Hey @CN,

I just wanted to let you all know what I've been up to. I have been in Bogotá for about two weeks now and it has truly been amazing. The first week I did a lot of tourism in Bogotá and got acclimated to the 3000m altitude. This past week, I met the team for my project, Alcance Social. The team is made up of 25 people from 12 countries (11 countries and Colombia). We are working in 11 cities, with the same government organization. The idea of this project is based in something that I feel that @ hasn't adequately affected to my knowledge at this level. We will be working with the psycho-social and socio-economic problems of people who are forcibly displaced from their homes by the violence in Colombia and rapidly urbanize. Wow, through exchange I am getting the opportunity to work for the government of another country and use my skills to help out a rapidly growing problem.

For me, the project subject matter is enough, but what have made the experience even more powerful is the people who are on this project with me. They are very diverse even within the national participants. I have gotten to know all of them well and hope to remain good friends with many throughout the project and after.

@ in Colombia is also amazing. They have almost 800 members and have realized over 120 exchanges this year. The MC team works soooo hard, and for this I can definitely see the benefits of only having one year to do all you possibly can. The sense of urgency is almost draining to watch, but the passion is so inspiring. I don't know if anyone has seen the slogan "Colombia is passion," but in my experience, this is defiantly true.

I have been speaking very positively about this experience, which is not to say that it hasn't been incredibly difficult and challenging at times. I have dealt with a different style of education system, which relies heavily on long, detailed, and drawn out speeches. Not to mention, all of these speeches were in Spanish, a language that I struggle to understand and gain confidence using. Just as in any language as well, some people speak slowly and some are supersonic. Some can slow down and some lack this ability. For all the times that I have felt like my head will implode, vale la pena, because my Spanish has greatly improved this week and I am very excited to start work.

My goals for this week are:
to obtain a cell phone,
integrate into the office I will be working in,
get a national ID card,
study subjunctive,
read and write a bit everyday

To all of you who are jealously reading this entry, there will be more rounds to this project and it will be even bigger in the future with perhaps 40-80 participants. Look out for it and let me know if you have any preguntas.

Colombia es un pais super chevere y full bacano.

Chao nene!!