Plaza Independencia
One year ago today I was sitting in the cafeteria of my law firm’s New York office high above the city, watching the Super Bowl with my colleagues and a few of our clients. We were taking a quick break from a grueling week of negotiations to eat wings and drink a beer before returning to the conference room that served as team headquarters for our time away from D.C. Tonight, I watched the Super Bowl with a number of my fellow Remotes at Brickell, an Irish pub here in Montevideo. The Panthers fans talked trash to the Broncos fans and vice versa, we watched Beyoncé (and Coldplay and Bruno Mars) perform at halftime and, yes, drank a few beers. I couldn’t help but reflect on what a difference a year makes. Last February, I had never even heard of Remote Year, let alone thought that I’d be one week into this yearlong journey and yet, here I am.
My first week in South America flew by and was filled with a ton of activities to help us get to know one another and Montevideo. I continued to explore the city by foot and discovered even more amazing street art. I’m looking forward to settling into more of a routine over the next few weeks (only to disrupt that all again when we head to Buenos Aires in March).
Sundays in Montevideo are pretty quiet and many stores and restaurants are closed; today was even quieter than normal because Carnaval celebrations here continue through Tuesday. However, every Sunday there is a great flea market, Feria Tristán Narvaja, that sprawls for blocks and blocks through the Cordón neighborhood. You can buy almost anything at the market: books in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French; antique film cameras; American military uniforms; fresh fruits and vegetables; toothpaste and other toiletries; old Uruguayan license plates; wood doors; bras and underwear; bicycles; records and CDs; mirrors; all manner of Coca-Cola paraphernalia; and today, the cutest pit bull puppies!
After spending my morning exploring the market, I spent my afternoon in Parque Rivera playing “bubble ball” with the Remotes. It’s been in the high 80s here, so after about 10 minutes sweating in my bubble I’d had enough and was happy to sit on the sidelines talking and laughing as people bounced around trying to kick the soccer ball.
Eventually, a small group of us decided to explore the park and walked around the lake at its center, which serves as the hub of activity. People were sitting along its shores napping, barbequing with family, feeding the ducks and generally enjoying themselves.
Given how little happens in the rest of the city on Sundays, it’s no wonder people escape to the park to enjoy a little fresh air. I’m sure I’ll be back this month, perhaps to contemplate where life may take me on Super Bowl Sunday 2017.