I had a few priorities for my birthday trip to Colombia:
- To celebrate my 90+ day streak on Duolingo by practicing my Spanish✅.
- To fully relax and not think about all the things that were concerning me at home/work, by deleting Outlook and limiting general contact✅.
- To go with the natural flow of the day✅.
My trip mainly consisted of exploration, conversation, and relaxation. I initiated conversations with people as much as possible and asked questions whenever necessary. Curiosity was my tour guide throughout this trip, and it took me far. I had the pleasure of experiencing both Cartagena and Medellin. These cities had very different cultures. The heat in Cartagena was impossible to prepare for. The trip itinerary was set up so that Medellin was in the middle of the trip. After returning from Colombia, I remember thinking that I would probably just split the trip half and half; now that I am writing about it, I think the break from that heat was probably necessary!
With this being my first time in Colombia, I can honestly say that I am glad I did not do extensive research to prepare for this trip and skew my view of this beautiful country with other people’s experiences and biases. Every restaurant was decided upon based on a Google Maps search and vibes. Breakfast? So filling. I appreciate Latin American countries incorporating rice and beans as a morning staple so much. And the service? Consistently pleasant. Though I enjoyed every meal, breakfast was what I looked forward to the most.
Circling back to my lack of research on Colombia, I did not know that Colombia mines and produces between 70% and 90% of the emeralds on the global market. There were so many markets and shops selling such beautiful emeralds. I was so excited to find this out, considering my birthday is in May, which makes my gemstone the emerald. Immediately, I was on the hunt. In a mini mall located at the center of Getsemani, out of all the emerald shops I visited and inquired about, I stumbled across one randomly with the sweetest lady named May. She was so friendly, welcoming, and caring. She was also the only jeweler I had spoken to that day who sold gold jewelry with emeralds, just as I was searching for. To sweeten the deal, we share the same gemstone. It meant something to both of us. The rings that I purchased from her, and the gifts that she gave me, will be a constant reminder of her generosity and kindness.
One of my favorite parts about Colombia was the art scene, from the music to the streets filled with acrylic paintings on canvas. I enjoyed every part of it. I enjoyed walking through the streets and hearing a group of young men freestyle to a hip-hop instrumental on a miniature boombox. I enjoyed the rooftop lounges in the evening with a DJ playing unfamiliar but electrifying dancehall music. I enjoyed having an amazing dinner with the perfect sangria while listening to a live band serenade everyone in the restaurant. I enjoyed connecting with every piece of visual art along a beautiful alley with a row of art galleries and artists painting on blank canvases to add to the surrounding walls. I purchased the piece that spoke to me the most: a canvas painted black with a glowing golden figure in the middle sporting a gorgeous golden afro. I knew it would be the perfect addition to my living room and the perfect reminder of the beauty and the beautiful culture that I had the privilege of experiencing during my time in Colombia.
I spent the entire trip doing exactly what I wanted to do at any given moment. There was no itinerary. The only obligation I had was a photoshoot scheduled for my birthday. Aside from that, this trip was about listening to my body, mind, and spirit on a level that I don’t usually have the opportunity to in the U.S. I often get consumed by overwhelm, overworking, overthinking, and over-planning. I had a break from all of that in Colombia and loved every moment of it. I’m looking forward to year 24 and many more trips like this one.
