I imagine there isn’t as much urgency to get a license here since walking and public transit are so much more common.
18. Public displays of affection are much more common here. In the U.S., a lot more people are kind of reserved with public displays of affection. Of course, it varies depending on who you ask and where you are, but generally, we are a more “conservative” culture when it comes to this. Here, PDA is everywhere all the time and across generations.
19. You know how, in the movies, characters close their eyes when they lean in for a kiss? I’m a big people watcher, and I’ve noticed here it seems common for people to kiss with their eyes open.
20. I've noticed way more dogs than cats here. I’m not sure why, but I’m used to seeing tons of stray cats in Indiana, so it’s a little bit strange that I've seen practically none in Bogotá. I found a lot more in the smaller and more rural areas of Colombia, though, like Salento and Villavicencio.
21. They wash sidewalks here. At first, I thought this was silly given how much it rains, but now, every morning when I see store owners soaping and sudsing their entranceways, I get it. Because there are so many stray dogs, there is genuinely so much dog poop on the sidewalks. It gets pressed into their walkways, so a daily scrub is necessary and appreciated.
22. The dialogue surrounding mental health is a lot less common here. I feel like there is a huge push for mental health education and awareness in the U.S., but the conversation seems to be just beginning here.
23. Medical interactions are faster, more informal, and much cheaper. For example, to acquire your identification card here, you need proof of your blood type.
