On Friday night, I went to my last meeting with La Fulana. The activist part of the meeting took place in Claudia's house, and I snapped a picture of everyone around the table. They were planning for another party to celebrate the holidays, and it was strange to know I'd be halfway around the world by that time.
That night after the meeting, I went to dinner with Ana, Candy, Nerea, and Diana. It was really nice to sit and chat for a while, and it was a great way to end my time at La Fulana.
The next day I headed to the Juventud and Sigla meetings. At Juventud, we all took a picture, and they sent me off with a banner. It was really sad to say goodbye to people who had been nothing but welcoming and patient with me as I practiced my Spanish and interrupted their work.
The Sigla meeting was small but again it was good to be able to say goodbye and thank you, especially to Alan, who welcomed me from the first day that I came to the center and made sure that I had a place and knew what was happening.
Later that night, I headed to Acabar. German and I had talked about doing something fun before I left, and he suggested this restuarant, which has board games and is really cool generally. It's in Palermo not to far from my apartment, so I headed there after my meetings.
There was, of course, that awkward moment where I was the only one there, but I came on time, mistake one, and after a bit, a great group of Gay Geeks and friends showed up.
Jenga with Martin
Inside Acabar
Pretty impressive
Tender moment
Christiano!
Marielle and Nati!
German and Juan!
Series of thoughtful photos:
German wins at Jenga
After dinner, Pablo and Christiano took me to Eyeliner, a gay club in Microcentro. The converstaion went as follows:
Pablo and Christiano:
"What time is it?"
"2:30"
"Perfect. We can't get there before 3. Nobody will be there."
Argentina. I appreciate both of them so much for taking me and making sure that I had a good time even when my homebody instincts tell me 4am is bedtime. They're great friends and it was super, super fun.
There was a karaoke station, obviously put to good use, and a huge dance floor where we stayed until closing the next moment. I had a weird random nosebleed and everyone in the bathroom thought I had been in a fight, which was kind of hilarious, and there was a "small gay world" moment when Christiano knew two of the guys from the Ruleta Rosa play, one of whom worked as a bartender in Eyeliner.
I got home the next morning and slept for a bit before heading to the Feria San Telmo to find some goodies to send home. (Side note: There's a weird rule in Argentina that if a package going to another country weighs over 2kg, it has to be sent through the central post office and will be ridiculous expensive. I avoided this.)
I walked around for quite a while looking at the various booths and attractions and picking out mate to send to my parents and Courtney. I had a shot glass, Cole's preferred souvenir, ready, and I was of course going to send a bag of Havanna alfajors.
Um.
Mate! So many options.
After the fair I headed home to get ready for a Gay Geeks picnic, my last time to see them as a group.
The drop off for most buses I take.
I strolled over to the Planetarium to meet the Gay Geeks. It felt especially fitting because it was the first place that I met them, at the spring celebration picnic. I hung around and chatted with everyone for a few hours. It was a beautiful day and the park was full.
I walked home slowly and happily through the parks.
Christiano made me a bird from one of the flowers on the tree. We set it free in the lake.
At the picnic.
Walking home.
I spent Monday and Tuesday cleaning, packing, running errands, and getting ready to leave Tuesday evening. It's stressful to move and pack, but I'm actually kind of grateful for the stress. It means that I don't have to deal with the sadness and can put it somewhere else for a while. Probably not the healthiest approach, but it is good to have something else to focus on. There were a few moments that stood out in my last week where I was overwhelmed by the task of saying goodbye, mostly because I know that for many people, it's the last time. We can keep in touch but it's the support of the Watson that allows me to travel and live the way that I do, and while I hope to return and hope friends will visit, there are never guarantees.
When I slowed down, sometime on the flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid, I began to reflect on the wide variety of emotions that came with leaving the city. I was obviously happy that I had made such wonderful friends during my time in Buenos Aires but also really sad to have to go. After a few months, things begin to get comfortable, and it's rough to uproot time and again at that point. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of these groups and communities and to each of them for the impact they've made on me and the generosity they've shown over and over again.
So, thanks to everyone in Argentina who spoke with me, showed me around, helped me to figure out where to go and what to do, shared stories and experiences, and included me in the community.
This week I'm grateful for you and for everything y'all have given me.
Un abrazo,
Sarah
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