Leaving the United States for an Expat Experience

The Decision-Making Process
Deciding to move out of the United States actually came pretty easy for us. We knew that it would be an adventure. My husband had lived in Venezuela for a few months during college, and had the wonderful experience of learning about a new culture and making life-long friends in the process. Several of our friends and family have lived for varying periods of time in many different countries. So, we knew it was doable, and we knew what an adventure it could be. We're in a place where we're ready for a change of scenery, a change of pace, and we're ready for the personal growth that comes with moving out of our comfort zone.

Why Argentina?
Argentina stole our hearts the first time we visited. Not only is it a beautiful country, its people posses a passion for life that is unique and inspiring. Buenos Aires is like a combination of Paris and New York City: beautiful and bustling. We also visited Iguazu Falls, and were able to see the raw power of nature. Seeing the water change from placid pool to a deafeningly loud waterfall in as little as 6 feet was a life-altering experience for me. The particular fall I am speaking of is called the "Garganta del Diablo", or "Throat of The Devil", but for me it was more like the voice of God. It was amazing and I will never forget it.

Why Mendoza?
We were also fortunate to visit the town of Mendoza and its surrounding countryside. Mendoza City has a slow-paced feel, the people are friendly and down-to-earth and it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. There are plentiful vineyards, where thousands of bodegas produce some of the finest wine. The tallest peak in the Western Hemisphere, Aconcagua, is close by. We decided that this would be the place where we would move as a family and embark on an exciting adventure. We can't wait to share it with you!

A Note from Jammer and Mendoza Expatriada

Hello! We are looking forward to sharing our experience with you as we make the move from Texas to Mendoza, Argentina. There are many things that this move will entail, and we hope that our experience moving a family (with pets) will help anyone else who may be thinking about moving to Argentina. We also hope it will make interesting reading!

We welcome your questions and continued comments, some of the most lively discussions on this blog have been in the comments of a post when readers were actively participating. Please let us know what you would like to read about, and what topics you would like covered. We will also do our best to answer any questions you send in to us. If we don't know the answer, we'll find somebody who does.

We look forward to keeping the Expat Argentina blog buzzing with new posts and discussions. This blog will continue to be the best resource online for anyone considering moving to Argentina, or for anyone living in Argentina as an expatriate.

New Contributors

I would like to introduce two new contributors to the Expat Argentina blog: Jammer, and Mendoza Expatriada. They are currently living in Texas, with plans of moving down to Mendoza, Argentina within the next year. They are married and have a daughter, and two pets that will come along to Argentina. They also plan on starting a business in Argentina after they settle in. Jammer and Mendoza Expatriada will begin posting on their experiences in preparation of their move to Mendoza.

I will continue to make frequent posts to the blog, but Jammer and Mendoza Expatriada are both going to act as new co-editors for the blog. In an effort to get more posts on the blog, and to get posts on a wider range of topics, they will be inviting other contributors to post on the site. They will also be seeking ideas and questions from the community of readers out there to help come up with ideas for future posts and discussions on the site.

I think this is going to give the blog a great new point of view from a married couple who will be living in a city other than Buenos Aires. This is Expat ARGENTINA after all and not Expat BUENOS AIRES. So, let's all give them a warm welcome and I, for one, am looking forward to hearing about their experiences.