Travel Spotlight: Arriving in Coffee Country in Colombia

Note: Gabe is traveling to Santa Rosa de Cabal (near Periera) in Colombia to do a 2 week Fullbright Specialist Program Project with La Corporación Universitaria Santa Rosa de Cabal (UNISARC). He’s made a goal to post at least four times (once after returning) to share about this experience.

Colombia and coffee are in many ways synonymous. Those of Gabe’s generation or older might remember the classic Juan Valdez advertisements showcasing the Colombian coffee grower and his burro. Gabe partially blames this phenomenon for the occasional transformation of his last name into Valdez when he attends conferences or places an order (ahem, Starbucks).

As a little side note, there is a “real” Juan Valdez. The National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers chooses one coffee grower to be the face of this advertising campaign, much as the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and the Marlboro Man are chosen to represent their institutions. Ok, maybe it’s a little different, but I think you get the picture. Sadly, the last one passed away about a year ago and no replacement has been chosen. Rest in peace Carlos Castañeda.

Returning to the main point of this post, as readers of this blog will know, Gabe always says this legacy lives on in his blood. His great-grandfather, Manuel “Mister Coffee” Mejía, was the head of the National Federation in the 1930s through 1950s. He famously—or perhaps infamously—went bankrupt multiple times before rising to lead the Federation, and during his time, the coffee industry boomed with high prices, increased consumption, and increased shipping capacity (that he helped motivate). 

Manuel Mejía Jaramillo (Mr. Coffee)

He was also the focus of Gabe’s undergraduate thesis. We don’t have to go there, but let’s just say the experience of digging into family past and living in Colombia was much more powerful than the final written product it led to. 

His legacy lives on through various initiatives, including the Fundación Manuel Mejía, which was created to advance education about the coffee industry in rural areas of the country.

And here we come full circle. The Coffee Federation founded UNISARC (in 1982), and the Fundación Manuel Mejía is part of the board of directors.

So, as Gabe heads down to Colombia, this Fulbright project is more than an opportunity to travel. It’s more than a chance for intercultural exchange. It’s more than even a way to learn more about coffee (he’s already promised folks back in Milwaukee that he will ask about tariffs, climate change, and more). 

It’s a chance to continue the lifelong identity journey that has made him a caffeine addict and underlies the joy Cafecito 414 brings to his life. Oh, and of course, find some really fun coffee shops (pictures to come)!