Guess how many times I've been to Retiro today!

Friday, March 30^th, 2012

While I’d stayed up a wee bit too late Skyping with my beloved novio, I rallied myself to get up early to go to Retiro to pick up my student visa as well as the package waiting for me at the main Correo Argentina, conveniently 2 blocks away from the migrations office. I hate Retiro, but at least I could kill two birds with one train ticket…

On my way to Retiro, I realized I’d forgotten to bring homework or some kind of reading material and I had no idea how long I’d be waiting for either article. Luckily I passed a news stand that’s on the way to the train (and has the most obscure hours, or rather hour, because I’ve only seen him open from 9-10am). I was looking for a certain publication outlined in an undoubtedly trademarked yellow—National Geographic. In addition to being the best magazine in all parts of the globe, Aprils issue was about TITANIC. If we rewind exactly 10 years, we will find 11 year old Nikki, OBSESSED with any and everything Titanic—from the movie to the real ship. I’ve seen the movie 80 times (you want a one woman show? I got it all memorized…) and used to know probably every single fact about Titanic there ever was, along with any news clipping about it. It was actually beyond an obsession and more like a full life possession. I didn’t care that I had to go to Retiro—if I had Nat Geo and Titanic on hand, I was good. And just for the record, it was Nat Geo en Español!

I got to immigrations and the building was already brimming with people at 9:30. Alright. I was resigned to stay here as long as I had to. In fact, I sort of had to being that I was leaving for Chile and you’re not supposed to leave Argentina during the visa process, otherwise you have to start all over again. And trust me, that’s a tramite that you don’t want to do again, let alone the first time…

But something miraculous happened. IT TOOK A HALF HOUR. Somehow, the bureaucrats were smiling down on me and just as easily as I had gotten there, I was already out. At first I was a little concerned because I thought the visa was supposed to be a sticker in the page of your passport…but like most other things in Argentina, the official student visa made no sense. It’s a 2 page document. It doesn’t adhere to anything and you just have to fold it up into your passport. It looks official, but at the same time, it doesn’t even have my picture on it and is a little difficult to decipher. It doesn’t have STUDENT VISA FOR NICOLE FOR ARGENTINA glaring across the top. Oh, Argentina.

Next it was off to Correo Argentina, USPS’s obese, schizophrenic, even slower cousin. If your care package makes it to Argentina (and exceeds a certain size/weight) you have to pick it up at the main office in Retiro. Luckily there’s an international package section so you don’t have to wait with the rest of the barnyard that needs to do god knows what at the post office. Just make sure to bring your passport!

After another shockingly short wait, I had the heavy package from mom in hand. Then it dawned on me that I’d have to ride the train with this heavy box. Oh well. If anyone tries to steal it from me, I’ll just hit them in the head with it. Nobody is messing with this package.

And nobody did. I made it home safely to unwrap my box of love to find my favorite snacks and a few other things I needed. Thanks, Mom J Hopefully the 30 Clif bars she sent will actually last at least 30 days…Juan didn’t understand why, out of all the things I could get sent from the US, I picked protein bars. I told him he’d understand when he took a bite of mint chocolate Clif. He almost did. He was about to continue making fun of me until I whipped out the Kit Kat bars my mom had sent for him. Yeah, now I’m not so crazy, am I, Juan?

*Oh, and in case you were wondering, I went to Retiro twice on this day. With 4 more trips after it in less than a week! But no fools tried to mustard trick me this time. They know better.