What I will miss about Colombia

It is hard to think about leaving a place. This is especially true when there is no real guarantee that one will return. Leaving is really a “sweet sorrow”. There is always the expectation and hope of the future. Yet, there is a deep sadness about who and what one will leave behind. There are so many people I wonder if I will ever see again. There are so many places I never visited. More than anything, I already have been thinking about the things I will miss. Our last post prompted me to expand my list of the things I will miss about Colombia.

1. Produce. Colombia has a varied climate, an equatorial growing season and very fertile soil. All these things combine to make incredible produce. The fruits are especially wonderful. Some of my favorite fruits are passion fruit, granadilla (a sweet passion fruit), papaya, baby mango, guava and lulo. Most of these fruits are consumed as a juice. A lot of the fruits would be inedible if they were not made into juice. They have so many seeds that eating them is not practical. My favorite juice is Lulo. Lulo is an earthy tasting juice that is the color of dried grass. Although it does not sound appetizing it is wonderful. I also love the vegetables. Who can resist asparagus year-round?

2. Our apartment. We have a huge beautiful apartment here. It is larger than many suburban houses. It comes complete with three parking spots and a doorman. It is located in the best neighborhood in the city of Bogotá. From the windows, we look out on the mountains and a beautiful colonial style house. I will really miss our four bedrooms, five bathrooms, living room, dining room, wood-paneled library, study, kitchen, laundry room and maid’s quarters. The floors are a mixture of tile (kitchen), wood floors (common areas) and carpet (bedrooms). All of this and a private elevator too!

3. Flowers. There are always flowers blooming in Bogotá. They are also incredibly cheap to buy. The variety is amazing. The greater Bogotá area grows roses, carnations and lilies but tropical flowers are available because of the close proximity to tropical climates.

4. Climate. I think the climate in Bogotá is practically perfect. It has two seasons, as we have mentioned before. Bogotanos call them summer and winter. In fact, I don’t think they really understand the concept of spring and fall. It always stays between 55 and 65 degrees. The difference between summer and winter is in the amount of rain. Winter is much more rainy than summer. I really love the rain so I do not mind the winter. I absolutely love their summers.

5. People. Colombians are wonderful people. We have spoken about them as a group on a number of occasions so I will not go into great detail. However, I will say that there are specific people I will really miss. Many of them we met through church and others we met through JTP’s work or AJP’s school. I am glad I believe a life after this life. This knowledge helps me know that I will see all the people I love again.