Volunteering at a Spanish school in San Carlos can be an incredibly enriching experience. Not only do you get to immerse yourself in the language and culture of a beautiful country, but you also get to give back to the community for example by teaching English to local students. In this blog, we'll explore what it's like to volunteer at a Spanish school in San Carlos and why it can be such a rewarding experience.
If you’re a logistics person (read: anxious planner) like me, you may appreciate the following details about arrival/check-in and the overall flow of each week
I had loads of questions about travelling to Colombia before I arrived, so here’s all the information you need if you’re considering a trip in late 2021 or 2022.
Like with most tasks that have been put on hold for a while, I’m having a hard time finding a place to start. So why not start in, uhm, southern Italy, in June 2019. Back then I was on vacation, camping and surfing with some good friends. The weather was incredible, our camping site was located right by the ocean and the wind was strong. Shortly before, I had just started my first job in a rehabilitation hospital after finishing university for a degree in psychology. My original wish was to travel the world before starting my career, but that’s kind of difficult when you don’t have any money saved up for it. So I did what my parents urged me to do: I took the path of flawless CV’s and least resistance, leading straight into the world of full-time-work. I searched for a job to begin my therapy program, found one, and eventually started helping people get their life back together while mine was not really where I wanted it to be.
My husband and I have been together for a little over 4 years. The first night we met, I told him about this epic “World Tour” that I was planning to take one day and he was ALL about it. Fast forward a few years to early (“pre”-pandemic) 2020: we were celebrating our wedding and looking forward to finally making our World Tour dream a reality… and then COVID-19 happened.
It’s a good sign that I’m finding it hard to make a list of only five places you can't miss in Colombia. My three weeks in Colombia have turned into three months and counting. This country has so much to offer and I have loved exploring the diverse landscapes as well as getting to know the rich culture. Between all the cities, mountains and coasts it can be hard to know what to do in Colombia and even harder to choose only five places you can’t miss… but I’ve tried my best.
Colombia is a country that is known for its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes. However, one of the things that often goes overlooked is its diverse and delicious fruits. If you are planning to travel to Colombia, you cannot miss out on the opportunity to try some of the country's most unique and tasty fruits.
As a part of the U.S. Marines, we are expected to maintain high physical fitness standards. Maintaining cardio endurance and muscular strength is essential to our ability to conduct various missions worldwide. While spending 8 weeks in San Carlos, Colombia with Spanish Adventure, I tailored a dynamic exercise routine which allowed me to maintain physical readiness and enjoy the local Colombian community.
Starting from the beginning and doing something for the first time is exciting. It can also feel hard and impossible not to compare myself to others. Thoughts constantly running in my heard such as:
"I want to be as good as they are”
“I will never be as good as them, it will take forever to speak a new language”
“I am starting all the way from the beginning, what’s the point?"
Then I remind myself of all the reasons I should be starting now and how that is a beautiful thing. How brave it is to start something new and go for something that you have always wanted to achieve. To not compare, but to instead be excited to challenge yourself and connect with others.
During my experience at Spanish Adventure, I experienced many different emotions about learning a new language. At first, it was extremely difficult not being able to express myself fully or understand others around me. Feeling like I was missing out by not being able to understand what was being discussed or why others were laughing during lunch. The more I surrounded myself constantly with Spanish conversation, the easier I was able to tune in and focus simply on the words I understood. This allowed me to have some context to possibly understand what they were saying. As time went on, I began to learn more words slowly week by week and by the fourth week I went from understanding 10% to 40% of the conversations!
Daily lessons with Rafa!
This also was the case for my daily lessons. During my lessons, learning a new concept such as SER and ESTAR, or PARA or POR, or as simple as saying “I take it” was nearly impossible for me to understand. I felt extremely frustrated with myself that I was unable to remember concepts or words after my class and to be honest, was ready to walk away and throw in the towel. It was then I had a moment of clarity- that I will never be able to learn a new language in its entirety in a few weeks. It takes time, energy, love and immersion to grow. It was when I realized this and stopped putting so much pressure on myself that concepts began to click and stay. I decided to let my guard down and started to speak more in Spanish with everyone at the school and in town. To know that there is no judgement, and I am at Spanish Adventure to learn and make mistakes, because you always learn from your mistakes! I let go of caring if I took five minutes to form a question, but instead be proud of myself for trying.
