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“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I am not really sure when rainy season is here in Colombia- but considering it rained about every other day, I would have to guess it is in October & November. I even asked my sister who has been here a year and she wasn’t really sure either- mostly because it rains so often. It rained in Cartagena, it rained in Medellin, it rained in Santa Marta, it rained in Minka, it rained in Bogota.

And when it starts to rain, it pours.

One morning, while taking Spanish classes I woke to a torrential downpour. Not wanting to miss my Spanish class, I collected my things and ventured out in the rain. I walked a block or two down the street until I found myself knee deep in rainwater. I wanted to turn back, but I thought of sweet Jorge (my Spanish teacher), venturing all the way to the center of town for class and I couldn’t bring myself to stand him up. So I kept going, I hopped over puddles, waded through street rivers, crossed over makeshift bridges to get to class. I arrived at class to find that the whole building was filled with water. Jorge arrived late because his house had flooded waist high. We commenced our Spanish lessons as water dripped onto my Spanish book as if everything were normal.

“Asi es la vida,” Colombians often say. That’s life… while the rain slows things down, kids often don’t go to school, business close in the rain, the streets full of vendors empty out, if you are caught out in the rain you’ll duck into a café until it passes… then life goes on.

I must say, though, I am very greatful that I packed an umbrella.

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