I was born in Colombia, in a small town named Manizales. I grew up there and after I finished my university studies, I moved for work to Bogota, which is the capital of Colombia and a really big city. This was a significant transition for me, I was far away from home and I had to learn to live independently.

After several years in Bogota, I made an even bigger move to the United States to the Bay Area in California. Despite the challenges of moving to a new country, I adapted relatively easily due to my prior experience of living on my own; besides, I was very excited to move and have a fresh start.

When I moved to US I didn’t know any English. I came with a student visa and enrolled in an English Institute. I was living with my boyfriend from Colombia who was here on a work visa; later that year we got married in Mountain View, far away from our home and family.

I think in the beginning, I didn’t feel so much as a foreigner because at the English Institute where I was studying, everyone was from everywhere, and the thing we had in common was the necessity to learn English. If everyone around me would have been local, I would have probably felt like an outsider, but that was not the case.

In 2001, my husband's job took us to Miami, where we met a wonderful group of people from various Latin American countries. Being around people who shared my cultural background helped me feel more connected to my roots from Colombia. After four years in Miami, we returned to California, where our two children were born.

I returned to work for a couple of years. Though, I eventually made the decision to quit my job so that I could spend more time with my children during their early years.

Nine years later, we settled in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and it has been our home ever since.

Despite having US citizenship, I still feel more connected to my Colombian roots and do not consider myself fully American. However, my children who were born and raised in the US consider this country their home. They do love visiting Colombia and spending time with our families there, but they also appreciate the opportunities and experiences that come with being American.

When I visit Colombia, I do not feel as if I belong there anymore either. It seems that I do not belong entirely anywhere and instead, I feel like I belong a little bit everywhere, in every place I have lived. I find that I feel the most at home in my own house.

We used to go back to Colombia to visit every two years in the beginning, but then with the pandemic we didn’t go for four years. It saddens me to see that my children have not had the opportunity to spend time with their grandparents and other extended family members in Colombia. Especially my younger one is telling me he wished he had family closer. It is tough to see that they did not grow up with their extended family around them.