Life in Medellin Day 4

Yesterday it rained for hours, which gave me a chance to do some yoga and make a plan for Sun. Today I went to the Botanical Garden, which I went to three years ago and it was less than exciting. This time was completely different. The orchids were flowering, there we animals about, people were picnicking everywhere, and the day was beautiful. I left the garden and found some street meat (named in Panama after leaving the discoteca starving, there was always a street vendor to be had). I had my first arepa today after three years! YUMMMM! An arepa for those that don't know, is a round corn patty, usually filled with cheese here in Colombia and topped with your choice of sauce. I made mine a dessert arepa and chose the sweet lechera sauce (sweetened condensed milk). So happy to have arepas again. While enjoying my arepa, I sat and watched all the people pass by. There was a guarapo vendor squeezing sugar cane with limes to make the delicious, teeth roting drink. The day made me happy to be back in Latin America.

Life in Medellin

The beginning:
A quick flight from Ft. Lauderdale had me in the mountains of Medellin, Colombia in a matter of hours. For some reason I didn't find the mountains so striking the last time I was here. Perhaps it was because I wasn't skimming over them in a plane or having to walk five full city blocks up the hillside to get to the bus stop. I would imagine San Francisco to be like this but with drivers that actually follow some semblance of etiquette not to mention, the law!
So I have four housemates: Gloria, the landlady, chef, maid, laundry person, etc, her two daughters, Elizabeth and Susanna, that have recently graduated as doctors and are moving on to studying a specialty, and Christof, from Austria here to study Spanish. I really couldn't have asked for a better group, and the pad is pretty sweet too. I have my own room that is plenty big enough, a view that is perfect for me, and access to the pool, sauna and steam-room.
Dinner was yummy and the company was great. It helped me relax a little. As a wise woman once said, "The transition is the hardest part." I couldn't agree more. It's hard to be plucked from your comfortable life of friends, family and gardening and placed down into a stranger's house. Thankfully Colombians are ultra-friendly and are helping to make the transition smooth. Today was a bit of a roller coaster emotionally but once I get my Spanish back and get a routine down, things will be A-OK!
Tomorrow I get the "induction" into to University CES, have the weekend to look around and Monday starts off with a bang. Right now, I'm off to bed because Life in Medellin has only just begun.