Tips and advice to thrive in Argentina

Hi,

I'm from the States and I've been living in Cordoba, Argentina for almost 4 years now and all I can say is that it is not an easy adjustment at all. Despite my best efforts I have been unable to feel at home.

I would say that the easiest way to adjust would probably be to keep your opinions, political or otherwise, to yourself. I've personally come across a lot of hostility from people simply when I've given my input which often differs from the general population.

Make local friends who are open-minded about foreigners and avoid those who are close-minded (which there are a lot of here unfortunately).

Make expat friends too. You will definitely find someone out there that has either dealt with your struggles or is currently dealing with the same issues. Either way, you'll have someone you can vent with that won't judge you.

Stay in touch with your friends and family back home. They can help you deal with the adjustment.

Have an exit strategy. One of the things that I've kicked myself for over the last 4 years is that I planned this huge move to a foreign country but I didn't plan an exit strategy in case that things didn't work out. Make sure to save a lot of cash in case you need to buy a ticket back.

I know that this response is a bit grim but this was my experience.