What's funny is I always assumed you did live in Argentina.

Good luck, as everyone has said you'd regret not going more than you ever will going. As a one time traveller now totally domesticated I'm very jealous.

Yeah, I assumed you (Sam) were already reporting "live" from Argentina.

In any case, best of luck and I'm sure it'll turn out to be a brilliant decision you've made. Leaving home is always going to be difficult but the sadness will pass.

Congratulations Sam, this is exactly the right thing to do and you've planned it well enough to have a good expectation of success.

Of course it's the right thing to do, Sam, as everyone has already said. Ganbatte kudasai!

I'm sure you have doubts and fears, but let this be your inspiration.

Its a brave step but a positive one, I'm sure.

What part of the city will you be based in?

Just to echo everyone else, go, you'll probably love it, and you'll always regret it if you don't.

Just don't expect too much though. I moved to Canada when I was 24 and lived there for 16 years. At first it was fantastic, but then I slowly started to miss things. 'Proper' chocolate, Walkers crisps, decent bread to make a sandwich with. I got tired of people trying to mimic my accent and never coming close (I don't sound like the royal family funnily enough). Because I was English, assumptions were made - "What part of London are you from", "You must love Maggie Thatcher/the Queen/Pink Floyd".
Unlike Amor, the longer I lived there the more English I felt too.

The main thing I missed though was English football (which shouldn't be a problem for you of course). Saturdays during the season never felt right. Yeah you could watch one of the Big Four at 7am, but the longer I lived there, the more I missed travelling to thelikesofScunthorpe to watch Barnsley slump to a 2-0 defeat.

I would have been perfectly happy to keep living in Canada, but I'm equally happy to be back. (And I was back just in time for Barnsley's Cup run too, which helped.)

Moving away? mental.

Indeed. What will people say?

¡Suerte Sam!

Sounds like you'll be fine and have a great time.

I also thought you were already living in Argentina.

Have a good one, take care and keep us updated....

Well, there's my question answered.

I've changed my mind. It's a crap idea.

Go for it while you can. There's usually things that take getting used to and things you'll miss, but in the spirit of adventure you'll be more than ok.

Good luck, but if things don't work out...you can always try Montevideo.

I fear if I went as far as actually moving to Montevideo, BM, I'd just end up vegetating. The lack of readily-available reading material in English would be the only thing to stop me just sitting there and pickling myself in the wonderfully preservative air. The air that makes you feel, when you walk down to the docks, like the national football team just returned home yesterday from their 1924 Olympic gold medal win.

I will be obliged to hop across the river to Uruguay at some point(s) during my Argentine stay, and I must be honest I can't wait to get back to Montevideo.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments, too. You're far from the first to get the impression from reading my blog that I'm already in BA! And Billy as far as assumptions about Englishness are concerned, I know exactly what I'm getting into there, don't worry. Most of it's surprisingly positive - in a football crowd it's not a good idea to proclaim your nationality to all and sundry, but outside the stadia Argentina is possibly the most Anglophone nation in the world.

Of course, none of them will actually admit that to you. But it is anyway.

Good luck Sam. Make sure you find time to make your way to some other countries to see some football. I haven't been to South America yet, but would love to get down there. I can say from experience, though, that you will hopefully find that Argentina is home or that England is home because if you keep moving around no place ends up being home or every place ends up being a partial home (speaking from experience).

Good luck from me too! I moved last year to Melbourne and am loving it. Don't look back, it's only memories fucking with you!

Unlike Amor, the longer I lived there the more English I felt too.

This. Times ten trillion. Plus infinity. To the power of one gazillion.

Do it, Sam.

I packed in my stressful, tedious and unfulfilling job four years ago and manage to spend six months a year in Brazil. I'd stay there permanently if finances allowed. It was very scary at first but the only regrets I have now are that I didn't do it 20 years earlier. Every year it gets harder to board the flight back to the UK.

And don't worry about missing Rio. The flights from BA aren't that expensive. I can put you up and sort you out with a ticket for the 2010 Libertadores final which, I am reliably informed, will be between Flamengo and Estudiantes.

cantagalo wrote:
And don't worry about missing Rio. The flights from BA aren't that expensive. I can put you up and sort you out with a ticket for the 2010 Libertadores final which, I am reliably informed, will be between Flamengo and Estudiantes.

As Ball Comrade knows, you should be extremely wary about extending such an invitation, because I might just take you up on it!

I very much doubt I'll be able to reciprocate for the return leg, although if it is indeed Estudiantes, I have a friend who's recently got a press photographer's pass for them. I can't imagine any of the Buenos Aires sides getting anywhere near the final, though...

I can personally vouch for the fact that cantaglo will look after you when in Rio. He saved me from any further nights in a hellish hostal that I'd booked and stayed in just one night, for which I'll be forever grateful.

Mucha suerte, Sam. I have no doubt that you're doing the right thing.

I moved back from Spain nearly a decade ago now and, although I don't regret it, as I love my job, lifestyle-wise (and weather-wise!) I still really miss Spain terribly.