The palm trees rattled as a humid breeze brushed across my face. As I rolled up my pants to dip my toes in the pool, I surveyed my surroundings. Tidy, green grass encompassed the pool and neatly pruned bushes dotted the courtyard. White-washed townhouses with blue trim stood at attention in even rows, like a militia awaiting orders. Rolling green mountains loomed in the … [Read more...]
Indignation on Horseback
The horses at Parque Chicaque in Colombia could be described as slender, teetering on malnourished. We first spotted the creatures lazily munching on grass outside their simple stable, which was laden with piles of poop. Towering over the stable, just few yards away, was the lodge where my boyfriend and I spent the night. The whole structure was built on stilts and visitors had … [Read more...]
Traveling and Glimpses of Authenticity: What I Learned Living in Colombia
Something appeared on my Facebook News Feed recently that made my eyes roll. More than if an old high school classmate referred to her dog as a “fur baby” with a #blessed caption. The eye roll trigger was a long infographic illustrating the differences between a tourist and a traveler. One of the pictures showed a stick figure sleeping in a bed, then the same figure sleeping … [Read more...]
A Sip of Starbucks, a Wave of Homesickness
The door to the Starbucks in the business district of Bogotá, Colombia is a portal to home. I unwillingly walked through that portal a couple of weeks ago while on my lunch break. The whirl of coffee beans being pulverized overpowered the murmurs of Spanish trickling from the groups of finely dressed business people waiting for their overpriced coffee. I inhaled the … [Read more...]
Soccer in Colombia: A Connection to Home
I only took two bags with me when I moved from the United States to Colombia. Suitcase space was precious and deciding what to bring was more difficult than expected. My soccer cleats made the cut without a second thought. Shoved in translucent grocery bags and placed in an over-sized duffel, they accompanied me to South America to start my new life. During my first … [Read more...]