The summer I spent in Manizales, Colombia was one of the highlights of my undergraduate career. I travelled to Colombia with fifteen other students and our professor through the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) Seminar and Field Trip program. For six weeks, I lived with a host family and conducted on a research project of my own design.

My research project focused on understanding to what extent the Colombian government and its citizens were working to reduce food waste. Before the trip, I wrote a survey that asked respondents about their cooking and eating habits and translated it into Spanish. Once in Colombia, I visited public spaces such as parks and coffee shops and asked locals to take my survey. I received over 120 completed responses. The other part of my project was interviewing professors, grocery store managers, and non-profits about current efforts to reduce food waste. It was interesting to learn that although the government had no policies in place to reduce food waste, some supermarkets were redistributing food to needy populations through partnerships with non-profits.

When I returned home, I presented my interviews and survey data in a formal research paper. To read it, please visit the Papers & Presentations tab.

Staying with a host family was my favorite part the trip. My host family opened their entire home to me and included me in reunions with their extended family. They even invited me to their finca, or vacation home. While it was difficult to communicate with them at first, we soon started to understand each other. Regular conversations with my host mother helped to cement progress with Spanish and made me feel more confident when I left the house to interview locals for my research project.

One aspect of Colombian culture that surprised me was how much more relaxed it is compared to American culture. There is no rush to reach places by a certain time while juggling multiple tasks like there is in the States. While this took some getting used to at first, I learned to appreciate the opportunity to live in the moment and enjoy it with those around me.

At the end of the program, CLAS organized a pre-departure lunch for all the students and their host families. It was fun to reflect on the past six weeks and hear funny stories from others. I am most proud of the progress I have made with my Spanish language skills and hope to continue working towards fluency. While I miss my host family, I enjoy our recurring phone calls through WhatsApp to stay connected with a family that treated my so kindly.