Next stop: Cali, Colombia

“It’s crazy that this place (Colombia) exists, and not everybody wants to live here”
-Anthony Bourdain

Yes, Colombia and no, I am not crazy. Colombia has gone through many hardships and times of violence in the past. The keyword here is past. Almost twenty years have passed since Pablo Escobar has been killed, and President Uribe has increased security and combated the Guerrillas. “Uribe, still a popular chief executive and a fervent U.S. ally, is widely credited with using an iron hand to bring Colombia back from the brink of disaster, an era when cocaine kingpins, paramilitaries and rebels stoked widespread violence (Chicago Tribune).” Colombia has actually had the most stable government in South America. The Colombia as you think you may know it has changed. Have you really heard about Colombia in the news lately? No, that’s because change and progress doesn’t sell in the media.

It’s time to start thinking of Colombia in terms of Caribbean beaches, Amazon Jungle, the Andes Mountains, a mix of Spanish colonial and progressive cities, and one of the top ten happiest places on Earth. Yes, it was rated number two on the Lonely Planet’s list of Ten Happiest Places on Earth. Do you really think a place of kidnappings and civil conflict would land the number 2 spot on the list?

Personally and as a professional this is a big opportunity, and another path I have created in my life. I feel as though the school I will be attending, Colegio Bolivar, will push me as a professional. It is a private school held to the standards of an education in the US and Colombia. It has associates, specialists, counselors, and even a certified doctor on staff. It is located at the foothills of the Andes on a thirty acre campus with separate buildings for labs, library, administration, high school, and elementary. It is also a school that really supports extracurricular activities. They have soccer and baseball fields, basketball courts, and even a swimming pool. The staff is one fourth foreign hires from US and Canada. If it was so dangerous, they wouldn’t be able to have twenty-five foreign hires on staff year after year.

As you all know, I have a thing for the Latin Flair o “la vida loca”. I will be able to continue to work on my Spanish speaking skills. I will be in trouble if they all look like Juanes , my favorite singer, who is a Colombian native!!! Maybe I will actually dedicate some time to learn Salsa, considering I will be living in the Capital of the Salsa, but I don’t think my hips will be moving like Shakira’s. It has always been my dream to travel in South America. I plan on traveling throughout Colombia; you better believe on my long weekends I will be on that Caribbean Coast. Also, hopefully, I will reach my dream destination, Machu Picchu in Peru. Who knows where the adventures will lead me...

My contract is for two years, many ask “what will you do after that?” My philosophy is why decide something now that will probably change in the future. The only way to continue growing and changing as a person is to let the future guide you. I have been known to say “only time will tell”.

Something to think about: only those who have never been to Colombia warn me of the dangers that lie ahead, while those who have been can’t stop talking about the beauties and wonders of the country.

I invite you to see what Colombia is all about. You can follow my adventures through my blog, or if you dare, come and see for yourself. As we say in Spanish, “mi casa es tu casa”.

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ31bPPiN2c&feature=related

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