T w e l v e

Yo, reader-amigo! I changed up my blog. Te gusta?

I do. This is mostly because I really, really love the sky.

Have I ever told you that one of my life-dreams is to travel the world and take fotos of the sky? Well, it's true. (I guess I am kind of already fulfilling this dream, albeit slowly.)

I miss South Florida's sky. I think it's one of the most beautiful skies I've ever seen. This is particularly true at sunset – wild splashes of pink and gold, muted greys and purples, penetrating blue hues. Colors chaotic in disarray, perfect and fleeting.

Buenos Aires' sky, though not nearly as spectacular as SoFla's, is nice too. On many days the Argentine sky is an unforgettable shade of azure, illuminating BAire's places and spaces below. It's almost unfitting – contrary to logic – that a city distinguished by its melancholic culture would be found under a brilliant, incomparable, often-azure cielo.

That's the thing with Buenos Aires, though – she's not what you expect. She just is who she is.

She's a friend, if you want her to be. A dynamic friend: She boasts sabroso meat and serves wine that is tasty and inexpensive. She loves rock music. She is international and cultured and maintains a very strong sense of her porteña identity. She's crazy about futbol. She is down to earth. She doesn't wear much makeup. She drinks mate and cafe con leche. She is socially conscious. She is family-oriented and has many friends. Sometimes she dances until dawn. She never eats dinner before 10 p.m. She doesn't read as much as she should. She loves children. She is romantic. She is bohemian. She has a young spirit, an old soul. She has struggled. She is resilient. She creates. She is an artist. This is Buenos Aires as I see her. This is Buenos Aires, my friend.

Like I said, she's a dynamic friend. To some she is a sensual dance partner (those that seek the intimacy of tango), to others she is a adventurous shopping accomplice (those drawn to her by her distinguished leather and artesania), to still others she's just a South American city (those folk lacking in imagination and curiosity!).

Buenos Aires handles with poise and authenticity the demands of her different roles of friendship. But, no matter how her friends perceive her, she always remains true to her alma.

That's just who she is – a city of soul, a city with many faces, a city of melancholy and romance, underneath an unforgettable sky.

I hope you see the beauty, reader-friend... (It really is a marvelous shade of azure...)