October 16th
Afternoon art day with Nai at the park! I did some birdwatching and spotted a crested caracara that seems to have made this spot its usual hangout. I even caught it mid-hunt, snagging an unlucky monk parakeet—one of those moments where it doesn’t feel great to see nature run its course, but at the same time, you can’t help but respect and admire how it all works. I also spent some time translating a poem from the book I picked up yesterday, keeping things low-key while the afternoon rolled by.
We made it back just in time for Fabiana—Nai’s mom and my former host mom—to arrive for the long weekend! Naturally, the first thing we did was prep some maté and a little merienda with toast and jam. Nai’s boyfriend, Dino, came over too, and we spent hours at the kitchen table, snacking and chatting like no time had passed.
Later, we walked over to our favorite block in San Telmo and grabbed dinner at a sourdough pizza spot. There’s something special about sitting around a table with my old host family, catching up over good food, just like we used to.
After dinner, I met up with an international friend on a lively bar street a little deeper in the neighborhood. We sipped wine, swapped travel stories, and capped off the night with a late-night choripán from a hidden spot down the street.
