Just Perfect . . .

Working as an international developmental worker abroad isn’t always easy. Life, as it always does, is bound to throw you some curve balls. However, when things happen at home, whether they be good or bad, involving your family, friends, or the life you left stateside, it will often lead to a complicated feeling of nostalgia seasoned with a little regret for having left. Logging onto facebook and seeing that your friends are getting engaged, moving into new apartments, and advancing their respective careers can be detrimental to your own journey as an overseas development worker. Realizing that the world that you left and the one you currently live are no longer congruent is something that you just get you use to. This past Saturday news from the homestead had me wondering about a lot of things. It lead me to question my move to Colombia and extension for another year with the Peace Corps. It had me thinking about the life I would have had, if I had stayed stateside. It had me questioning a lot, although let me make it more than clear that it never had me thinking about leaving Colombia nor is it anything to be worried about. It simply had re-sparked initial feelings about whether the Peace Corps Colombia job with FCC was the right move. Nonetheless, life kept moving and I had to as well, but I needed a pick-me-up.

Well, sure enough in a place as 
exuberant as Colombia this was bound to happen. That same day, I left Barranquilla in my rearview mirror and headed to Cartagena with two other PCV’s, some FCC colleagues, and about twenty girls from FCC La Playa. The twenty girls from FCC are also part of a women’s project - WOMEN WIN. Women Win is a Dutch funded project whose goal is to empower young women living in the developing world, so they can be strong and successful leaders of tomorrow. Currently, it’s a pilot project at my FCC site, La Playa. Although, if it goes well, I would assume it would be replicated again in other FCC sites in Barranquilla. With WW, I usually help out with planning the weekly workshops and running the soccer side of the project. Like FCC , WW uses workshops focusing on gender roles, sexuality, sexual education,  self-image, self-esteem, and contemporary issues that confront the young women of today in developing nations coupled with the sport of fútbol to positively impact the lives of its participants. The girls of Women Win had been invited to participate in a 5K race in Cartagena and we, the two other PCV’s and my fellow FCC colleagues, were lucky enough to join them for the festivities. We left Barranquilla around noon and arrived around 2pm. The race was set to start at 4pm but as you can see by the photo to the left, mother nature had other ideas. So, for about an hour before the race started we took refuge from the big ol' fat coastal rain and ate some homemade sandwiches. We camped out underneath an open roof area on top of the wall that surrounds the historic old part of Cartagena. It felt like being on top of the world up there. The photo above shows the girls kicking the ball around just after the rain decided to let up. With the rain drying up, we divided the larger group into two groups - those that were going to run and those that were going to go to the beach. Due to legal obligations, only girls of 14 years old or older could take place in the race, so the rest of the girls went with two FCC directors and headed to the beach to do a workshop and play fútbol. 

We arrived at the starting line at exactly 4pm. We did some light stretching and then got in the back part of the pack of athletes. We all finished the race in about thirty-five minutes which, while slow, was good considering the heat, humidity, and overall lack of training. The finish line felt great. Soaked in sweat and in need of water, we were cheered on by event volunteers and presented with a medal for participation. Apart from the medal, I got an awesome hat with both Women Win and Fútbol Con Corazón insignias as well as a dry-fit shirt that was given to all the participants in the race. The medal, the hat, and the dry-fit shirt were great swag(you might recall Dad that swag is slang for things that one gets for free for participating or attending an event). While mother nature tried to rain out our “run for fun”, we ended up all running and making it to the finish line. The trip to Cartagena with my fellow PCV’s, FCC colleagues, and the girls from WW was great. That night, I got back to my house in La Playa around 9:45pm, ate dinner, showered, and hit the lights. The trip to Cartagena proved to be just what the doctor ordered. Running the 5K with fellow PCV’s, FCC gente, and the girls from WW was the cure to my nostalgia ultra which had me feeling the home-sick blues. However, like any good combination in boxing, the second punch, while always unexpected, was the stronger of the two. 

The following day, I went with friends to a live beach concert in Puerto Colombia. Puerto Colombia is about thirty minutes outside the city by bus and was the perfect setting for an outdoor concert. The headlining band was Bomba Estéreo. I could talk more about the music, the atmosphere, the people, and all that but I’d rather you just enjoy some of my photos and click on the links below to hear some of their music. The concert was amazing and the fact that it was free only made it better. Mi llave, or best friend, Drew talks more about the awesomeness that is all things FREE on his blog. Check it out! It’s a great entry.

In the end, a 5K in a UNESCO site with great company, a free live concert on the caribbean coast with friends, swag, and oh yeah last night’s Obama victory has got me back on track and feeling great. I’d say if I had to put it into a 10 second clip, it would look a little something like this! 

Bomba Estéreo Music

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