In addition to incredible Spanish classes, the daily adventures and the beautiful nature of San Carlos helped the learning process tremendously. Having the time and opportunity to enjoy the refreshing rivers and picturesque mountains was the perfect way to decompress after class. It also allowed for more Spanish conversation and a way to learn about the culture of San Carlos and Colombia. The endless number of waterfalls and lush green forests filled with colorful birds and plants was the perfect way to enjoy our days.
Yes, I just copied the Nike slogan. In all honesty, it is truly one of my favorites to live by. It's so true, just do it...go for whatever you want to do.
Getting started is where most of the resistance lies. Once that part is over, the rest will flow. Not getting overwhelmed with comparisons and "what if's", but just start and enjoy yourself and the process. All your desires, goals, wishes and dreams. It may sound crazy and hard to believe but trust me... they can all come true. If you believe in it, if you trust that you can do it and you put your actions behind your words, the universe will guide you exactly as you need. So, is learning a new language something you have always wanted to do? Have you always wanted to travel to Colombia? Or live in an authentic small village and feel like a local?
Well then...Check out Spanish adventure! Immerse yourself in the beautiful culture of San Carlos and finally learn Spanish. Remember, JUST DO IT!
Every day after class, excited students anxiously wait for the roar of a bell to fill the halls of Spanish Adventure. This sound can only mean one thing: it’s lunch time. In Colombia, lunch is usually the heartiest meal of the day, consisting of a soup, a salad, a protein, and a carb like potatoes or rice. Here at the school, we have a restaurant onsite where we are treated to amazing meals each day. I sat down with Jacke and Joan, who not only cook us this delicious food but also take time out of their days to help us practice our Spanish:
Joan preparing food for a fiesta!
¡Hola Jacke y Joan! Pueden presentarse rápidamente?
Hi Jacke and Joan. Can you just quickly introduce yourselves?
Jacke: Mi nombre es Jackeline. Tengo veinte y seis años. Nací en Medellín y he vivido en San Carlos durante cuatro meses.
Jacke: My name is Jackeline. I am twenty six years old. I grew up in Medellin and I have lived in San Carlos for four months.
Joan: Mi nombre es Joan. Tengo veinte y seis años también. Nací en San Carlos pero he vivido toda mi vida en Medellín.
Joan: My name is Joan. I am also twenty six years old. I grew up in San Carlos but I have lived in Medellin my whole life.
¿A qué universidad fueron?
What university did you go to?
Jacke: Yo fui a la universidad de Antioquia.
Jacke: I went to the University of Antioquia.
Joan: Yo igual.
Joan: Me too.
In a conversation I had with Joan about school, he explained how difficult it can be to go to university in Colombia. The private schools are incredibly expensive, and the public schools are extremely hard to get into. In order to gain entry, one must pass a challenging test; luckily, both Jacke and Joan did.
¿Qué estudiaron?
What did you study?
Before our bread went in the oven.
Jacke y Joan: Ingeniería de alimentos. Jacki también estudió cocina.
Jacke and Joan. Food engineering. Jacki also studied cooking.
While I may have previously grouped these two fields together, they are apparently very different. Food engineering focuses more on the science of food and food manufacturing. Their expertise shone brightly when we were given a class about making bread and the science behind the process (they spent 6 months in school just learning about bread!)
¿Cuáles fueron primeros trabajos cuando salieron de la universidad?
What were your first jobs out of school?
Jacke y Joan: Este! Nuestro primer trabajo fue iniciar una microempresa de alimentos cárnicos como chorizos, morcilla, y tocino ahumado. Llamada Monte Alma. Además trabajó en un restaurante para la escuela.
Jacke and Joan: This! Our first job was starting a micro business for meat like chorizos, blood sausage, and smoked bacon. It is called Monte Alma. We also work in a restaurant for the school.
Not only do Jacki and Joan work for the school every day, but they also run their own business, frequently making trips to Medellin to drop off orders.
¿Cuáles son sus comidas Colombianas favoritas para preparar?
What are your favorite Colombian dishes to prepare?
Jacke: Frijoles y empanadas de papa y carne.
Jacke: Beans and potato and meat empanadas.
Joan: Me gusta preparar mucho los amasijos Colombianos como pan de queso, pan de yuca, y pandebono.
Joan: I really like to prepare Colombian dumplings like cheese bread, yuca bread, and pandebono.
