I have always been weary of changes I cannot control. Who isn't? But like most people, I acknowledge change as a necessary part of life so accept it with more than a hint of remorse. So I knew that a new year, new semester, and new schedule were bound to reorganize my Colombian existence, bringing with them a flurry of unexpected social adjustments.
In the past month, two of my best paisa friends have left Colombia to study in Europe. One is off to London on an year-long English adventure, the other to Holland pursuing graduate research in mechanical engineering unavailable in Colombian universities. They were the people I called at night after a long day, the friends who invited me to interesting cultural events of which I was never aware, corrected my Spanish, and gave me the best hugs when I was missing home. I am so happy that they have the opportunity to expand their educations abroad--a luxury most Colombians dream about their entire lives but never have the visa to finalize, but miss the way their friendships made me feel at home in Medellin. Because the majority of the people I know are traversing their "odyssey years," I consider myself a pro at saying "see you later" to friends with whom I am required to make a huge effort to reunite with in person. Though just because I am accustomed to such goodbyes does not mean that they are ever easy.
Luckily, life is a balancing act and as soon as Medellin (and me with it) lost Carlos Angel and Esteban we gained two equally worthy friends. The first is a paisa who I met in Atlanta right before I moved away. He worked with CNN Movies for a semester, spending several months in LA...meaning that we have both lived a significant amount of time in the same cities. Just knowing that he is back in Medellin sends me into fits of nostalgia for a southern accent and Hollywood lights. Second is my dear friend MK, with whom I interned at The Carter Center. She is using her vacation from sustainable farming to traipse around Colombia for 10 weeks studying Spanish and posting on her blog what she learns about local food production. Together with her host mother, we have spent a weekend at a finca battling dragons in guava groves (along with an eight-year old friend), baked a GF rhubarb and mora streusal, and attended the first performance of the Medellin Filharmonic's season. It is wonderful to have a good friend around who understands my sense of humor and asks challenging questions about Spanish syntax while teaching me new phrases she learns in class.
No matter what quantity of friends surround me each day, I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to know so many amazing people all over the world.
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