I Used to Live in Colombia

I have officially adjusted my vocabulary to the past tense. Living abroad is different from backpacking, in that you give yourself time to settle somewhere. My status quickly shifted from teaching fellow to nomad. Now I sit in a hostel in Bogotá on my last full day in Colombia. Time has gone by so fast that I barely noticed the changes in me. Physically looking in the mirror, I can see the metamorphosis Colombia has made over the past four months. My skin's a little darker, hair a little lighter, and body a little thicker.

In Barranquilla, my identity of "home" was temporarily identified with a mother, an aunt, and a traditional older brother in the north end of the city. In just less than 24 hours, that will adjust again, and it won't be the final time this week. I have grown to appreciate small talk in the kitchen, and showing my host family photos from my travels and previous life I originally left behind in the States. But old will become new again, and new will become old.

On my last day, I ponder how my life is about to make a drastic transition all over again. But this time I don't have any doubts. When reflecting on my mentality, I've discovered that my mind has opened more to the world than in previous travels. I feel stronger, wiser, and more appreciative of the opportunities I've been given. Last year, I faced a blur of confusion and uncertainty for my future. My confidence in life choices was hindered, and I surely didn’t believe I would gain it back in such a short amount of time. My vision went from thinking 5 years down the road, to thinking about what I was going to do with myself now. Altering my focal point helped me see the things that would have surpassed me and my future.

It's so ironic to me how much I've actually changed. Happiness, carelessness, and freedom feel so new yet natural at the same time. In adjusting to life in Colombia, I noticed how easy it was to give up old habits and things I've grown so comfortable having around me. There was never a point in questioning decisions or concerns, especially those of other people. All that matters is that I was able to turn all negative situations into positives ones through choice in perspective.

These changes in me didn't begin abroad, I only carried and strengthened them here. The seeds of these values were planted by the love and support of an amazing family and true friends who refused to let me dwindle. Their strength is what encouraged me to regain mine back, in order to become the woman I am today. I utilized this confidence to take my self exploration abroad. My inner goals were to discover what type of person I want to be, and if I could handle it. Now that I know my answer, I am ready to embody that woman.

Every memory I've made has tattooed itself to my brain, allowing me to make wiser decisions with each future step. I am a globetrotter. Someone who takes into consideration all the things I've been exposed to abroad and even in my home country. Tomorrow my adventure continues back in the USA. But who knows where I will really end up. Keeping my curiosity alive is part of the thrill. As Robert Frost reflected, no one knows what’s down the path not taken until someone breaks the norm.

Finca

If there is any natural thing that I am addicted to, it would be the rainforest. My history of travel reflects that it is truthfully my absolute favorite place in the world. I have  been in all kinds of environments, from the mountains and the city, to the desert and the countryside. But no place on this earth has given me a natural high like being in a prehistoric forest. The life I’ve come across here, is so exotic and beautifully mind-blowing it almost always bring me to tears.

This past weekend I heard there was a cacao finca located in the center of the Sierra Nevada. As I was already halfway there, I decided there was no choice but to journey through my favorite biosphere to find a place where chocolate is born. The rainforest was especially majestic this time around thanks to hurricane Matthew. My guilty pleasure of the rainforest is obviously, when it's actually raining.

As I walked by trees with leaves as big as me, I made sure to take in every moment. The plants cupping as much water as they could grasp to last them through the dry season. The birds singing tunes to each other in the canopies. The wild animals scrambling in the bushes due to the unfamiliar sound of a human presence. Extraordinary trees cleansing the air, serving as pulmonary arteries for the forest. This feeling is like vibrant fractals of color centering themselves within a shaded green. None of it seems real, even though it's a touch and a feel away. The euphoria I usually get when in such a place reminds me of a world before human life.

I knew I was close to the cacao when I could smell the bitter scent of fresh chocolate in the air. Along the path, plants with young cacao fruit started to emerge. Standing in the doorway of a hut was a man who looked to be in his early thirties. I approached him completely drenched from the down pour I just endured. He smiled and welcomed me to his cacao farm with a piece of chocolate he had made just that morning.

After a moment of rest he led me to the back of his farm where the many ages of cacao trees radiated life. I listened to his knowledge from planting the trees, pollination process, harvest, and production. His whole life was devoted to cacao. He had lived on the land I discovered on my trek, for over 13 years. The forest gave him everything he needed, so there was really no point in him leaving other than to transport freshly made chocolate. Halfway through my visit he cut down a fresh cacao fruit and cracked it open with his machete. This exposed the most tasteful sweetness that has ever touched my tongue. Never did I think that a plant that produced chocolate, also produced something of an entirely different taste.

Seeing how much I enjoyed the fruit, he chose to cut another one from the tree and shared the indulgence of flavor with me. As we made it back to the hut, he showed me how to turn the dried seeds of the cacao fruit into a chocolate paste. As we peeled away the skin of the seeds, he told me of the many flavors different cacao seeds can produce. Once they were ready to be grinded into the paste, I got the chance to experience the sabor for myself.

The decision to venture through the tropical forest during a storm made me think of all the other times I've done this in Latin America. Every time I make the trek, I feel like a young child getting to know the world for the first time. The most untouched places of the earth provide the most natural treasures and medicines. Everyone in the world should experience this beauty at least one time in their life. I know that at some point in the future I will end up back here. Instead of feeling sad to depart, I find myself thinking, "until next time."