Colombia the beautiful a place I called home every summer since I could remember when I was little. A place that seemed so harmless to me because I spent most of my younger years living there with my grandparents never imagining I would be surprised to change my opinion. The last summer I visited Colombia was the worst and traumatizing in my life, needless to say a summer that changed my life. Having planned and amazing day ahead with family, shopping and enjoying the beautiful likes of Tumaco, a small town in the southwestern part of Colombia. The day did a three hundred and sixty degree turn to worst, as I was about to experience what I always feared.
As the day began, I remember it clearly as it was yesterday; my grandmother came …show more content…
“ Was my grandmother hurt? Did she faint? Where did she go? “ I look around quickly trying to find her as the bullets are flying everywhere. From the corner of my eye I see two hands and short messy hair waving to get down, yeah that was grandmother trying to tell me to get down. I drop too the street full of dirt, car oil and maybe animal feces crawling slowly to a near by car to hide beneath it for the time being. Running my family came out from behind a car to where I was and my cousin Fernando said, “ Joan lets go we have to find shelter. My whole body went into shock there was no way I was moving from underneath that car the thought of knowing my life would end was unbearable. My grandmother was screaming, “ We need to move now!” she grabbed me from my arm and told me to stay down as we walked to find shelter. We knocked on various houses and no one wanted to open the door nor did they want to give shelter. One elderly man with his high waist pants and flannel shirt was kind enough to open his door but would refuse to let us …show more content…
The saddest part is after such scare I stop visiting Colombia because the fear of being somewhere and getting attacked, kidnapped or murdered stopped me from going. Being aware that getting over a fear is going against it, this was something I never wanted face. Remembering my families faces the fear that was shown in their eyes made me wonder how could I come back here with my own family one day and feel safe. Now a day we see in the news horrible things especially in this country but I do know the certain precautions that need to be taken to avoid such moments of panic and fear. One day I will go visit until then Colombia stays in my heart with a fearful memory and a place I have not visited for almost 20
As the day began, I remember it clearly as it was yesterday; my grandmother came …show more content…
“ Was my grandmother hurt? Did she faint? Where did she go? “ I look around quickly trying to find her as the bullets are flying everywhere. From the corner of my eye I see two hands and short messy hair waving to get down, yeah that was grandmother trying to tell me to get down. I drop too the street full of dirt, car oil and maybe animal feces crawling slowly to a near by car to hide beneath it for the time being. Running my family came out from behind a car to where I was and my cousin Fernando said, “ Joan lets go we have to find shelter. My whole body went into shock there was no way I was moving from underneath that car the thought of knowing my life would end was unbearable. My grandmother was screaming, “ We need to move now!” she grabbed me from my arm and told me to stay down as we walked to find shelter. We knocked on various houses and no one wanted to open the door nor did they want to give shelter. One elderly man with his high waist pants and flannel shirt was kind enough to open his door but would refuse to let us …show more content…
The saddest part is after such scare I stop visiting Colombia because the fear of being somewhere and getting attacked, kidnapped or murdered stopped me from going. Being aware that getting over a fear is going against it, this was something I never wanted face. Remembering my families faces the fear that was shown in their eyes made me wonder how could I come back here with my own family one day and feel safe. Now a day we see in the news horrible things especially in this country but I do know the certain precautions that need to be taken to avoid such moments of panic and fear. One day I will go visit until then Colombia stays in my heart with a fearful memory and a place I have not visited for almost 20