Another example was when my friend and I arrived too late to an event to get in, so the security guard instead guided us to a free private concert happening in the basement so we hadn’t wasted a trip. I will always adore how people here and in all parts of Colombia are so focused on others.
Another thing I am going to miss is the pace of life. In the U.S., I was used to working 40- to 60-hour weeks between three jobs, being a full-time student, as well as participating in extracurriculars like choir and the Student English Association at Purdue. Ms. Aubuchon can confirm I pulled too many all-nighters during student teaching and texted her lesson plans at 4:00 a.m. probably more often than was professional. Here in Bogotá, my days look a lot different. Much of my time is still dedicated to work--about 35 hours per week, which still isn’t really full-time. However, outside of work, I have so much time to enjoy my life. I get to go to the gym and have thorough 90-minute workouts every day. Meanwhile, in the U.S. I was trying to cram in 30 minutes here or 45 minutes there before I had to rush to work or class. When I’m out to eat with friends, there is never a rush to free up the table for the next party. We are allowed and encouraged to enjoy each other’s company in the space for as long as we’d like because being present and building relationships are highly valued here. I will miss how I save a little errand for each day here because it isn’t practical to do everything all at once. For example, I buy my fruits and vegetables from the market on my way home from work almost every other day, and I only buy what I’ll need for that night.
