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4 Life Experiences as a Teen in Santa Marta Colombia That are Still With Me
40 Years Later My Time in Colombia Affects Me
On August 28, 1982, my 16-year-old self left mid-Michigan for a one-year exchange student experience in Santa Marta, Colombia sponsored by the Rotary Club.
I will forever be grateful for my time there.
I had never been, let alone lived, outside of the US. I had barely begun to learn Spanish, having had one year of high school Spanish. I knew almost nothing of Colombia.
Forty years later that time is still with me.
The kindness and love of the people of Santa Marta, especially from the family I lived with and all their friends and relatives, along with friends from El Ateneo Moderno, the high school I attended, still fills my heart. (I also attended Colegio San Luis Beltran for a few months.)
Learning history was a huge part of what is still with me. I had no idea about the history of the Panama Canal and Colombia, for example. Let alone the US role in Colombia and other South American countries.
I experienced some of the most beautiful beaches while there. From El Rodadero to all the bays east of Santa Marta, I’ll always remember how much fun I had at the beaches, and today my sweet spot is…
