Que te cuento cuando no tengo nada que decir? Bueno, te digo que no se como hacer tildes en esta puta computadora de mierda. Por eso, me voy a parar. Pues, algo es algo, verdad?

I think I'm in the midst of my first approaching-30 mini-crisis: I'm feeling pushed to solidify my San Francisco roots even further and continue doing all that grown-up stuff I've been slowly doing the past few years (buying fancier, investment furniture, building community, etc.). For lack of a better word, I have an urge to settle. Yet, at the same time, I'm feeling just as strongly as ever a need to keep my life as location-independent as possible. There's a real urgency and desire to push off and see more more more. And this increasingly intense division comes just six weeks before I take an extended trip to Argentina. You'd think that would even me out a bit...

From the website's a la carta offerings to the iPhone app w/ live streaming video, I have been incredibly impressed by the online footprint created by Spain's RTVE (Radio y Televisión Española). But I'm trying to step away from the peninsular Spanish accent to which I've become (in J's eyes) bizarrely accustomed and move toward the (to me) exceedingly unclear Argentine/rioplatense accent in advance of my 5-week stay in Buenos Aires.

I haven't found an Argentine equivalent to the super convenient RTVE site, but this government-affiliated channel, Canal Encuentro, offers pretty interesting series focused on history, science and culture. Right now I'm digging the Geografías and Historias de un país programs. Also worth checking out is Buenos Entonces, a language-learning series of apps that mixes the usual grammar with the slang specific to Bs As and also throws in a fun and saucy narrative. I've only paid for a few of the "classes" but even the free stuff on the blog is interesting. Add the country's major newspaper, El Clarin, to the mix and you have a decent online immersion experience.

While not as long as last year's nine-week stay in Mexico City, I'm off to Buenos Aires for five weeks beginning just before my birthday. I'm thinking if I head to the southern hemisphere before the big day, time will go backwards and I can ward off 30 for a little longer. Yes?

If not, I can enjoy finally being able to check Argentina off the list. No plans to explore much of the interior (it's way too far to Patagonia) but I am going to take the high-speed ferry across the ocean-like Río de la Plata to Montevideo when J comes to visit. Who knew Uruguay had so much going on?

I'll be working remotely for most of my stay, from a studio apartment in Recoleta/Barrio Norte. It's walking distance to Subte, the famous cemetery, Parque Las Heras and, of course, the kinds of empanada, pizza and gelato places I'll be dreaming about from now until April. Anda anda anda.