Now that I’m back home, I have such a great perspective for the rest of my summer and the rest of my college experience.
I have learned so much over the past few weeks, both academically and socially. I struggled with a lot of homesickness during my trip, but in between phone calls to my parents I made a point to take in as much as possible each day. I came into this program only knowing one other person, so I was super nervous about feeling disconnected from people. Fortunately, our group of 21 people was so outgoing and we all clicked really well, even across different ages and areas of study. I’m so glad that this program is longer than most summer programs because it allowed all of us more time to settle in and truly get to know and love one another. I find myself missing so many people on that trip all the time, but now I have even more fun opportunities to look forward to in my senior year this upcoming fall.
One of the greatest things I’ve learned during this trip is patience and trust. There are obviously going to be days where everyone is tired of each other, but pushing through those days and making the most of it have become some of my fondest memories. As I’m sitting at home now, my version of culture shock is returning to a very carefree schedule. After six weeks of classes where we spent just about every moment together, I’m creating a new schedule to keep myself busy and make me experience as much as possible before school starts again. If I’ve learned anything it’s that staying connected to the people and activities that make you happy is way more important than most people realize.
The best advice I can give to future students is to immerse yourself as much as possible. The last thing you want to do when you get back from a trip like this is to regret not spending more time exploring the city or getting to know the other people in your group. You’re going to be grateful when you come back tired but full of new memories and new friendships.
Now, aside from all the cutesy, sappy advice, one of my biggest pieces of advice is to leave space in your bags for things to take back home. There are so many places you’re going to want to shop at. Even the guys on the trip were taking trips to the mall for gifts and souvenirs to bring home. Along with that advice, I would urge you to pack only what you need. It’s hot, so you’re more than likely going to want to wear lighter clothing in general, so bring a few of your favorite fits and a few fancier/going-out fits and you should be fine. Sunscreen, bug spray, and one of those small umbrellas are also definitely essential in Colombia during the summer and rainy seasons. Also, if you have the privilege to do so, budget a good bit of extra spending money. There is nothing worse than being out somewhere and wanting to try a dessert at a cafe or buy a new outfit and not having enough money for it. The trip is already a good bit of money, so I would definitely apply for every scholarship and grant possible so you can bring some extra cash and really have fun. If you want to feel completely comfortable and not have to worry about how much you’re spending all the time, I’d budget for an extra $300-500. As touristy as it may seem, my fanny pack and I were best friends on this trip and I took it absolutely everywhere. It can get really annoying holding bigger items and you’re going to want something you can have close to your body so you can have things like your phone, wallet, Air Pods, or passport on you whenever you need it. It can be really dangerous to have your phone in your back pocket, so keeping it in my fanny pack meant I never had to worry about it and could enjoy my time out.
Lastly, I would say to take some time to have a pretty good grasp of the language before you get there. You don’t need to be fluent by any means, but the more you can comfortably express yourself, the more fun you will have. My one regret is not taking a little extra time during the weeks leading up to the trip to refresh on simple stuff like conjugations, sentence structure, and transitional words and phrases. I still learned so much while I was there, but who knows how much better it could have been had I started at the level I am now. Overall, I will always recommend this trip to anyone who asks, and I hope that anyone who reads this also gets a chance to experience this. You won’t regret it!
