Testimonial:
Colombia – a country with rich culture, heritage, diversity and exoticism in abundance. The land of Sabrosura. A place that will forever hold a piece of my heart. For 10 months of my life, I was immersed in all that this country had to offer. Its food, dance, music, carnival, language and way of life. All of this on top of working as an English language assistant at a University, one could say that I got the entire package. And boy was it an experience!
My journey began in Barranquilla. The capital of Colombia’s Atlántico Department, which sits to the north of the country on the Caribbean coast. The first few months were a challenge. The homesickness got to me, the lack of spice in their food resulted in me having to cook almost all of my meals and don’t even get me started on being able to converse with anyone. Even though I had been learning and practicing Spanish for years, I couldn’t understand a lot because of the harsh and raw dialects. I lived in a tiny studio apartment with no windows, a single stove burner and a mini-bar fridge. I began to get depressed and lonely, so much so that I ended up paying a few visits to the campus psychologist. By December I was ready to go home and call it quits.
After the Christmas holidays, my experience changed for the better. I started making a few friends and going out more. But the highlight of my entire experience was being able to visit other cities and towns. For me, traveling was my escape. It made me happy and I became more cultured about Colombia and its people. From big cities like Cali, Medellín and Bogotá to smaller towns like Palomino, Santa Marta and Usiacurí. I’ve visited them all.
Moving from a small island to a big city with almost 1.2 million residents taught me a lot in itself. Being surrounded by so many people was a bit overwhelming at first but I adapted quickly. I learnt to be more street smart and was always observing how other people manoeuvred. The transportation system was on a different level than what I was used to. They had various forms of taxis, buses and even metro. Navigating my way around the city was no easy task either but I eventually got the hang of it. I worked hard and learnt a great deal from those I worked with and also those I taught. And at the end of it all, I felt a sense of pride for all that I had achieved and done, and I noticed how much of an adult I had become and how I had grown as a person.
My last month was the hardest. Just as Colombia was beginning to feel like home, I had to say goodbye. Yes, my experience in Colombia had its ups and downs but overall, I’m glad I didn’t call it quits when I was at my lowest. I got to know a totally different country; I’ve made some lifelong friendships but more importantly I can say that I have a home away from home.
