Goodbye Bogota

Diego and I set off from the hostel around 3 PM on Sunday afternoon, intent on seeing the Carlos Moreno film “Todo Tus Muertos” (“All Your Dead Ones”). It was a Colombian film based on the political reality of the country, and both of us were looking forward to it. Getting to the theatre was no easy matter; it involved two bus rides and a twenty minute walk. We talked the whole time, so it didn’t seem like a long trip, but by the time we arrived and made it through the ticket line, our movie was literally about to start. Diego suggested we buy tickets for the next showing and have dinner together first, so we went to a restaurant across the street. Some of the soccer match and a whole lot of talking later, we realized that the next showing was starting and we were about to miss that as well! We ran across the street and were seated just in time to take in the film.

Thank goodness I saw it with him, because between the accents and my poor knowledge of Colombian political history, much of the true humor/sadness went over my head. To make a very long story short, it referenced politicians and their desire to be reelected irrespective of the best interests of the people, as well as the paramilitary groups and the fact that they still wield a bit of power from the shadows. Talking about these issues literally took us all the way home again, and it was really interesting talking to Diego about his perspective, because even in his younger years he remembered some of the urban

warfare that occurred and shared those memories with me. He also gave me a great potential idea for research next time I’m in the country.

Once back in our area of Bogota, we went to Whitney’s house and the three of us spent the next few hours hanging out. Finally, Diego and I caught a cab home (no easy feat in El Chorro at 2 in the morning), and stayed up watching movies and talking until 6 AM, when I had to prepare to leave. I sadly left the hostel at 6:30 in the morning, went through airport security, and scared my seatmates on the plane by sobbing all the way back to Miami.

I can’t easily summarize everything that Colombia meant to me, even after being back for almost three weeks now. I can say for certain that it

was rejuvenating. Something about being in a beautiful place and meeting so many amazing people reinforced my inclinations to see the best in life and to be the best version of myself possible. It reawakened my thirst for travel, certainly, and made me even more sure that teaching, and helping other people to improve themselves, is the path in life that I want to take. This next year of school has already proven itself to be an intense experience, but it’s worth getting through because at that point, I can literally go anywhere in the world and drink in all that it has to offer.

And none of this would have happened without the people I met along the way. Whitney Pray was my inspiration to travel to Colombia in the first p

lace, and despite the fact that it meant I would leave her, encouraged me to get to know the entire country. Teresa Ingram welcomed me to travel at her side, stimulated my intellect at every turn, and modeled for me a clear vision of what a good human being should be. Daniel Dobleu, our gracious host at Musicology who also traveled with Teresa and I, showed me the country through the eyes of its people, making it even more fascinating in the process, and being a constant source of thought-provoking conversation. Diego Romero, the constant dialogue between us is something I still think about, and you made the last few days in Bogota eminently enjoyable. There are so many other people who impacted my trip and continue to be a part of my life, and I hope they do long into the future…thank you one and all for a life-changing experience.