In Spring 2005, I was among 90 American students studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was with a wonderful program (CIEE) I found through Purdue, but I was very surprised to find out that not only was I the only student from Purdue on this program, I was the first one.

Studying abroad in South America is something that I feel more Purdue University students should take advantage of as their Study Abroad choice. Buenos Aires gave me experiences that I could not have gotten anyplace else. I was in a very large city (bigger in size and population than New York City) with a heavy European influence. Buenos Aires is often called the Paris of South America.

However, I was not in Europe; Argentina is still in the developing south. I arrived only a handful of years after their economic crisis in 2001 (one of the worst in history). I witnessed protests on a weekly basis in front of La Casa Rosada (where the president lives), usually about the massive lack of jobs available. I was able to hear first hand from my friends, professors, and host family what its like to live in a country that is not as economically stable as the United States. Leaving the city was also important to experience the diverse cultures around Argentina (a lot of places were hit harder than the city was, leaving almost no jobs) and other parts of South America. Not to mention gorgeous plains, mountains, beaches, glaciers, and more that you can see for a very reasonable price.

The Study Abroad experience is a unique one wherever you may go, and it’s important to get everything out of it you can. South America is a wonderful, and often overlooked, choice for that once in a lifetime journey.

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