Luke Wooten: Colombia

Spanish

Towards the end of the summer on July 22, Nicholas Heim, Mr. Smyth, and I arrived in Bogotá, Colombia late at night. At the airport that night, we met our host families for the first time. My host family was the family of Valeria Velandia. Her family had a mom, a dad, a little brother, and a grandmother in a town house in Chia. Upon arrival and all throughout the exchange, my host family was very welcoming and eager to tour me around Colombia.

Left to right: My host mom, me, my host brother, and my host dad.

Since my trip was an exchange, I went to a school called Colegio Claustro Moderno Monday through Friday. At first I was worried that I would find lots of trouble in a Spanish speaking school, but I later learned how helpful and friendly everyone on campus was in the learning experience. Students and teachers would dedicate their free time to help me fit in the environment. During the time on campus many friendships were made.

The view outside of Mr. Smyth’s cabin on campus

During the first week of the exchange, my host brother and sister became sick. Therefore I was given a temporary new host family. This family was the family of Diego Serna. Diego’s little brother, mom, and dad were all very welcoming the three days I spent with them. With Diego, I got to experience living near the campus in the large city of Bogotá. From going to the mall, watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in Spanish, and touring the city with his family and friends, I was able to gain a new perspective of the city.

View from my room in Diego Serna’s apartment

Following the weekend with Diego Serna, I returned to Valeria Velandia’s family. After having some time to rest and recover, the family was healthy and ready to host me again. Everyday after school, I would see new places in Bogota and Chia with the family. I visited various churches, plazas, monuments, and other Colombian artifacts everyday. Also, my family was eager for me to try new foods and drinks of Colombia. I learned that there are many delicious foods and drinks that we do not have in America. Agua de panela, champús, and three milk desert are some examples of indigenous Colombian drinks and deserts. Along with the different food, the architecture of Colombia was also very different from the architecture of America. I spent lots of time viewing many of the building styles in Colombia

Plaza de Bolívar

During the weekend, my family drove me around to see more of Colombia. One day, I got to see the first natural wonder of Colombia, which is the Salt Cathedral. I also visited towns in the suburbs of Bogotá, such as Sopó, Cundinamarca and Zepaquira. All of my free time was used to see more of the fascinating country of Colombia.

One of the many churches in the Salt Cathedral

During my experience in Colombia, I learned more about the Spanish language and the Colombian culture. Greetings and daily encounters were very different from what I was accustomed to in America. Greeting a woman by kissing her on cheek is an example of a Colombian tradition I had to adjust to. Experiencing all of the aspects of the Colombian culture along with the Spanish language made the trip even more a learning experience. I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible such as my host families, the MBA language department, the teachers and students at Colegio Claustro Moderno, and the Wilson family. This was a very unique experience for me.

The view from Luis A Jimenez M Presbitero