Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.
I am currently in Bogotá, Colombia, after arriving here on July 25th 2019. Here I will be studying at the Universidad de los Andes for the next 10 months as part of an academic exchange programme.
As quite a few people have asked me about keeping them updated during my year abroad, I have decided to start a blog to share my experiences, thoughts and bits and pieces of my daily life here in Colombia. Since I love writing, I will try to make it as entertaining as possible, but I am sure that once in a while posts will be boring to read. However, this blog also acts as a sort of personal diary for myself so I can reflect on my experience in Colombia later. I hope you still enjoy reading some of my posts!
Posts
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Safety in Colombia
“If someone threatens you with a weapon or a knife: Please, give them everything you have. They will shoot you. They will kill you. It’s not worth it.” with these lovely words ended a representative of the abroad office of the Universidad de Los Andes his presentation about health and safety in Colombia. Shortly before… Read more
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Why I am not funny in Colombia: Living in a Spanish-speaking country with limited Spanish skills
Disclaimer: I know I’m not very funny in other languages either. Moving to a country with a foreign language brings all kind of challenges. Too many times have I accidentally ordered the wrong food, given a completely irrelevant and confusing answer to a question because I had misunderstood what I was asked, given way too… Read more
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Being vegan in Colombia
I have been vegan for about four years now. Since this lifestyle is a big part of my life and very important to me, I didn’t even think about giving it up when going to Colombia. Having lived in European countries all of my vegan life, I knew that there were going to be challenges… Read more
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General Update: How’s life in Bogotá?
As of time of writing, I have now spent 46 days in Bogotá, Colombia. I am in the 6th week of university, have already failed multiple tests, moved apartment, climbed Monserrate three times and (almost) mastered the Colombian national sport Tejo. So far, I would describe my time in Colombia as amazing, but challenging at… Read more
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Ain’t no Mountain high enough! (Except when it’s located at ~3000 metres altitude)
As I climbed up (okay, it was more like crawling) the last steps to the top of the stunning mountain Monserrate, I see the rest of my group, which had arrived at the top almost 30 minutes earlier, cheering me on and shouting that I had almost made it. With my face red as my… Read more
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Exploring more of Bogotá
After two rather lonely days in Bogotá, I met up with other exchange students for an event organised by the ‘Hermanos sin fronteras’ (brothers without borders), a volunteer-based programme provided by my Colombian university in charge of organising social events and generally helping exchange students. I have to say that the ~10 hours we spent… Read more
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Arrival and Anxiety – My first two days in Bogotá
Arriving in Bogotá was similar to what I had expected: mixed emotions of exhaustion, excitement, anxiety, curiosity and ‘can’t-believe-I’m-really-doing-this-ness’ flooded my thoughts as I stepped out of the plane into the chilly Colombian capital. Going through immigration and customs was easier than expected and soon I found myself in the lobby of my student accommodation.… Read more
Colombia Chronicles 