‘Oh, to be a foreigner!’ The best way to describe venturing out unto a new country is like being a child again- You walk slow to look at everything, ‘why’ becomes the most common word in your vocabulary, you look hesitantly to eat new foods, ice cream easily over-excites you, days pass by slowly and an occasional tantrum may pop up here and there. However, meddled with this awestruck mentality, is the beautiful sense of wonder that is reignited with every new moment. Whether it be buying odd vegetables in the grocery store, figuring out what the heck kind of juice the waitress brought you, or navigating traffic- everything is a surprise.
Unlike many foreigners living abroad, I have the rare opportunity to work for a local manufacturing company here in the Paisa capital of Medellin, Colombia. I live with Colombians, work with Colombians, and recreate with Colombians -none of whom speak English, besides ‘hello, how are you’ and
an occasional swear word learned from movies. With this immersion, I eat what they eat, go where they go, and do as they do. Its beautiful, its exciting, its frustrating and it has grown me- mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and around the waistline.
Medellin is a wonderful city. Despite the troublesome past from the 80’s and 90’s, the people have used that stain in their memory as an impetus to transform their home into something vibrant and new. Art, people, and living joyfully are their focus and it is a wonderful place to be. In regards to culture and climate, Colombia is about everything opposite from the Northern United States where I call home. The plants, the food, the weather, the driving…. Oh the driving… and everything else in between is enough to remind you how big this world truly is. I want to thank you and personally welcome you to this site where you will find answers to the ins-and-outs of living in Medellin Colombia.