Hello Loyal Blog Readers,
It is me! CONOR! This month you have the privilege of reading about our time in Cali through MY eyes!
While January was relatively “low key” for us in terms of adventures as we got back into the swing of working, we were happy to get back to the health and wellness lifestyle we have come to love in Cali!
One of the first things Taylor and I noticed when we arrived in Colombia was how FIT everyone seemed to be. It is certainly a culture that takes physical health and exercise seriously. As soon as we moved into our apartment, we joined a gym less than a 5 minute walk away: El Molino. Taylor and I knew that making sure the gym was that close to us would greatly increase the likelihood of going. However, what we did not know was that gym experiences in Colombia are QUITE different than gym experiences in the US.
Firstly, you have to be ACCEPTED! After paying for our membership, Taylor and I started to walk upstairs to begin our workout. However, we were quickly stopped and after several difficult Spanish interactions, we discovered that we could not enter the gym until we had a physical with the doctor on hand. We made appointments for the next afternoon, and walked home...with no idea of what was coming.
Taylor and I arrived at the doctor’s office expecting to fill out a few forms and maybe get on a scale for a cruel reminder of how far away from our fitness goals we were. But as soon as we walked in, the doctor immediately asked me to remove all of my clothes down to my skvvies. Then, he used a FAT PINCHER on not just the “typical” fatty parts of my body, but on parts I did not even know had fat: ankles, neck, elbows, cheeks...okay, not cheeks, but you get the idea. When the torture finally ended, he sat me down and took out a calculator and a highlighter. There was no translation needed for what he had on his document: I had a lot of work to do to get to his standard of physical fitness. After Taylor went through the same demeaning examination, she tried to ask some clarifying questions, to which the doctor pantomimed eating, and then promptly made a giant "X" with his hands. Yikes! We expected to go home and wallow in self-pity...but it turns out that was just the beginning.
Suddenly, we were ushered upstairs to the gym area with all of the other Colombian gym rats that clearly had passed their examinations with flying colors. The doctor introduced us to Pablo, a personal trainer from the gym (who, before I go any further, I should mention has become one of our favorite people in Cali). Pablo looked at our sheets (there was more yellow highlighter than white at this point) and began to take us through a workout. Taylor was taken to the step climber, and told to climb to the top of the Empire State Building (I think...distance was unclear), and I was quickly taken to the bench press, which my college friends can attest, is the last place in the gym you would find me back at BC. Just when we thought it was over, a whole other set of exercises commenced: thighs, hamstrings, back, biceps, triceps, quadceps...wait is that a thing? Taylor and I looked at each other after over an hour in the gym and limped down stairs...only to have Pablo ask, “¿A dónde vas a ir?”, which translates to “Where are you going?” Apparently we had not even scratched the surface of Pablo’s expectations.
As the weeks went by, we slowly got used to the Molino gym standards. I realized that my old, American habits of maybe looking at my phone a bit more than lifting weights did not fly here. In Colombia, when you go to the gym, you work out; and that is it. Pablo developed a set of exercises for Taylor and I to do each day, and slowly but surely, we are seeing progress on those highlighted sheets from the doctor!
But the great thing about Colombia is that the gym is not the only way to remain healthy. The teachers of Colegio Bolivar are extremely active people, and always keep Taylor and I moving. Every Thursday, Taylor dances “aerorumba” right on campus with several other teachers from school, and comes back sweatier than if she ran a 5k. That instructor keeps everyone “booty droppin’” and “hip poppin’” for the entire hour...Taylor would also like to note the instructor is easy on the eyes, which may be why her endurance is much higher in these classes than any other. I have reignited my love for soccer while in Colombia. I play with the teachers and some local Colombians every Wednesday at a nearby futsal field. Also, we often play Friday’s and on early release days! This month at school, there is a tournament, and the teachers have entered as a team to take on the students!
Finally, what Taylor and I love the most about living in Colombia is the ease of exercising in nature. One of the highlights of January was a spur of the moment camping trip Taylor planned to the nearby town of Pance. Within 30 minutes, we were outside of the hustle and bustle of Cali and in the middle of nature. We spent the weekend with friends hiking and swimming in natural pools formed by the mountain rivers. We feel so fortunate to live in a place that can afford us all of these opportunities that are not only fun, but also good for us!
Favorites:
-Enjoying a natural slide down a slippery rock into the Rio Pance
-Petting a newborn horse while camping
-Conor finding his inner baker while scrounging for sweets that fit the “Whole 30”
-“Tech Free” Thursday Date Nights
-The tree outside our apartment window sprouting mangoes
-Taking the time to read some of the new books we brought back from home- thus far, our favorites are "Educated" by Tara Westover and "The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz
Getting Schooled:
One Monday, Taylor was a bit stir crazy after I had spent MANY hours watching playoff football the day before, so she decided to go to salsa lessons with friends from school. However, what she thought was going to be a workout class turned out to be more of a social hour! The salsa lessons were located at a bar frequented by other ex-pat’s and travelers. Needless to say, as she was surrounded by cute 20-something’s in dresses and jeans, her sneakers, leggings, and exercise top made her stand out way more than her dance moves. Taylor's personal hell is showing up under dressed for any occasion, so it's safe to say she won't be wearing sneakers next time she hits up salsa lessons.