Expat Report: Month 20 – Surviving The Summer Heat Wave

The clock is ticking, and soon enough, I'll be officially starting college in Argentina!

The summer months have been stressful for me. Not only did I have to deal with a swarm of insects trying to come into my house, I've also been experiencing constant water pressure issues, and power outages, which are fairly common here. This is my second summer in Argentina, so I knew it was coming, but it hasn’t made the stress any easier to handle. 

The heat index has been super high. We’ve had the temperature spike as high as 40 degrees Celsius/104 degrees Fahrenheit. There have been days where I can’t shower, wash the dishes, or wash clothes because there’s zero water pressure. 

The heat forces Argentinians to consume a lot of electricity to power their fans and air conditioner units. This produces a major drain to the power grid, which causes intermittent failures throughout the province. The only thing I can look forward to is the fact that autumn is only a few more months away. Then this heat wave will be over. Besides, I look a lot more stylish in winter clothes than in summer clothes. 

In the meantime, I’ve been keeping busy by socializing with my friends, exercising and writing articles for my freelance job. I’ve even started watching some YouTube videos to learn Portuguese. I know it seems like a hectic schedule, but it’s really nothing like what I’ll be dealing with next week when I start school at the National University of Cordoba (UNC). I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous, but I’m also quite eager. 

Someone sent me a personal message recently asking me how I was handling single life. Hm... that’s a tough one. I can’t say I’m happy about it. I was in a committed relationship for twelve years. That’s not a loss you can get over in a couple of weeks. However, I’m trying to look at this as a positive thing. Now I’ll have more time to focus on myself, which I’ll admit, I’ve rarely done in my entire life. So, what about my ex? 

Well, getting a divorce while living abroad isn’t easy. So, it’s going to be a while before we can finalize the divorce. Besides, just because our marriage has ended doesn’t mean that our love for each other has. We still care for each other in our own way. But we’re slowly learning how to regain our own individual lives while living under the same roof. 

I feel like I’ve been reborn and like any newborn baby, I’m learning how to live life. Baby steps.