It was pretty unreal meeting an alum from years past, but more so because I was surprised he was in Bogota in the middle of September, of all places. It's one thing to hear about people from the older pledge classes and see their faces and names on LinkedIn; it's another meeting one in real life. Whether abroad, on LinkedIn, or in New Orleans, every alum I've met has been extremely helpful and insightful.
The most valuable lesson I took away from abroad and hiking with Blane is that you really need to appreciate the present moment. I have been in AKPsi since the fall of my freshman year, and after a while, it felt like I was going through the motions and not really putting much thought into it. Time has been on my mind constantly this semester since it feels like it's been going so fast, and so slow at the same time. While hiking Monserrate, I told Blane about my thoughts regarding time - how I remember talking about going abroad to Spain with my friends in Sharp 6 two years ago. Now I'm actually abroad but in South America, and I am the only one who actually left. Blane told me that before you know it, you're 27, working full-time in a completely different city with entirely new people, and that stuck with me. I'm happy Blane told me that because it's a bittersweet truth. He and his friends haven't been to a chapter in years, and they last visited AKPsi half a decade ago.
Life passes when you don't look around and appreciate what and who you have in the present. I'm grateful for all the people I've met in AKPsi, the doors that opened for me through it, the memories I made from it, and the lessons I learned from my time in AKPsi.
Over time, this has gradually become my favorite semester. Culturally, it was a hard adjustment at first, mentally as well. I'm thrilled I knew a bit of what to expect - shoutout to Brothers Josh Belew, Daniel Largacha, & Vishy Kandala for providing insights about Colombia. Before I left, Josh sent me a text describing how hard the first few weeks would be and how things would get better with time. I appreciated the thoughtful heads up but initially shrugged it off - but it's true. At first, it's a weird feeling to see everyone together without you and be alone in a new country. Brother Ariana Virani is also in Colombia, so every once in a while, we've gone to see horror movies together, which has been fun and a great way to keep in touch with Tulane and AKPsi while abroad.
Colombia itself is highly underrated for studying abroad, and I'm surprised it's a path not taken more often. At Universidad de los Andes, I've met people from everywhere and had the opportunity to improve my Spanish and learn about new cultures while making lifelong friendships. Colombia is a country with so much to see and great people. I cannot think of another place where I could go mountain climbing in Peru, bungee jumping by a coffee farm the following weekend, and then camping in the Amazon Rainforest for three weeks before going to Chile the next month. Everyone should go abroad if they can. See the world while you have few responsibilities & learn from and see so many new cultures - you never know who you'll meet along the way. I met an alum that I would have never met if it wasn't for AKPsi.
By Blake Belaire
