Would love to hear from ex pats on their Colombian experience

I recently posted a request for helpful advice as to making the move to Colombia.  I received to very informative responses which I really appreciate.

I would really love to hear from anybody who either recently lived in or is currently living in Medellin regarding their experience and any advice you might offer, i.e., information you wish you might have known beforehand.  My husband and I will be in Medellin in February, looking at apartments, etc.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Happygirl1113

Hello happygirl1113

I suggest you to drop an advert in the Housing in Medellin section of the site to increase your chances to find a nice accommodation when you will be in Medellin.

Regards
Kenjee
Expat.com

Hello Happygirl1113,

I have been living in Medellin for about 8 months and enjoy every minute of it.The Colombian people are very friendly and welcoming and every day there is always something different to do.I have a real estate company here in Medellin and I would be happy to assist in finding  you housing here. I if have any questions about the real estate or any other questions about Medellin in general feel free to ask.Take Care, Chris.

Chris,

Thank you so much for your reply.  Do you mind if I ask where you lived prior to Medellin?  Did you move from the US?  Given that you have your own business, can I assume that you speak fluent Spanish?  My husband and I are trying to learn what Spanish we can now, but we are a little concerned about how difficult it might be until we can converse comfortably.  If we make the move, my husband will most likely work for our son and I will be looking for work. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

As far as looking for an apartment, I believe our son has someone lined up to show us some properties.  If not, I may be contacting you in that regard.

Sincerely,
Happygirl1113

Hello Happygirl1113,

I lived in Massachusetts for most of my life. I had visited both Panama and Colombia several times before my move here. I enjoy the Spanish culture , great weather here and how much Medellin has to offer . There are many schools that teach Spanish here in Medellin for a reasonable price and you can get buy at the beginning with basic Spanish knowledge. I used Rosetta Stone for about 6 months before moving here and that seemed to help a lot.I found personally that living here you can pick up Spanish very quickly. Let me know if you have any other questions   Take Care, Chris.

Thank you for your response Chris.   Did it take you long to settle in?   It sounds like you are enjoying living in Medellin (love your gringoin medellin name).  Is this a permanent move for you?  Do you live in El Pobalado?  That seems to be where many ex pats live.

I look forward to hearing from you again.  :-)

Alisa