An American who arrived in Medellin in 2008 for what he thought was a simple trip ended up staying for years, working as an English-language TV broadcaster in Colombia. Gary Parkosewich, known online as Gary El Gringo, shared his story in ColombiaOne's 'Why I Chose Colombia' interview series, and his experience doubles as a useful reality check for anyone eyeing the country as a holiday destination.
Gary first visited Medellin with his college girlfriend, and the trip reshaped his plans entirely. He went on to join RCN's pioneering English-language news project and spent years living in Bogota, travelling to cities like Manizales and Medellin, and getting deep into vallenato, the accordion-driven folk music of Colombia's Caribbean coast. His broadcasting work focused on producing travel stories that pushed back against the negative stereotypes that long defined how the country was covered abroad.
Now based in Connecticut, where he works as a full-time content creator, Gary still spends his time showing Colombia's landscapes, culture, and people to international audiences. Family commitments keep him in the US for now, but he describes leaving Colombia as one of the hardest decisions of his life — and says a return is genuinely on the table.
For travellers, the interview's most useful part may be his honest take on the challenges foreigners face in Colombia, alongside practical advice for those considering a visit. His route — big-city Bogota, coffee-country Manizales, and Medellin — is a classic introduction to the country: the capital's cool highland energy, the coffee region's green hills and small-town pace, and Medellin's transformation into one of South America's most talked-about city breaks.
The broader takeaway is one Colombia's tourism sector has been leaning into for years: the country is far more than its old headlines. It's vallenato bars, cable cars over hillside neighbourhoods, coffee farms you can tour, and a genuinely warm welcome — all at a price point that still undercuts much of Latin America's better-known circuit. If a Connecticut gringo can build a whole career and identity around the place, a two-week trip is a pretty safe bet.
