Campbell Garber Colombia 2018

The Trip

My trip began earnestly with a 5:00 AM departure from BNA to Dallas. My two classmates William Lummus and Graham Ragsdale, our teacher Srta. Hackney, and I were all full of both excitement and anxiety over our upcoming three weeks in Colombia, for Graham and I had limited experiences with international travel. Our travels finally came to an end as we were greeted with open arms by our host families at an early 2:00 in the morning.

Me at the San Victorino Marketplace

Host Family

While in Colombia I stayed with a very gracious family in the Bonillas. Mr. Bonilla is an officer in the Colombian military and was stationed in the North for the majority of my stay, so I lived mainly with my host mother Liliana and two host sisters Laura Sofia and Sara. Laura was the closest to my age, so she was the one with whom I attended classes everyday, and was closer. The first week I was there, my host mother threw a welcome party for my classmates, Srta. Hackney, and I. The party included a feast of traditional Colombian food, Salsa and Merengue dancing lessons, and a live performance of traditional music from the South of Colombia. This party was just one of the many examples of hospitality my host mother and family showed me during my stay in their household.

My host sister Laura and I at the Museum of Gold

My classmates and I at our welcome party

Bogotá

I spent the majority of my stint in Colombia staying in the capital, Bogotá

. With a population of over eight million people, it was easily the biggest city in which I have stayed. Since my trip was an exchange, I spent the majority of my time at the school Colegio Claustro Moderno, but I was still able to see and experience much of the city. One Saturday, my host family took me downtown to see all of the monuments and museums. I was able to see artwork by Fernando Botero, Pablo Picasso, and many more accomplished artists. I also went to the Bolivar Plaza where the Colombian Congress and other government buildings are located.

Monalisa by Fernando Botero

Traditional Colombian dancers in downtown Bogota

The school also took my classmates and I to different areas in Bogotá such as Monserrate, which is a church built in the 1600s that is atop a mountain that overlooks all of Bogotá. Aside from sightseeing, the school also took us to an elementary school for impoverished children, where we helped take care of, read to, and play with the children. It felt good to be able to help in a community that was not my own, and if it had not been for the school, I would not have experienced the City in those ways.

The overlook of Bogota from Monserrate

One of the classrooms at the elementary school

The Food

The food I ate in Colombia was some of the best food I have eaten. Before going to Colombia, I knew nothing about Colombian cuisine, but I quickly learned just how good it really is. I ate and enjoyed many of the traditional Colombian dishes, but I did have some favorites: Tamal (chicken and cornmeal masa cooked inside of a banana leaf), Lechona (A small pig cooked whole, then stuffed with its pulled pork, rice, and lentils, served with its crispy skin), Ajiaco (a stew of chicken, potatoes, garlic, and herbs), and Obleas (Often served on the streets, two paper-thin cookied with caramel and raspberry jam in the middle). I was well-fed in Colombia, to say the least.

Colegio Claustro Moderno

I attended the school Colegio Claustro Moderno for the majority of my time in Bogotá with my classmates William Lummus and Graham Ragsdale. The school had a beautiful campus with a large pond, courts and fields for athletics, and old brick buildings. We spent the majority of our time outside, for all of the hallways were outside along with the basketball and soccer courts. This school was different than any I had experienced, so it was fun to experience a new environment for learning. Each grade was divided into two classrooms, and the teachers would rotate classrooms rather than the students. Similar to MBA, their classes were an hour, but the way the classes were conducted was different. Their classes were more centered around discussion rather than just notetaking, and the teachers focus on creating strong relationships with their students. I enjoyed my time at Claustro because it broadened my perspective on how learning can be conducted.

My classmates and I at Claustro

Gracias

I would like to thank the Wilson family for the opportunity to broaden my perspective of the world, enhance my abilities in Spanish, and create new relationships with people I would not have ever met. I would also like to thank Mr. Paolicchi for organizing such an amazing trip.