Five months ago, I was sitting on the sofa at a friend’s house. I took a sip of my Bloody Mary and then frowned a little, looking around. There were…
Nature v. Nurture: On Noise and Dancing
After a year and a half of Peace Corps service in Barranquilla, Colombia, I think I’m closing in on about as “integrated” as I will be. Two things I still…
Minca Magic
Sometimes magic is hard to find. Then there are those lucky days, when it’s simply everywhere. A few weeks ago, I traveled to my favorite place on the Colombian coast…
Barranquilla Carnaval, 2nd Time Around
It’s not everywhere in the world where months of raucous, citywide, business-paralyzing parties are not only permitted, but heavily encouraged. As the home of the second biggest Carnaval in the…
A trip home, and some thoughts about (Peace Corps) success
Huddled over a cayenne-and-cinnamon-spiced mug of almond milk-hot chocolate, wriggling my toes in striped wool socks while snow fell outside, I knew I was home. Home for a week-long visit,…
For the love of…meat?
I have a confession to make. I feel I have to make it before the holidays, since I’ll be home with my beloved family and friends who should probably know…
Heard ‘Round the World
In the Peace Corps, we are not supposed to discuss politics. Not local ones, not ones back home. In the most neutral of times at my site in Barranquilla, Colombia,…
Coffee fun for everyone
Even if you don’t drink coffee, Colombia’s Coffee Triangle is a magical place to visit. I hesitate to write this. If I do, you might race and get your plane…
Missing Seasons
Fall, I hear, is fast approaching. I can envision the first few maple trees combusting along the bluffs that line Wisconsin’s stretch of the Mississippi where I grew up, briskness…
Love in the Time of Coastal Living
It’s 9:00pm on a Friday night. Relaxing after a long week of teaching English in Barranquilla, Colombia, I wander out of my bedroom to see what my host family is…
Villa de Leyva: Charm, Nature, and Long-Sleeves, Oh My!
The temperature was dropping. Huddled in our windbreakers and jeans, my friend and I couldn’t stop smiling. We left our boiling, garrulous city of Barranquilla, Colombia for a week of…
How to Ride a Bus, Barranquilla-Style
Riding a city bus in Barranquilla, Colombia is not quite the same as in the States. In fact, you could say the differences between the two could bowl you over…literally….
Taking the Risk of Wanting to Stay
In Colombia, a popular saying goes— “The only risk in visiting Colombia is wanting to stay!” Supposedly this saying originates just miles from my Barranquillan home, from the colonial city…
Being “American”: A Hard Habit to Break
I was warned about many things prior to coming to Barranquilla, Colombia with the Peace Corps six months ago: Your life will be a fishbowl—everyone will know exactly what you…
Barranquilla’s Carnaval: To live it is to enjoy it!
From the moment I arrived in Barranquilla, Colombia this past October, up until Ash Wednesday, Carnaval was the word on every person’s lips. As a new member of the United…