching experiences, wonderful friends, good food, parties, and relaxation. This girl takes on Buenos Aires by a storm each and every day, appreciating and enjoying the wonders that this city has to offer.