As A Little Girl Growing Up In Colombia -

Were we scared? Yes. Deliciously so. But those stories were our inheritance—more precious than gold, more binding than law. They taught us to respect the jungle, the river, the mountain. They taught us that the world is alive, and hungry, and watching.

Colombia is a country of hyper-diverse geography, and your playground depended on which of the five regions you called home.

Growing up as a girl in involves navigating a culture that deeply values family and tradition while gradually embracing modern roles for women. This experience is often characterized by a strong sense of community, the influence of a protective family structure, and the backdrop of a country with a complex social history. as a little girl growing up in colombia

, I didn’t have a phone, an iPad, or even a color TV for most of those years. But I had that. And that was everything.

: Unlike many cultures focused on Santa Claus, Colombian girls traditionally wait for "Baby Jesus" to bring gifts at midnight on December 24th. Cultural Milestones Were we scared

: Colombian family life often revolves around the mother, who is frequently the primary caregiver and emotional anchor. Girls observe mothers who are expected to balance household management, career, and a societal pressure to maintain a "perfect" appearance.

Colombia was not a country. It was a room. A very small room, and a very large one, all at once. It was the sound of my mother’s heels on the tile. It was the silence of a missing classmate. It was the taste of arepa and the smell of rain on hot asphalt and the terror of a knock at the door. But those stories were our inheritance—more precious than

“We don’t have one,” I said.