From the start of my freshman year, I had my heart set on getting out of Massachusetts and pursuing a study abroad program.  Like many students, I was more or less unaware of the sheer variety and vastness within the world of study abroad.  When I finally made the decision to go overseas my sophomore year, I felt at a loss; how was I going to find out which program was right for me?

As so many students before me, I referred to my major advisor through the Spanish department, who immediately referred me to a program in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Blind to all of the other options out there, I went directly to the International Programs office and announced that I would be going to Buenos Aires in the fall.  Needless to say, my advisor at the IPO office was unimpressed.  This is not meant in any way to bash mainstream programs such as Buenos Aires or Madrid, however, this is meant to raise awareness to the wealth of culture, knowledge, and experience that lies within the less popular countries within the Spanish speaking world.  My advisor at the IPO began to show me programs in countries like Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Colombia, and after further consideration, I decided that Colombia would be the right fit.

I initially went to Barranquilla, one of the five largest cities in the country that is located right along the northern Caribbean coast.  If you go abroad to Colombia, you do not have to go through the grueling process of obtaining a visa.  Conveniently, you are able to arrive and speak with migration and receive a special education visa upon your arrival.  I arrived in July of 2018, landing in a makeshift airport held together by tarps and tape.  I immediately felt alarmed, but I came to find out that the old airport was simply under reconstruction.  I was brought that night by program staff to my homestay in the northern sector of the city.  I eventually switched to a different host family about a month into the semester, but ISA (my abroad program) was extremely supportive and really aided in a smooth transition.  Barranquilla itself has a very tropical climate, always hot and humid with occasional rain.  The beach is about 45 minutes outside of town and is a good place to go hang out during the weekend.  If you surf, don’t expect huge waves.  For myself, it was sometimes a little underwhelming, but perfect for taking out a longboard and chilling in the waves.  The university that I attended (La Universidad del Norte) was beautiful.  The campus felt like a jungle, with iguanas and ferrel cats running all over the place.  But watch out, don’t make my mistake and fall asleep under a tree…you can and will be peed on by the iguanas.  I thoroughly enjoyed my classes and was very appreciative that I was allowed to do direct enrollment.  In all but one of my classes I was the only North American.  Some negative aspects of campus life in Barranquilla were

1. The campus demographic is VERY young.  Most students being between 16 and 18 years old.
2. Classes can begin VERY early in the day.  My earliest class was at 6:30 am.

I did, however, form awesome friendships with the other abroad students in the ISA program.  ISA provided an amazing array of excursion trips in Barranquilla such that we were able to travel throughout the entire Caribbean coast, visiting around five different cities.

For spring semester of 2019 I decided to switch to a brand new ISA program in Medellin.  Those six months of my life were some of the most interesting and fulfilling ever.   I arrived in Medellin in January of 2019.  For my spring semester I had chosen to opt out of a homestay and rented an AirBnb longterm.  One thing to keep in mind if you travel to Colombia; foreigners are not permitted to rent apartments, condos, etc. through legally binding contracts, therefore you must rely on other sources such as AirBnb, even for longterm stays.  I payed around $300 a month for a room in a gorgeous, fully furnished apartment in one of the nicest barrios of the city.  The university that I attended in Medellin (La Universidad EAFIT), is located in the southern most part of the city, which happens to be the wealthiest and therefore has the most expensive housing.  I opted to live more towards the center of the city in a barrio named Laureles; still safe, still lush and beautiful, but much more affordable.  This meant, however, that I did have to rely on public transportation to get to school everyday.  Luckily there are plenty of options in Medellin, such as their wonderful metro system, taxi, Uber, and Picap (an uber-style service, but with motorcycles). Medellin rests about 5,000 ft above sea level, but maintains a springlike climate all year long.  Most days are sunny in the morning with light showers in the afternoon.  You should always leave the house with either an umbrella or a jacket.  The city is full of parks and vegetation, such that you never feel far from nature. Again, I did direct enrollment in Medellin and truly enjoyed my classes.  Perks  of EAFIT:

1. More comparable demographic (most students being between 18 to 22 years old)
2. No early classes

Some cons of EAFIT:

1. Since it was a new program, excursions were underwhelming. I didn’t attend any of them, but was still forced to pay for them.

Deciding to not do a homestay meant that I was constantly meeting so many new people.  During my six months in the city I made dozens of close friends and was able to experience so many wonderful things, from frequenting a club in el centro who’s entire goal was to create a safe haven for trans prostitutes, to going into the comunas of Medellin to photograph the children and their mentors from the music group Son Bata (check them out on youtube). Medellin is one of the most amazing cities I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know.  There are new opportunities and enriching experiences around every corner.  It is a city built on artistic expression and magical realism. In Medellin I learned how to make killer arepas, dance salsa like a nativa, and most importantly, I learned that it is not a city of peril and destruction that the media likes to portray it as.

I has been around six months now since I left Medellin, and I still reminisce on my life there everyday.  I loved it with my whole heart, and many times feel like I left a piece of myself back there.  There is no one program or country that is better than any other, but I sincerely hope that more people have the courage to take the leap of faith and throw themselves into unconventional abroad programs, for the reward is truly priceless.