When I first decided to study abroad, if I am being honest, Colombia was not even on the list. I had a few negative preconceived notions about the level of safety in the country, and that was it. However, I met several Colombians in the year leading up to my semester abroad, and they started to break down the walls that I had unknowingly put up, and they won me over to choose to study in Barranquilla, Colombia.
One of my main goals in studying abroad was to improve my Spanish and let me tell you that Barranquilla was the best place I could have chosen to reach that goal. I had the opportunity to practice speaking every day with my host family, I took classes taught in Spanish with locals, and I got involved in the city, making amazing friends along the way. I found a church to attend, and a family that I met there took me under their wing as one of their own and I became their “hija gringa”. They invited me over to their home every week, introduced me to all of their extended family during family parties and reunions, and showed me the meaning of true hospitality in a way that I have never experienced in the United States. For being a foreigner, I sure felt like I belonged.
During the first few weeks of the year, Barranquilla has a city-wide event called Carnaval, which is basically a huge celebration of Colombian culture for multiple days on end. It was the perfect introduction to the music, history, and culture of my new home for the next few months. My new Colombian friends taught me how to dance a little bit of salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, champeta… the list goes on; there are so many rhythms that each have their own dance! So, I decided to join a salsa class that my university offered, where we practiced every week before performing a show in front of the school at the end of the semester.
After Carnaval, I went on multiple included excursions with my program through ISA to other cities along the coast, which exposed me to the natural beauty of the different regions in Colombia. Later, during spring break, I traveled to Medellín, one of the most popular cities in the country, and the thing that struck me as soon as I arrived was how drastically different the city was, even though it was in the same country. The climate, the terrain, the food, and even the way of speaking are different in every region. That is one of the beautiful aspects of Colombia – its sheer diversity within its borders.
As I reflect on my semester in Colombia, I think about all the ways that I grew as a person. Little things like hailing down the right bus on the street or speaking up in Spanish in my classes became like second nature. I had so many once in a lifetime experiences like snorkeling in the Caribbean, paragliding in the mountains, and going to a soccer game in Barranquilla’s home stadium. Yet the memories that I will cherish the most are the simple things like listening to the man selling avocados in the street from my bedroom window, learning how to cook arepas with my host mom, and sharing a huge salchipapa with dear friends.
I would highly recommend studying in Colombia for those who want to embrace another culture and become a part of it rather than just being a tourist. While there are many beautiful places to see, the most beautiful thing in Colombia is the people and their instantaneous friendship and pride in sharing their traditions and customs.
Miriam Ahrens (BS Accounting, BA Spanish) spent Spring 2024 studying abroad in Barranquilla, Colombia through ISA. Miriam had the following to say about studying abroad, “Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to see the world outside of the bubble that we all grow up in. It is a life changing experience that will change your perspective and help you mature in your self-awareness, confidence, and independence.”
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