The Vibe Was Different In Buenos Aires, and I’m Grateful
I had to leave the U.S. to learn what self-care looks like
Self-care in the United States is an industry that White upper-middle class folks can afford. But for people like me who belong to historically oppressed groups, self-care has always felt like a luxury.
Luckily, life provided me with an opportunity to see a different way.
I moved to Buenos Aires in 2013 and lived there for almost five years. That’s how I discovered that self-care doesn’t have to fit a model that doesn’t represent me. Being surrounded by people of the working class, many of whom were also people of color, taught me it is possible for people of color and those of us in the working class to claim our self-care. Here’s a bit of what I learned:
1. You can always have yerba mate with friends. Inflation is sky-high in Buenos Aires, and yerba mate (the national tea that’s become famous in other countries for its health benefits) was the common ground that held us all together. I got together for yerba mate with my friends often. If the weather was good we had picnics in the park, and everyone would bring a snack. This outing was cheap and could always occur at someone’s apartment during the cold winter months. It was never just about the yerba mate, but about the time…
