There aren’t many people who can come to Buenos Aires, even for a week, and not leave with the sense that they’ve fallen in love with the city. There are so many small and huge reasons to become enamored with this colourful, bustling and friendly city, and I have listed a few of the smaller things I’ve noticed which act as telltale signs that I too will leave Buenos Aires with a lingering sense of rapture, infatuation and many blissful memories.

1) You know you have fallen under the spell of Buenos Aires’ fashionable culture when you find yourself admiring rather than scorning the huge array of platforms and flatforms which adorn the shop windows, and you even consider whether you have enough space in your backpack to take a pair home with you! (The answer is always no!)

2) Another aspect is to take delight in watching the people’s passion about politics and the constant protests and marches which take place outside your window and have now become a part of your daily life. Something you know you will miss when you get home to your quiet town or city.

3) It’s easy to fall in love with the food in Buenos Aires. You will find yourself addicted to alfajores and there comes a point when you have tried every single style and every single brand, with the ability to reel off their names just as easily as you can say the alphabet

4) Speaking of food, if you truly love the food culture of Buenos Aires, you will find that you can give advice on the best restaurants, cafes and bars within the entire Capital, and direct someone to the best Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Italian, English or Peruvian eatery without having to give it a moment’s thought.

5) The amount of time spent trying to practice your (pretty poor) Castellano on local shop owners shows when the Kiosk owner and workers in the nearest pizza shop all wave at you as you go past and like to play tricks on you about your usual pizza order. The friendly attitudes all around Buenos Aires are what make it truly special.

6) Something which can at first seem alien, but soon seems logical are Argentine timings. Leaving for the club at 2am, having a large and late dinner at 10pm… when you discover that these have become your normality and you are constantly perplexed at why your friends and parents back home eat, go out and sleep at such strange and early times, it’s clear to see that you’ve fallen in love with all aspects of Porteno life.

7) When you can sit on your usual bus and notice the small changes along its route that help add to the jigsaw puzzle of this crazy and wonderful city; the old lady who usually watches from her balcony isn’t there today, or the family who usually gets on at the stop after you are already on the bus when you sit down. Watching these little aspects of life change can be captivating.

8) Right from the start you will notice yourself falling in love with the web of history linked so tightly to this city. You will become enchanted by the history and always try to find out as much as possible about the stories behind the buildings, the people and the events within Buenos Aires.

9) The people you meet along your journey are what really give Buenos Aires a very special place in your heart. Having friendly faces dotted all around the city from numerous different countries and backgrounds, of varied ages, who you hope to come back and visit or travel with in the near future can create strong connections between you and Buenos Aires which will never fade.

10) Of course, the best way to tell that you’ve fallen in love with Buenos Aires is the fact that you really don’t want to leave! Nowhere can quite compare to the people, places and lifestyle you will encounter in this city and it will always take up a little space in the back of your mind, like a past lover who you will one day return to visit. (Or maybe even to live here for good!)

Thank you, Buenos Aires, for everything!