Bursts of Color - A Year in Colombia (Guest Interview)
I recently posted about my son's experience with the American Exchange Project. Several of you responded positively to that, so today I'm interviewing Hayley Krolik, Rob's daughter, who just finished a different kind of cultural mission: a year-long Fulbright Scholarship in Colombia. Following are a few highlights from a longer reflection Hayley wrote about her time there.
What Were You Doing in Colombia?
HK: After visiting Colombia on my own in 2018 and hiking the Ciudad Perdida trek, I embarked on the beginning of my multi-year love story that hasn’t ended. Colombia is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. Last year I taught English in Villavicencio - essentially the country’s Texas (lots of farming and cows).
Is Colombia Really One of the Happiest Countries?
HK: Yes, Colombia has been listed as one of the happiest countries in the world and was allegedly the happiest in 2016. Colombians are always blasting music, drinking a beer, and bursting with pride/hope for their country, no matter the circumstance. They’ve experienced a lot of hardship over the years, but they’ve survived by finding the beauty in each day. They’ve definitely encouraged me to enjoy the moment and take a more “come what may” approach to my life.
Are There Downsides To This "Come What May" Mindset?
HK: I formed a simile that I always like to say described my perspective on living in Colombia (with love): “Living in Colombia is like waiting in a line and never knowing why.” There were countless times when I would wait in line for the ATM. There would be two ATMs, but people would only use one. I would ask the person in the front of the line if they knew why no one was using one ATM, and the response would always be something like, “someone told me it was out of order.” About half the time it worked fine, but I was the only one who would go test it for myself. This situation stood out to me as a symbol of the contrast between American individualism and more collectivist societies. While I’ve always grown up with messages about entrepreneurship and been rewarded for taking initiative, that experience is not global.
What Have You Learned about Immigration to the USA?
HK: Everyone in Colombia loves their country, but many people - rich and poor - feel the need to leave to provide their families with a better future. Very few want to leave forever - the plan is to make money elsewhere and return to their beautiful country. Some try to learn foreign languages and get scholarships to study abroad. However, many don’t have the money for those opportunities and feel forced to attempt crossing the US border. People pay coyotes a ton of money to get them into Mexico and then cross the US border - walking, swimming, whatever it takes, to request asylum. To learn more about this issue, check out Immigration Nation on Netflix or read about the Immigration Justice Campaign if you're interested in volunteering. I’ve started by doing Spanish translation at the border for lawyers over the phone.
Are You Going Back to Colombia Soon?
HK: Yes, I’m heading back in a couple weeks to live in Bogota and work in Human Capital consulting at Deloitte, my post-grad job prior to the Fulbright. I’m planning to come back to the US in a year, but for now I’m heeding the advice of my Colombian friends and trying to be tranquila.