Today marks my one month living in Bogotá. At first, it felt like time was going by slowly, but as I reflect now, I’m sad that there’s only five months left.
My first impression of the city was, “Wow, this place is huge,” and, “Why are people wearing masks? Shit, is the air bad?” At this point, my thoughts focus on the number of cute dogs I see and how delicious the bread is. It’s funny how things progress.
Last December, I visited my best friend and now roommate, Ana, in her hometown of Medellín, Colombia. I fell in love with the city, weather, food, and her family. When the two-week trip came to an end, I boarded my plane teary-eyed and determined to return. As the plane ascended over the greenest mountains I had ever seen, I felt empty. Four months later, Ana needed a roommate as she works for six months in Bogotá. So I packed my bags.
The green mountains of Medellín.
I can’t say I was expecting everything to be the same as Medellín, but I definitely wasn’t expecting Bogotá to be this different. Rather than Ana’s loving family around us always, it’s now just the two of us. We are so lucky to have each other, but we ache for new friends and everything that comes with it. It’s a bit colder here too. I’ve been describing it as, “slightly colder than spring,” so my shorts are seldom worn- bummer. The mountains are still present, but they’re usually hidden behind lofty apartment buildings. All this means is I have to look a little harder for the beauty that made me fall in love with Colombia. A simple task that I make sure to do every day.
A view between two houses in Bogotá that I came across as I walked to a park. The view was better than the park.
In a lot of ways, Bogotá feels like England. It rains almost everyday (very British), and because of the rain, we’re surrounded by greenery. I used to think the English countryside was the greenest place on Earth. Not anymore. Just like England, there are so many little bread shops here. As you walk by, a cloud of delicious smelling breads and pastries punches you in the face and you instantly start drooling. This is one of my favorite things about living here.
However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts about living in Bogotá, especially during those first couple of weeks. But with all the bread and dogs, I don’t see how I could ever be unhappy.
Ana and I on top of a rainy mountain in Bogotá.
My goal when moving to Colombia was to get my shit together. I want to take photos and make videos with the camera I recently bought. I want my website to look fre$h. I want to be proud of myself. It feels good to say that after one month, I already have more personal photos and videos to show than the whole year and a half I spent working at a marketing agency in St. Louis. This is refreshing to me. Also, I’ve started running again and since Ana is vegan, we eat healthy food (except for the bread). Now my jeans are too big.
I’m currently teaching English online for paid work. This is more rewarding and fun than I ever could have anticipated. And it’s nice to have an income, even if it’s small.
As far as the Bogotá culture goes, the people keep to themselves. Like any city I’ve been to, there’s little communication on the public transit. The people I’ve met so far have been welcoming and are encouraging with my limited Spanish. I crave for the everyday interactions, the little things. It’s weird how much joy I get from a simple, “buenas tardes” from the apartment security guards. To add to that, every neighborhood or apartment complex has security guards. It has nothing to do with social class- everyone has them. Lastly, people here like to stare. When they hear English, they stare harder. That’s been uncomfortable, but I’ve started to get used to it.
Something I find important to mention is the sexism in Colombia. Ana had spoken about the topic previously, and living here I find it apparent. Honks, whistles, and the kissing sound are common. It’s extremely aggravating, yet extremely normal. These things did happen in the States, but far less. Ana and I get upset and make it clear that the advances are not wanted. There’s a lot of progress to be made here in that regard. Ana also said that compared to other cities in Colombia, Bogotá is actually good about catcalling, which I found horrifying. So there’s that.
We drink a lot of tea. We eat a lot of vegetables. Ana makes amazing arepas (a Colombian cuisine made of ground maize dough). We put avocados on them. We’re on a strict budget. We watch a lot of movies. We drink wine. Things are nice.
Bogotá is starting to feel like home. The rain is therapeutic. The dogs are so happy. I’m finding my way. Bring on the next five months.
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