It originated from farmers who used to have long journeys with their cattle looking for pastures. For entertainment during their long treks, they began to sing and play music. This is how vallenato was born! The word vallenato means “born in the valley.” A key instrument in vallenato and its most characteristic sound comes from the accordion. It is traditional in the Caribbean region. In my field note, I talked about the Pacific. Another unique fact about Colombia is that it is the only country in South America that has both a Pacific and Caribbean coast! Both coasts have their own culture, as evidenced in part by the music.
The most fun activity this week was a surprise party one of the volunteer groups I work with had for one of our members. Our coordinator told everyone we had a meeting to plan the next few weeks but it was all to get everyone together to surprise our amigo. Sadly, however, the party was also a going-away party because he is moving to Spain soon. While I am sad to see my friend go, it was so lovely to see the friendship and love between everyone. We went around in a circle and shared nice words about our friend and there was not a dry eye in the room. It truly emphasized for me that the best part about studying abroad is meeting new people. It also made me very emotional about leaving soon. Still, it’s all worth it after meeting new friends that I’ll now have for a lifetime. Just like I’ve maintained my friendships with my friends back home in the States, so I will be forever friends with those I met in Colombia.
