"I have never before experienced so much in such a short time"

Unsure about what to do after high school? How about exploring the world while learning a language?

Natalie (20) traveled to Buenos Aires to study Spanish:

– I find it difficult to put into words my time in Argentina, I've never had so much fun and experienced so much in such a short period!

– Living in a big city with such a fast pace can be overwhelming and seem chaotic at first. Nevertheless, most people settle in fairly quickly. In a way, it's not so surprising – there's always something to do!

Even though one always hears about tango, steak, and football as Argentina's big trademarks, there is so, so, so much more to discover.

The cliché 'it can't be explained, it must be experienced' fits well.

I will never forget drinking maté (an Argentine drink) in the park, late nights, and the world's nicest people called 'porteños'.

Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities in the world.

If you're going to live away from your parents for the first time, moving to a metropolis in a country and continent you may have never visited before can seem daunting.

Kulturstudier ensures that you feel safe and cared for abroad. You live together with other Scandinavian students, and receive support from our local team:

–The staff from Kulturstudier were both extremely friendly and helpful, and everything is arranged so that one can enjoy the time as a student as much as possible.

– If you have a question or need a recommendation, just send a quick message to someone in the Kulturstudier team, and you'll get local answers to what you couldn't necessarily have googled.

We were also invited to various excursions and "workshops" where we learned how to make empanadas, for example.

Learn more about Buenos Aires

• Argentina
• Spanish in Argentina
• Inspiration

Buenos Aires seen through local eyes

Les mer

– I would recommend participating in as many activities as possible. There were several who made friends and got to speak a lot of Spanish at our weekly football practice with Argentinians.

In any case, it might be wise to find an activity or a meeting place to get to know the locals – Argentinians are open, fun, and very welcoming!

You should expect to be pushed to speak Spanish as a student in Buenos Aires when you go to restaurants, cafes, and shops – many of the residents do not speak English, and Argentinians do not speak "regular" Spanish either.

The Argentine Spanish is unique and may seem incomprehensible at first even for those who speak a little Spanish already.

Nevertheless, Buenos Aires is also an international city where you can explore influences from all over the world, including culinary ones:

– One of the BEST ways to get to know Buenos Aires is through its food. The options are endless, and for our group, Antonio's Pizza, ice cream from Nicolos, and baked potatoes at Llama became the big favorites.

If there's one thing this city doesn't lack, it's good food, and I could make a long list of all the recommendations, but the rest one should be allowed to discover on their own.

– With good food comes also good (and long) conversations, the act of sitting for hours in cafes, restaurants, or preferably in one of the many beautiful parks, all places that have given me many fond memories and fits of laughter.

By hanging out with your new local friends, you also get the chance to pretend to understand the political discussions, which can be difficult to grasp, and not necessarily just because of the language.

Fortunately, we have good teachers who care, and who can explain most things, while helping you to improve your Spanish!

In the middle of the semester, you get a break from teaching to study on your own and experience more of Argentina or neighboring countries. Some travel far, others travel short distances, and many have not planned in advance where they want to go:

– During the famous 'reading week', which often can involve just as much traveling as reading, most students take the opportunity to explore other parts of Latin America.

Rio de Janeiro, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Salt Flats in Bolivia are popular destinations, and people often travel there in groups.

– It's not a bad idea to start figuring out where you want to go and to find someone to travel with early in your stay, but don't worry, it usually works out anyway.

My roommate and I (partly due to poor planning) ended up in Cordoba northwest of Buenos Aires at a festival by chance, and we still talk about how incredibly fun we had there.

If you want to experience more of Latin America after a semester in amazing Argentina, you can continue your journey to Costa Rica to improve your Spanish while enjoying beach life, surfing, and nature:

– Now I am in Costa Rica with Kulturstudier to continue learning Spanish and get a little tan.

Even though I'm very happy here as well, I still sometimes miss the exciting and educational everyday life in Argentina.

– I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to experience Buenos Aires with so many wonderful people around me, and not least I feel lucky to have had so much fun!

The best memories often arise from spontaneity, so make sure to have some space in your calendar and remember to always say YES! (within the limits of responsibility, of course...)