When I first stepped onto the balcony edge of my apartment in Colombia, I was greeted by
nervousness, excitement, and the sound of vendors selling arepas across the cracked concrete
streets. All of the brick homes bled into each other and the mountain view blazed with murals
depicting the Colombian armed conflict or Afro-Colombian resistance. Standing there, looking at
illustrations of salsa dancers in the streetlights, I knew studying abroad in Colombia would not
only be an academically stimulating experience, but also transform how I understood the world
and myself.
In the classroom, the discussion-based seminars were rich in exploring identity, especially from an
Afro-Colombian perspective. I found myself visiting a multitude of Black communities across the
country alongside my cohort with immersive experiential workshops. One of the most beautiful
moments was through my course A Social History of Colombian Coffee, taught by Dr. Diego Andrés
Lugo Vivas, where I learned the strength of Colombian women. The main owner of a local coffee
farm was a woman named Elsa and only a week after falling ill, she taught us how to harvest coffee
beans and cooked incredible meals with fresh aguapanela. Her son even showed me how to plant
a coffee tree that was named after me. In Colombia, I was always shown the strength and courage
of the local women who utilized their rituals and traditions to facilitate cultural exchange. They
slowed down to teach me their language, sang with their hearts and always complimented my
coarse hair with a kiss on the cheek.
Living independently in a foreign country can be challenging and nerve-wracking, especially when
I questioned how I would adjust to a language barrier or meal prep. Beyond struggles with my
emerging independence, I wasn’t sure how my identity would be received by my cohort, staff or
local roommates. On the contrary, from the moment I arrived, I was immersed into a beautifully
Black and queer space where both students and faculty shared in vulnerable conversations about
their existence in the United States and Colombia. The friendships I created with the people in
Apartment 602 changed my life. We bonded over our common similarities, uplifted our
differences, laughed around the chisme table and helped each other adapt to being in a
completely different environment.
The opportunity to study abroad, for me, was a dream come true. As an Afro-Latina born in
America, I wondered how I would view myself. Some label it as heritage seeking, but instead
meeting all of the beautiful and passionate local women as well as the women in my program
showed me that I want to carry their strength and activism with me everywhere I go. Change
always brings challenges, but building community as well as engaging in important conversations
helped me overcome obstacles. CET Colombia was the best semester and left me extremely proud
to be a Black queer woman. I am incredibly grateful to the Fund for Education Abroad, Davidson College and CET for allowing me to participate in both an educational and affirming environment.