Written by Jasbeth Medrano, (University of Texas at San Antonio), Student Correspondent for CET Colombia, Spring 2025
Everyone knows “All good things come to an end”, but you never want to believe it.
Insanely enough, my time in Cali has come to a close. I’ve learned so much about Colombia, the world around me and about myself throughout these past couple of months. I cannot recommend this program enough. If you are even remotely considering this program, and are ready to question your beliefs and preconceived notions to grow as a person, please apply!
It’s always a good time to dance
Boasting the title “La Capital de la Salsa”, Cali is the perfect place to learn how to dance salsa! In general, you will find that Cali has MUCHA rumba, so here are some of my team’s favorite places to check out:
- La Calle del Sabor
- El Boulevard
- Club 1060
- La Topa Tolondra (on Wednesdays, they have Salsa Classes and social dancing)
Though, something that I will miss about Cali is hearing salsa everywhere we went. Out on the street, at panaderias, salsa was truly everywhere. It was so refreshing to see everyone dancing and having fun, without worrying about if they “look cool,” rather just focusing on having a good time. Dancing isn’t (and shouldn’t!) be limited to certain spaces; being joyful and expressing that through your body is a privilege, and we should take advantage of it!
Embrace the inner tourist everywhere you go
CET does a great job at immersing students in Cali culture, so make sure to attend all the planned excursions! My personal favorites were visiting Cristo Rey and El Museo de la Salsa: Historia y Cultura, but between museums, cultural events etc., it was pretty hard to choose. Regardless, my cohort also made it a mission to explore as much of Cali as possible, even if that meant being perceived as “tacky tourists”. We would go to karaoke bars, pop-up thrift events, La Galeria Alameda etc. and really tried to make the most of our experience, regardless of sticking out like a sore thumb.
But it was actually our identities and accents when we spoke Spanish that made us so approachable! People would often ask what we were doing in Cali, and would start conversations with us! And, for our beginner Spanish speakers, people were often so excited to hear that students were interested in learning the language! In short, romanticize the places you are in, and treat every location like a “destination” to get the most of it.
The importance of “consumer power”
As someone who considered herself a relatively class-conscious individual, coming into this study abroad, I had a vague idea of the concept of “shopping locally” and “supporting small-businesses”. However, being in Colombia truly emphasized to me the value in supporting individually owned businesses over large corporations.
For example, purchasing soap from an artisan who appreciates the craft and loves what they do will contribute much more to their survivorship than purchasing soap from a big corporation will. We truly do vote with our dollars, and going back to the United States, I will definitely be more aware of my purchases.
Questioning your positionality and intentions
Something that has truly stuck with me while being abroad is that as individuals who seek to navigate through the world with compassion, we should always question our actions and intentions to make sure they align with what we hope to embody. It may look like questioning our mentality as tourists (ex. are we truly engaging with locals and appreciating the time and efforts exerted into what they have prepared? Are our interactions manifesting reciprocity? Are we in a place to reciprocate? Or is this sentiment stemming from a “saviorist” mentality), or simply wondering why we are choosing to partake in the activities we are partaking in.
Earlier in the semester, we were posed with the opportunity to volunteer at a local organization, if we wished to become more involved with the community. Although I absolutely wanted to volunteer, I wanted to hold off on agreeing to a weekly commitment until I had first seen the course load. I wanted to make sure that if I did volunteer, I was able to offer my full attention to the community members I would be working with.
Needless to say, I am glad I held off because I realized early on that I would not have been able to manage volunteering alongside other commitments. It was tough to grapple with at first, but I realized that overcommitting is unfair to both parties. Moving forward, I will be taking all aspects into consideration, including capacity, to commit to future opportunities.
Shout-Outs!!!
And with that, I want to give some special shout-outs to everyone who made this trip amazing. Thank you to all the on-site staff and profesores, who challenged us to think outside of our comfort zones and supported our learning: Beatriz, Angela, Andres, Armando, and Diego. A huge thank you to everyone in my cohort, we really were the life of the party everywhere we went, and I am grateful to have met each and everyone of y’all. A huge hug to my Caleña roommate Sara, you and your family really opened the doors to y’alls home; I am forever indebted to y’all. And, another ginormous hug to my Mexican roommate Erica. You were a piece of home in Colombia and I cannot imagine this experience without you. I miss you (and your salsas) very dearly.
Also, if you are looking for some more insight on our adventures from another student, please check out my friend Tristen’s YouTube account! She’s super talented and her vlogs are Amazing! This is her final reflections vlog, but please check out her YouTube account @tristooo!
And, for our final song, I leave y’all with a piece that I dedicate to Cali, Colombia. “Feliz me siento” by Gunda Merced Y Su Salsa Fever.