@jordansalama19

Today, a lovely surprise: Martín España, a local schoolteacher in the rivertown of El Banco, Magdalena, and the founder of @cantosdelrio, invited me to speak with “a few students” who were interested in writing. When I showed up, nearly one hundred kids, teachers, and community members were there. Many asked questions, and some even got up to read their writing aloud for all to hear. There were aspiring poets, essayists, and magazine editors in attendance. And like so much of the art that has historically emerged from this region of Colombia, the students’ work was clearly profoundly inspired by the river and the natural landscapes that mark where they live. A beautiful bonus to this assignment adventure for @natgeo. Keep writing, Colegio Lorencita Villegas de Santos!