LivingInPatagonia.com

Living Life at a Slower Pace

Written by Shanie    

Life is a lot slower in Argentina.  Spending sixty hours a week at a job and a few hours with the family does not exist.  I believe the phrase “stop and smell the flowers” was created by an Argentine.

People stop on the street and say hello.  Invitations to come inside and share some maté are put on the table.  It is considered rude not to accept the invite.  But the maté session becomes a chat session and stories of life before are exchanged.  These types of episodes are common.  So common that it is the heartbeat of the country.  Again we come back to life being slower.  Taking the time to sit and drink an energizing tea with friends is okay.  Even if it takes two or three or more hours out of a day.

Intermixed with the serenity of life in Argentina is the siesta.  The concept of taking four hours a day to spend it as you need is a beautiful thing.  It doesn’t matter if it’s exercise, a nap, taking the dogs out, sex with a lover, whatever.  It is your time.  That concept is  not offered in enough countries.  I wonder if the rate of heart disease would decrease if the United States adopted the siesta policy.

Today for my siesta I chose to sit on my couch, write and take in the view of the lake.  This is one of the things that I cherish about this life.  Its tranquility. 

It’s true that because of the siesta and maté sessions patience is a true virtue in Argentina.  But I will take that over losing sight of what is really important to me; time for me and my family in a beautiful place.  

Photo courtesy of Donna Reid Photography