Season of celebration

Somehow January is already slipping by (?) but I'm still basking in the goodness that was the holiday season here in Colombia. For context: volunteer placements slowed down for me mid-December which offered precious time to spend with my community and do a bit of adventuring. Days took on a different rhythm with my host family as we shared more meals together and gathered together in the evenings with more frequency. As we had been planning for weeks, my host mom finally came to Rumba class with my host sister and me and it was even more fun than it sounds. Taking advantage of free time to freshen up the house, we also deep-cleaned the couches and it was...not more fun than it sounds.

And, amidst this new normal, I had the opportunity to slip away on a couple adventures, one of which took me to a friend's finca in a nearby pueblo with some of my host sister's university friends. Knowing little of what to expect, it ended up being the best day, full of sun and new friends and silly games in the pool. For lunch we grilled out and ate with our hands, later taking naps in turns on the hammocks as we slumbered in the soft afternoon light. With just an invitation and a quick bus trip out of town, we all enjoyed a day of togetherness and unhurried time shared together, and by the end of the day, we came home with windblown hair and sunburns and happy hearts.

Another afternoon, my host family drove some 30 minutes to the coast for a picnic at the Castillo (that isn't actually a castle) and it was the most wholesome excursion. We ate a hodge-podge of random, silly snacks that we picked up at the market on our way there and sat on a well-loved blanket to enjoy the softly setting sun and the sound of the waves. For me, picnics like these are one of the simplest and purest joys of life.

These were simple days of laughter and good food and togetherness, and although they didn't carry the familiar sights or sounds or smells of a Michigan Christmas, they began the Christmas season for me with all the things that truly matter at this special time of year.

From there, Christmas itself came quickly with family celebrations and time spent with good friends. In Colombia, Christmas is celebrated on the December 24th as families traditionally celebrate with a special cena (dinner) around midnight. As it happens, this year my host family hosted Christmas dinner at our house, so we spent the day shopping, cooking, and cleaning in preparation for our guests' arrival in the late evening. Once our friends from church arrived around 8pm, we spent the next hours on the back patio, sitting and sharing stories together until finally we passed around plates heavy with delicious, homemade food, and, of course, finished the night with dancing, despite the heavy humidity of the early morning. Later, after passing around the traditional natilla dessert, we all peeled off to sleep, even as our neighbors kept their music playing well into the morning.

In this process -- doing the shopping and tidying the house and making sure everyone is comfortable once they arrive -- my host community is teaching me to celebrate. It's work, involving time, energy, and money, but it's worthwhile work to take time with the people we love to enjoy the goodness of life. What's more, it's not the preparation or the party that matters most but rather the simple act of stopping, gathering, and appreciating the goodness of life that surrounds us.

My learning on celebration didn't stop there, either. My birthday is on December 26 so the fiesta didn't stop for long as my host family went above and beyond to make it a special day for me, going out of their way to make my favorite foods and perform an *unforgettable* rendition of feliz cumpleaños on the recorder. In general, the day unfolded easily and unhurriedly, at least until we got ready for the party in the evening. Then, once again, we cooked and cleaned and decorated, but it was all done with joy as we waited for our friends to come celebrate another year of life lived and another year of life to come. Looking back now, it really was everything I could want from a birthday party, including balloons, a frosting fight, and even more dancing -- I may have turned 23 but there forever lives a child within me. It was a day of giddy gladness and shared celebration.

With the New Year approaching, I had the opportunity to slip away to Colombia's 2nd largest city, Medellín, for some somewhat spontaneously-planned exploring. While enjoying the mountain views, graffiti art, and metro system, I was also able to catch up with 2 friends I met earlier this year at the Presbyterian campamento in Bogotá. Together we explored some of the (free) staples of Medellín, including lush park spaces like the Botanic Gardens and Parque Arví in the city known for its comfortable climate, often called la ciudad de la eterna primavera (city of eternal spring). With a population of 2.5 million people, it would be impossible to explore all the city, but I savored the opportunity to walk and wander in a new place, celebrating the New Year in my own, quieter way, with plenty of time to reflect on these past 4 months in Colombia. I'm proud of myself for navigating the ups and downs of living in a different culture and I'm excited about all the time that remains, a feeling that affirms once again that this year was the right choice for me. While sipping coffee with my friends and watching the tourists stroll around in La Plaza Botero, we cheers'ed to 2019 and looked ahead to all that 2020 may bring.

From Medellín, I traveled north in the Antioquia district of Colombia to a mountain town called Dabeiba where I had been invited to spend a few days with a family I met through the (close-knit) Presbyterian network. Diego and his family welcomed me into their home with open arms, introducing me to their extended family members that live nearby, even spending an afternoon teaching me to make the most incredible homemade tamales. During my time in Dabeiba, we hiked and biked as well, getting our bodies ready for the bike trip we'd been planning for weeks that would lead us still further north toward the Atlantic coast. I'd been looking forward to the trip since we first hatched the plan, borrowing a bike and all the necessary gear so I was ready when we finally set off before sunrise this past weekend. The path was beautiful, leading our group of 6 down past sprawling mountain views and guiding us up some good, hard hills.

~Alas~ after 50km, we came to a downhill that ended my trip. As often happens with accidents, a few unexpected things happened at once, among them a car cutting me off on a curve and some sneaky potholes surprising me, ultimately causing me to lose my balance and take a pretty gnarly fall. Thankfully, I was accompanied by some experienced cyclists and kind friends who made sure I got to the nearby hospital quickly and safely. Now, 6 stitches and some serious bruising later, I'm resting and healing well and feeling deeply grateful for the folks who cared for me in Dabeiba and my host family looking after me now as though I were their own.

My priority for these days is to keep resting my body, but even as I'm recuperating on the couch, I'm delighting in the goodness of life. Recent bumps and bruises included, these have been weeks saturated with celebration and goodness and I treasure the memories of this recent season. There are no words to express my gratitude for the people who have welcomed me into their hearts and homes here in Colombia, but I know I am forever the better for their friendship and hospitality. May I (we) continue to hold closely to this gratitude and continue celebrating the beauty of this life.