The Ups and Downs of Things

I use the expression that my life is like a roller coaster a lot, but I think it fits - one moment you're on your way up before having the stomach-dropping fall back down and just before you crash, you make the climb back up again. I think the important thing is that you enjoy the ride, no matter what twists and turns are in store for you.

But like most things in life this is easier said than done. The funny part is that everything in Colombia is great. I love it here and I finally feel like I have some sort of grasp on the language, culture, and the city. I have a lot more to learn about each, but its nice feeling like you have some solid base to start from. I've been spending a lot more time with Jenny and our apartment really does feel like a unique family now. I couldn't have asked for a better living situation and I already know that saying goodbye to her and Cata is going to be the toughest part about leaving. However, I'm sure that wanting to visit them will only make me return to Colombia sooner and its nice to know that I'll always have a "home" in Manga to come back to.

This week I've had numerous conversations with Jenny and other people about so many different aspects of the culture. Gender roles, religion, poverty, language barriers, the concept of time - the list goes on and on. The conversations have helped me to expand my way of thinking and challenge my own assumptions and beliefs. For example, the whole "the woman belongs in the home" mentality has never been my cup of tea, but after hearing Jenny explain how she viewed it, I was definitely able to see it in a new light. When you combine that with the Catholic presence it all starts to make sense as to how and why things are the way they are. That's the cool thing about culture - the more time you take to explore and learn about it, the more other aspects of it make sense.

I even made it to a Catholic Mass last night. And while I was born and raised Catholic, I don't usually consider myself religious. Spiritual yes, but the whole religion thing is something I struggle with. But there is something inspiring and familiar about being in a Catholic church. Even though the mass was in Spanish and the microphone echoing made it difficult to understand the words, I knew exactly what was going on and what was being said.

So going back to the roller coaster analogy, this is definitely the up and up. Now if only things at home would work themselves out then I'd be in a good place...