To grow up female in Colombia is to inherit a legacy of berraquera —a word that means toughness, gumption, and the refusal to quit. You look at your mother, who can cook a feast for twenty, negotiate prices with a truck driver, and do her makeup in a five-minute taxi ride. You look at the vendedoras ambulantes (street vendors) carrying fifty pounds of fruit on their heads, walking barefoot in the rain, laughing.

Education is highly valued, but expectations can vary:

They don’t see what I see. From the floor, I see the ants—the hormigas culonas —marching in a military procession toward a fallen mango. I see the dust motes dancing in the slice of Andean sun. And I see the grown-ups’ feet: the scuffed leather of my father’s boots, the cracked heels of my aunt after she comes back from the finca, the chipped coral nail polish on my older cousin, who is fifteen and already knows how to dance salsa like a knife.

: There is a strong cultural push for girls to pursue education as a means of independence and social mobility. Independence and Fortitude

“We don’t have one,” I said.

My family was very close-knit, and our home was always filled with laughter and music. My parents, Juan and María, were high school sweethearts who instilled in me and my siblings a strong sense of values, love, and respect for our culture. My mom would often tell me stories about our ancestors, who came from Spain and Italy, and how they influenced our traditions and customs.

As A Little Girl Growing Up In Colombia _verified_ ❲CERTIFIED — TIPS❳

To grow up female in Colombia is to inherit a legacy of berraquera —a word that means toughness, gumption, and the refusal to quit. You look at your mother, who can cook a feast for twenty, negotiate prices with a truck driver, and do her makeup in a five-minute taxi ride. You look at the vendedoras ambulantes (street vendors) carrying fifty pounds of fruit on their heads, walking barefoot in the rain, laughing.

Education is highly valued, but expectations can vary: as a little girl growing up in colombia

They don’t see what I see. From the floor, I see the ants—the hormigas culonas —marching in a military procession toward a fallen mango. I see the dust motes dancing in the slice of Andean sun. And I see the grown-ups’ feet: the scuffed leather of my father’s boots, the cracked heels of my aunt after she comes back from the finca, the chipped coral nail polish on my older cousin, who is fifteen and already knows how to dance salsa like a knife. To grow up female in Colombia is to

: There is a strong cultural push for girls to pursue education as a means of independence and social mobility. Independence and Fortitude Education is highly valued, but expectations can vary:

“We don’t have one,” I said.

My family was very close-knit, and our home was always filled with laughter and music. My parents, Juan and María, were high school sweethearts who instilled in me and my siblings a strong sense of values, love, and respect for our culture. My mom would often tell me stories about our ancestors, who came from Spain and Italy, and how they influenced our traditions and customs.