An Ambiguously Gay Love Letter to Buenos Aires

Dear Buenos Aires,

Even before I met you, I had heard about your beauty, heard how cool you were. Everyone seemed to love you and naturally, I wanted you to disappoint me. I wanted to spend some time with you and then be able to say, "I don't know what the big deal is. I've seen better."

At first sight, I had to admit, you were especially attractive. Not the most beautiful in the world, not Amsterdam or Prague. But you had something beyond beauty that immediately captivated me. You seemed familiar, like I'd met you before, yet you were exotic and slightly beyond reach. You had the elegance of Paris or Madrid, the laid-back ease of Barcelona and the cosmopolitan grit of New York. But you were still accessible. Within a day of meeting you, I felt like I knew you. Like a part of you was already mine.

Yet despite your universal appeal, you aren't too easy. You aren't made for people like me, gringos who don't speak your language. You might accept us, but you don't cater to us. The most noteworthy attraction you have for someone who doesn't want to get to know you is a cemetery. But that's just it- you play hard to get. You force us to get to know you.

And once we do, we realize that you have so much more than superficial beauty. You have personality. An international population who just happens to be stunningly gorgeous. A musical history so embedded in your culture that its dance is synonymous with your name. A dining scene that spans continents, palates and price ranges, despite its youth. As established as you are among global metropolises, you have the freshness of an up-and-comer, like you have more to offer, more ahead of you. And I want to be a part of it.

I know this sounds strange, but after only a week with you, I want more. I want to get to know you better, spend more time with you. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a crush. I don't want to be with you. I want to be you. And today, as I sit nearly a thousand miles away from you, I miss you. But don't worry. I'll be back.

-Elissa

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