To Conclude...

As I sit here in the comfort of my family's home in Boise, Idaho, it is clear that my year as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Colombia is over, and I know that it's time to bring this blog to a close. I have tried to come to some sort of "conclusion" about my experience to include here... But I think it will take a great deal of time to really make profound assessments about how Colombia has changed me or how it will continue to affect me for years to come, and any efforts that I've made to write the last chapter of my blog have resulted in a sappy mess.

Therefore, I'd like to end with a song (no, I'm definitely not going to sing!). It's a song by a Colombian singer named Jorge Celedón, who is from the province of La Guajira. It's a style of music called "vallenato," which means "born in the valley" and comes from Colombia's Caribbean region. This song is the type that everyone sings along with when you're out in a club, and you're certain to hear it at any gathering anywhere in Colombia.

But, more importantly, I think it represents a lot about the philosophy Colombians employ and a lesson that has become very apparent to me during my stay in their country. The chorus is: "Ay, que bonita es esta vida, aunque a veces duela tanto...," which means, "Ah, how beautiful is this life, even though sometimes it hurts so much..." Please take a look by clicking here.


Gracias, Colombia, for teaching me a lot about this beautiful life and thank you, Rotary Foundation and District 5030, for providing me with such an opportunity.