¿Cuánto tiempo han trabajado con Spanish Adventure?
How long have you been working for Spanish Adventure?
Jacke y Joan: Hemos trabajado durante cuatro meses.
Jacke and Joan: We have been working here for four months.
Describir sus experiencias en la escuela hasta aquí.
Describe your experience so far at the school.
Joan: Ha sido una experiencia muy enriquecedora porque he conocido nuevas culturas, nuevas personas, y muy buenas amigas por todo el mundo.
Joan: It has been a very enriching experience because I have gotten to know new cultures, new people, and very good friends from all over the world.
Jacke: Ha sido una experiencia muy diferente porque nunca había vivido en un pueblo. He conocido y aprendido mucho y siendo esto una buena experiencia.
Jacke: It has been a very different experience because I have never lived in a small town. I have learned a lot and it has been a great experience.
¿Disfrutan practicando con los estudiantes aquí?
Do you enjoy practicing Spanish with the students here?
Jacke: Si es divertido porque puedes conocer diferentes personas y aprender diferentes culturas.
Jacke: Yes it is fun because you can get to know different people and learn about different cultures.
Joan: Si, es la mejor parte de estar en la escuela porque interactúas con nuevas personas, haces nuevos amigos, y aprendes mucho.
Joan: Yes, it is the best part of being in the school because you interact with new people, you make new friends, and you learn a lot.
One of the best parts of the Spanish Adventure program is that we are given the opportunity to converse with a Native speaker. Each week, we are paired up with a different person, and we get to spend an hour in the morning talking about whatever we would like. I have had conversations about politics, past travels, beliefs about life, funny stories from childhood… It is easily my favorite part of the day.
¿Cuáles son sus expectativas para el futuro?
What are your hopes for the future?
Jacke: Con la escuela, poder avanzar construyendo una familia y poder viajar por todo el mundo.
Jacke: With the school, to be able to advance in building a family and to be able to travel the whole world.
Joan: Con la empresa la idea es crecer y tenerla posicionada en el mercado siendo referentes a nivel nacional. Con la escuela queremos aprender a conocer nuevos amigos para visitarlos en el futuro.
Joan: For the business the idea is to grow and to have it be in the market at a national level. With the school we want to learn and to know new friends to visit in the future.
Getting to know Jacke and Joan has been one of the many highlights of my time at Spanish Adventure. Not only have they accommodated my vegan food needs for the past month (a very difficult task in Colombia), but they have also become true friends. My days will not be the same without the enthusiastic, “Buenos dias Jordyn!!!” that is sure to come from the kitchen when I pass by each morning. Gracias por todo mis amigos. Disfruten sus vidas y los veré en Europa algún día:)
Our Spanish Adventure family.
Like with most tasks that have been put on hold for a while, I’m having a hard time finding a place to start. So why not start in, uhm, southern Italy, in June 2019. Back then I was on vacation, camping and surfing with some good friends. The weather was incredible, our camping site was located right by the ocean and the wind was strong. Shortly before, I had just started my first job in a rehabilitation hospital after finishing university for a degree in psychology. My original wish was to travel the world before starting my career, but that’s kind of difficult when you don’t have any money saved up for it. So I did what my parents urged me to do: I took the path of flawless CV’s and least resistance, leading straight into the world of full-time-work. I searched for a job to begin my therapy program, found one, and eventually started helping people get their life back together while mine was not really where I wanted it to be.
Every Saturday, Spanish Adventure organizes a big adventure for the students from the school. This Saturday we hiked to the Piedra el Tabor – also known as “the fucking rock”. Everyone of us was exciting about it. Everytime we passed the square of San Carlos we saw the huge rock and I couldn’t wait to hike up to it and have a 360 degree view of San Carlos and it’s beautiful nature.
Travelling is a wonderful exciting adventure, but being away from home for an extended period of time can take it's toll. My advice: slow down. Studying Spanish allows you to travel more easily, have more authentic interactions with locals, and it’s also a wonderful opportunity to slow down and settle in somewhere for a little while. I’ll tell you why you won’t regret it!
While Colombia’s civil war is formally over, one explosive part of its history remains. Colombia’s national sport, Tejo, involves gunpowder, steel projectiles, and alcohol. A combination of any of the latter might sound like a recipe for disaster, yet blowing stuff up while drinking beer is perhaps the best national sport a country could wish for.
