Oiga, Mire, Vea (Cali, Colombia)

As promised, I ended my last blog post about the time I spent as a Language and Cultural Assistant with the premonition that there were still some adventures left to come. I’m happy to announce that this premonition has seemed to come true.

A lot has changed since I last wrote on this blog. First off, I am not longer in La Mancha and now call San Diego, California home, where I’m working on a dual master’s degree Public Health and Latin American Studies. I am also no longer a man…I’m now THE MAN! Ok, well perhaps not.

Even though I am no longer living in the wind-swept plains of La Mancha, I have maintained that sense of curiosity and adventure that was nurtured by my experience in Spain. This drive has continued to influence my decisions ever since. Since coming back from Spain, I spent a couple year working with gang and foster youth in San José. I have snuck back to Spain for a couple short visits, spent a week in Cali, Colombia, and was lucky to have the opportunity to spend four weeks in Oaxaca last summer, and another week in Managua, Nicaragua.

Now that you’ve been caught up, that brings us to the present. I am now, as of this past Monday spending two months in Colombia. I was fortunate to be provided the Mundt Scholarship, which funds international experiences related to peace and security. Through this scholarship, I am now spending two months with the public health organization, CiSalva, in Cali, Colombia as a research intern, where I will be supporting a study that aims to intervene with gang-involved youth in the city and divert them from this lifestyle. With my time here, I hope to get hands on experience in international public health work, while at the same time develop a potential thesis project.

In Cali for the 1st time, March 2017

So once again, I have packed my bags, said my goodbyes, and headed a new place with a new set of challenges. I have only been here a few days and am at the point where I begin to wonder why I keep uprooting myself and throwing myself into these new, unique, and at times challenging situations. This also happened in Chile, as it did in Spain and Oaxaca. And while they had their challenges, each proved to be an experience that led to personal growth in many ways.

Only after two days, I have had the chance meet with some of the youth that are participated in the study, and even go to one of the communities for a meeting. Having these experiences has helped me remember that this is where I belong and that I am working through challenges that I am passionate about addressing. Although my role here is still unclear, I know that I will be doing work that I can be excited about.

This short post is hopefully the first of many that documents the challenges and triumph of this current experience in Colomiba. The Man in La Mancha (though no longer in the land of Don Quixote) is at it again. Another experience, another adventure and another opportunity to grow!