In Seattle we lived in the same apartment for 17 years.

In Argentina we will have lived in seven apartments in six months.   Why so many?  Location, security, bugs, mold, more bugs, more mold, and most important WIFI, or lack of WIFI.

Why furnished apartments, not hotels or hostels?    We have lots of stuff, need lots of room and we like cooking.  This is different than most travelers that go from hostel to hostel.  It’s also different from expats who either buy a house, or rent one unfurnished apartment and stay there.  We’re either super fussy, high maintenance travelers or expats with attention deficit disorder.

Here’s a rundown on all the places we’ve called home so far:

Buenos Aires – Apt #1

code name– Kobayashi’s place.

positive – well decorated, able to watch dog walkers from balcony. Super nice father/son owners. Father looks like Kobayashi in movie Usual Suspects.

negative – mildew smell in all the cabinets, drawers and closet.   Small kitchen, or so we thought at the time. Now I think of that kitchen as a mansion kitchen.

highlight – making coffee for the first time in what I thought was a mini kitchen.

low point – every time I opened a drawer and almost passed out from the smell.

Cordoba – Apt #2

code name – Smelly Hell

positive – roof, 4 walls, internet

negative – smelled like inside of a raid can mixed with truck full of moth balls. Furniture must have come from a store called Grandma’s Moldy Basement

highlight – moving out

low point – moving in

Salta – Apt #3

code name – Home of the Trick Awning

positive – amazing deck with bbq grill and hot tub

negative – can’t use hot tub when you don’t have hot water (5 days) when it rains (every day) awnings fill with water, dumps on your head hours later when sitting near them having nice dinner.  No screens on doors = bugs, lots of bugs.

highlight – making or first asado (Argentinian BBQ).

low point – the day I made Jeff kill Bruce, our loyal pet bug.  We had tried to take him outside to freedom. But, like a dog, he always found his way back home. We missed him once he was dead.

La Serena – Apt #4

code name – House of Cinnamon Soft Soap Ants.

positive – overlooking the ocean, can hear the sound of waves from the apartment.

negative – studio apartment + Sheryl + Jeff + 5 pieces of luggage + bike  = crowded,  also ants, lots and lots of ants.

highlight – sitting on our balcony, drinking coffee and eating pancakes.

low point – ants invaded our bathroom. We read you can sprinkle cinnamon on them to get them to go away.  Didn’t really work, but then we read you can use soft soap to get them to go away.  That didn’t really work either.  Our bathroom floor was full of soft soapy, cinnamon covered ants the entire time we were there.

Mendoza – apt # 5

code name = Dog Poop Palace

positive – super nice landlord,  cute little dogs running around the yard.

negative – cute little dogs pooped on our door step every single morning., literally right outside our front door.

highlight – our landlord invited us to a family BBQ, so nice to be included in family get together.

low point – dog poop, every day, all day.

Mendoza – Apt #6

code name -The House of Near Misses

positive – everything brand new, great view of mountains, very close to hip restaurant street, rooftop BBQ.

negative – large security deposit, twin beds, and non-working internet

highlight – cooking a rooftop BBQ while sipping wine and gazing at the Andes

low point – almost getting mugged a block from our apartment.  Elevator almost breaks with me in it. Next day sign goes up saying building not responsible for elevator accidents.  Very nervous our large security deposit won’t get returned (it did).

Mendoza – Apt #7

Since we just moved in we don’t have a code name yet.  So far it would be, “The internet works, it seems safe, no bugs or weird smells. Yippee!”

posivite –  interenet works, secure, queen size bed, amazing rooftop terrace with a pool.

negative – none yet, but we’ve only been here two hours. I’m sure something will come up.