I absolutely loved Buenos Aires. Honestly one of my favorite cities in the world. The people are incredible. Warm, passionate, educated, resilient, just full of heart. Argentina really got under my skin in the best way.
But I kept having this weird thought the whole time, and I’m curious if anyone else felt it.
A lot of the things Argentinians are super proud of feel like variations of other cultures rather than totally their own. Pizza feels like deep dish with a lot of cheese. Gelato is just gelato. Medialunas are basically soft croissants. The architecture is very European, Recoleta literally gets called the Paris of the South. Soccer is global. Alfajores didn’t even start there.
It almost felt like Argentina took a bunch of influences and did their own remix, rather than having super obvious, instantly recognizable cultural markers like some other countries I’ve been to.
And yet… Argentina still speaks to my heart more than almost anywhere. The vibe, the intensity, the way people live and feel things. Mate culture, Peronism (lol), therapy being normal, the emotional honesty. That stuff felt very real to me.
After reading comments, I get it more now. Tango, asado, empanadas, fernet con coke, the passion for literally everything. Maybe that’s the point. It’s not about one single export, it’s the personality.
Curious if anyone else had this same feeling or if I’m just overthinking it.
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