Hola Amigos! I know zero Spanish, despite visiting 2 Spanish speaking countries this year. I feel like such an ugly and uneducated American. Somehow I survived in Colombia for 7 days as a reward for winning the Nespresso sustainability competition back in June. I know my parents (and a few friends) were a little worried about my safety, since Colombia doesn't have the bet reputation. However, after getting off my direct flight from Orlando to Bogota, I was greeted with the newest marketing slogan: Colombia, where the only risk is wanting to stay.
After traveling on November 4th, I woke up the morning of my birthday with a sunkissed view of downtown Bogota. It almost looked like a painting. No time to celebrate though, as we were scheduled to meet with various stakeholders in the Nespresso supply chain, beginning with a major exporter. My team and I spent the next 10 hours in meetings, listening to experts speak in Spanish, then listening to our awesome English-speaking, Colombian born translator convert the words to English, then trying to formulate a somewhat intelligent questions, then listening to the answer in Spanish and English. It was exhausting but incredibly informative! Even though we sat in one room for virtually the entire day, we were well taken care of. Every time the Colombian Coffee Federation switched speakers/experts, we were offered cup of coffee and snacks. We were even gifted bags of Colombian coffee from the head of the FNC! By the time the day was over, we had exhausted our brains and were ready for bed. Alan (our guide) took us to an incredible dinner spot (where we began eating hours before the local crowd). Just as I really started missing LDL on our birthday, the server came out with a candle in my blackberry pie. Awesome.
The following day I really let my nerd flag fly. We visited Cenicafe, a research lab dedicated to science, innovation, and technology for Colombian coffee. We even got to enter the lab where scientists are creating new rust-resistant coffee varieties!
Our trip ended with a presentation to members of the Nespresso community at our beautiful hotel. I think all of the team members will admit that it was stressful at times -- not so much of a "reward" trip as it was additional work. That sentiment faded quickly though, as we looked back through our pictures and retold stories of the trip. And how often do you get to eat breakfast with an emu (I think)?
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| Bogota city center |
As the end of the year nears, I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have been blessed with the health and flexibility required to have visited 3 countries in the last 15 months. Each country was a unique experience and learning opportunity. While I hope to continue the adventurous life, this travel weary soul knows that there is just no place like home.
