Colombia's Warm Embrace
- Sandy Hanner
- Jul 31, 2016
- 2 min read
My visit to Bogota, Colombia was my first Friendship Force experience. I have traveled many times with traditional tour companies where the objective was to see as much of the highlight sights of each country as possible in a short period of time.
To say I was apprehensive and unsure of what to expect of this trip prior to leaving would be an understatement. How would I feel staying in someone's home, someone I had just met? How much could I get to know a country and it's people in just a week?
By the time I had arrived in Bogota with my 7 fellow Ambassadors from Friendship Force Georgetown, Two months prior to departure, I had already received several emails welcoming me from my host family. My hostess, Claudia, greeted me in English, sent photos of her family and expressed her excitement about my visit and being able to practice her English. I responded in Spanish that I, too, was fulfilling a dream in visiting Colombia, meeting her family and being able to practice my Spanish. We "friended" each other on Facebook and learned so much about each other before ever meeting.
Once in Colombia, Claudia and all the other hosts took care of us like family. We traveled to a rose plantation, the Gold Museum, artisan markets, the Salt Cathedral, Monserrate Hill by cable car which provides a beautiful overlook of the high plain on which Bogota sits. We got a backstage tour of the beautiful Opera House, toured the Ministry of Culture, visited the Emerald Museum and enjoyed a bus trip to Villa de Leyva in the state of Boyaca.
One of my most treasured experiences was being able to help prepare Colombian-style meatballs for the farewell dinner and learning some cooking methods from the family housekeeper. Maria Elena, at 82 years old, lives with my host family during the week and prepares meals for them, grocery shops, does light housework, and keeps the household running smoothly.
Both of my hosts are working professionals and have two girls, ages 13 and 9. The girls were away visiting their Grandmother in Medellin while I was there. I got to visit Claudia's Endodontics office and see what her work is like and the small business that she owns. Claudia's husband, Luis, is a bank actuarial executive. They shared with me a lot about their standard of living, the costs of home ownership, buying a vehicle, their hopes for their daughters' education and futures, peace and politics in their country and their concern about our presidential election. We shared many meals together in their home and learned that so much of what we work for is the same.
My experience in Colombia was life-changing in that the connection that I felt with all of our Colombian hosts was the warmest, most inclusive and intellectually stimulating personal friendships that I have ever had. I love the language, the music, the family values, the intellect, the warmth and affection of the Colombian people. It was like leaving family when I had to depart and return to the United States but I left knowing that I have family when I decide to return to Colombia!
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