The background story

"The truth is that all of us here have won the lottery of life," Kristof added. "The fact that you are graduating from a great college in America means that you have won the global jackpot. And, when you do, then the question becomes, how do you go about discharging the responsibility that comes with that? What will you give back and how?" - Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Middlebury College Commencement 2010

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, two NYTimes journalists that among other things have covered the Tiananmen Square democracy movement, made those concluding remarks to an audience consisting of the Middlebury Class of 2010, and their family, friends, teachers, supporters, and allies. My family and I formed a part of that crowd, a truly an exciting day for all us after four years of driving up and down from Brooklyn to the little town of Middlebury nestled in the rolling hills of Vermont. After a week of very little sleep, a slew of events, and many good-byes, those words struck me, and made me realize that I truly have a lot to be thankful - despite what I had initially thought about my stance in the U.S. I was truly lucky to have won a piece of that global jackpot. However, with such privilege comes due responsibility, and quite frankly, giving back has marked my college career and overall goals until most recently, when I have been most confused.

In fact, it seems that most young people feel this way on some level after graduating into a bleak economy. Although things are certainly looking up, we’ve had to truly learn the ropes, or take what we could, a fair move in these unsettling economic times. But on the other side of the coin, many young people have decided to take off and explore now while the getting is good. This means not taking that entry-level job many thought they would have upon graduating and taking this time to do something different. I am one among those many.

After studying abroad at La Universidad de Buenos Aires during the Spring of 2009, returning to Buenos Aires was a no-brainer. I fell in love with the city’s energy, way of living, and accessible culture, understanding the whole time that my financial aid package definitely contributed to that experience.

Thus, after working for six months as a barista at a busy New York coffee spot, I have finally returned to my land of milk and honey to encounter a totally different experience. The city continues to face inflation and as my former host-mom put, “much of the same” exists in the labor market. I’ve created this blog with the intention of putting my story out there, and making sense of this experience, a study abroad kid coming back to yes, perhaps, the real Buenos Aires.