It’s wild to think that at this time last year, I was in Cusco, Peru, mapping out my future life as an English teacher in Buenos Aires as I recovered from my first excursion to Machu Picchu. There may or may not have been some Halloween planning involved as well, the memories are a bit blurry there.
Little did I know that in a year’s time, instead of realizing my “dream” of sipping mate between high-paying private English tutoring sessions and dining on steak and wine whilst planning Halloween festivities with all my hip Argentinian friends, I’d be apartment hunting in the City of Eternal Spring affectionately known as Medellín, Colombia (or is it the other way around?) drowning myself in americanos as I fervently attempt to get noticed as a writer and otherwise “make it” online as a digital nomad, leaving little-to-no time for Halloween planning.
October, much like the last 365 days of my life, has been full of changes, challenges and surprises. Despite what may sound like complaining (what am I going to be for Halloweeeen!?), I’m incredibly excited about my new beginnings here in Colombia and the opportunities my future holds now that I’ve learned what it is I actually want out of life, at least in the next couple of years (hey, it’s a start), in terms of work and personal achievements.
I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me yet but I have to admit, the mental clarity I’m experiencing for quite possibly the first time in my adult life feels pretty damn good. Hopefully now I’ve got you wondering what the heck happened this October to provide me with this divine inspiration. Well…
In October of 2014…
I had my first article published in a travel magazine! TravelNow, based in the Philippines, ran a several-page photo essay penned and photographed by yours truly, detailing some of the highlights of South America. A billion-and-one thanks go out to my lovely friend Yam for orchestrating the whole thing. Seeing my writing in print (and my profile on the contributors’ page) has been crazy surreal, but hopefully it’s just the beginning.
I got to meet my long time animal crush, Mr. Sloth, aka the lazy bear (oso perezoso) in Spanish. We toured the Jaguar Rescue Center of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, where we were able to get up-close and personal with a handful of the silly looking creatures as well as other jungle dwellers as they were rehabilitated for release back into the wild. It was a major highlight of my 5 weeks in Central America and an experience I won’t soon forget.
I traveled to, and fell in love with, my 20th foreign country–Panama! From the white sand beaches and laid-back vibes of Bocas del Toro to the charming streets of Casco Viejo to the fascinating history of the Panama Canal, I loved everything Panama had to offer. I may very well be back in the future (but not until I’ve reached my 30 before 30 goal!).
I made the 5-day journey by sailboat from Panama to Colombia via the San Blas Islands; I’ve now officially crossed Colombia’s borders by air, land AND sea! My arrival in Cartagena was a momentous occasion, as it marked the first time I’d ever traveled back to a country I’d previously visited. Colombia feels like an old friend and I’ve relished being back.
Lastly, seeing as nothing but positive things have come about as a result of starting this travel blog 10 months ago, I decided to really invest in the future of The Mochilera Diaries by joining the illustrious group Travel Blog Success. You can expect to see tons of changes coming about around here in the next several months, hopefully all for the better. I’ve seen what TBS can do for blogs and I’m confident that it can help me create something I’m proud of. Keep your peepers on the swivel–great things are on the horizon.
That’s all for October…now if you’ll excuse me, serious Halloween prep is calling.
