Six weeks with AIESEC in Medelln, Colombia

As I was making up my mind about where to go to it was all about discovering something different, something new, something people have a limited view of. Another important thing for me was, that I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country. The city of Medelln is not very well known one around the people I interact with on a daily basis, and if it is known it is only known for things like violence and drugs. I did not believe that picture, which was widely spread and set to our minds by the media. So, I decided to hop on a plane and fly to Medelln. After I arrived three AIESEC EAFIT members picked me up, it was a very warm welcome. They drove me to my host family, who welcomed me in a very warm way as well. In general, I always felt very welcome and people were happy to see me, as a foreigner, being interested in their all day lives in Medelln. During my stay I was working in the Office for International Relations at University Autonoma Latinoamericana and was teaching English in conversation classes. I expected to start work right one or two days after I arrived, it turned out I had almost two weeks before I started to work. Organization was not always what I was used from back home, in general people tend to take things slower and not too accurate. The first two to three weeks were not always easy, since I did not learn any Spanish before it was hard to communicate and the mentality of the people in Medelln was different than what I was used to. After these hard times I was able to enjoy life in Colombia a lot. I was able to communicate with people, I started to relax and take things easier. My host family took me to a few places outside the city and on the other days of the weekend I explored the city with local people and other foreigners. Over all, it was one of the best things I have done so far. Life in Medelln is very different as people are warm hearted and more relaxed. I can say, I never felt being in danger and if you rely on common sense you should be safe. I am very glad that I took this chance and decided to apply for this GCDP from AIESEC in Medelln, Colombia and was able to make all these great experiences.

Aaron Scheib, October 2013