When people ask me about my favorite places I've traveled, Barranquilla is always at the top of my list. Not because it has the most beautiful beaches, although they are beautiful. Not because of the food, the music, or the colorful streets though those are unforgettable too.
Barranquilla holds a special place in my heart because it was the first place that truly taught me what it means to step outside of everything you've ever known. I spent six months living there while studying abroad, and looking back, I can honestly say it changed me. If you're in college and have the opportunity to study abroad, do it. And if you're no longer in school but have been thinking about traveling somewhere new, do it anyway.
There is something incredibly humbling about becoming the outsider. You begin to realize that your way of living isn't the only way of living. You become more curious, more patient, and more open to different perspectives. That was Colombia for me.
Barranquilla sits along Colombia's Caribbean coast. It's vibrant, colorful, and full of life. Every morning, I would walk to class and pass a gentleman selling fresh-squeezed orange juice on the corner. I can still remember the smell.
I learned how to navigate the city using public transportation, something that felt intimidating at first but eventually became part of my daily routine.
Even though Spanish is my first language, Colombian Spanish surprised me. Every region has its own expressions and slang. Medellín sounds different from Bogotá. Bogotá sounds different from Barranquilla. Santa Marta has its own way of speaking too.
Coming from a Mexican background, hearing phrases like "¿Qué chimba?", "Marica," or "Oye papi" caught me off guard. Eventually those words became normal, and I found myself smiling whenever I heard them. It reminded me that speaking the same language doesn't always mean sharing the same culture.
One of my favorite parts about living there was being so close to the beach.
After class, my friends and I would head to the water, sit in the sand, watch the sunset, and simply enjoy being together. For six months, I got to call a beach city home.
I also discovered foods I'll never forget coconut rice, fresh jugo de mora, salchipapas shared with friends, and nights filled with salsa dancing while sipping aguardiente. My host mom made sure we experienced Colombian culture, and one of my favorite memories is dancing salsa with her in the living room.
As amazing as those six months were, they weren't always easy. I was homesick. It was the longest I had ever been away from my family, and there were moments when I wished they were there beside me to experience everything I was seeing.
Travel isn't only exciting. Sometimes it's lonely. Sometimes it's uncomfortable. Sometimes you cry because you miss home. But those emotions don't mean you made the wrong decision. They simply mean you're growing. One thought stayed with me throughout my time there: I'm only living this life once. That reminder helped me embrace the adventure, even when I missed home.
During those six months, I traveled throughout Colombia. I visited beautiful beaches with crystal-clear water. I met Indigenous communities. I explored cities that each had their own personality. I made lifelong friends from around the world. I got my very first tattoo. Some of my favorite nights weren't spent doing anything extraordinary. We would simply sit on the rooftop of our building, talking for hours while looking up at a sky full of stars. I've never seen so many shooting stars.
Those are the memories I still carry with me.
When my program ended, I promised myself that one day I would return to Barranquilla. Mostly because I wanted to visit my host mom again. She welcomed international students into her home year after year. She was independent, adventurous, funny, and absolutely loved to dance. She treated us like family. A few years later, I learned that she had passed away after becoming ill. That news broke my heart. Even though we only shared six months together, she left a lasting impact on my life. I wish I could have thanked her one more time.
Thank you for opening your home. Thank you for sharing your culture. Thank you for helping me feel at home while I was so far away from mine.
May she rest in peace.
Barranquilla wasn't just the place where I studied abroad. It's the place that taught me courage. It taught me independence.It reminded me that the world is so much bigger than the one we grow up in. This is just the beginning of my Colombia stories. In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing memories from Medellín, Bogotá, Santa Marta, and the many incredible places I was lucky enough to experience.
Until then, gracias, Colombia.