July Update: Colombia, Scuba Diving and More

Hi again!

It’s been quite the summer and July was probably the busiest month for me! Started off with a weeklong trip to Colombia…

This trip was all things new – my first time in South America (I’ve only been to Costa Rica and Nicaragua in Central America), first time traveling with a boyfriend (woah!), and first time getting REALLY REALLY sick on such a short trip. Never figured out what it was exactly, but probably something food or water borne. Day one I felt meh, but day two I was that sick girl in the hostel that basically lived in her dorm bed, sadly listening to the salsa music blaring off the rooftop bar upstairs as she awaits the next moment she’ll be sick (guaranteed it will take place in the next 20 minutes).

Just rereading that last sentence sounds pretty pitiful. 😅 To be honest, Colombia was absolutely amazing! Besides the sickness part, I was so excited to finally be in this beautiful country. I try to look on the bright side, and though it was a bit challenging at times when my stomach was cramping and my body would switch between chills and fevers throughout the day, this was such an eye-opening trip.

1. I gained an even greater appreciation for my body on a normal day (stomach sicknesses really make you look forward to the good old days. Two months in India taught me that, but this was unlike some of the sicknesses I got in India. Guess every country has a “specialty” haha.)
2.  My perspective on violence changed. I knew some of the violence that plagued Medellín for years, but I didn’t want that to distort my view of what this city is today. Being there in person and hearing stories from the past allowed me to better understand the pain that’s been endured there, but also to see firsthand the progress, hope and passion that the people of Medellín have for their city. It’s truly a place you should visit someday. I’ll be sharing more about this trip very soon.

   

   

Towards the end of this month…which happens to be just over a week away (how did this month go so fast??), I’ll be working on getting my PADI Open Water Diver certification, which has been a dream of mine for several years. I’ve been studying the past few weeks, and I’m itching to get back in the water! I use to snorkel all the time in Florida, but school and then jobs and life (the usual) got in the way, so I’m hoping to bring snorkeling back into my life. The underwater world is incredible, especially here in South Florida.

In ‘technologic travel’ news, yesterday, I saw the new Lion King movie, my all-time favorite Disney movie! Definitely felt transported back to a safari in Uganda I went on, driving around the savannah grasslands at the end of a volunteer trip.  I realized I never shared about that safari, so I’ll be sure to give you all the details soon. In the meantime, if your interest in this stunning continent has been piqued, check out past posts pertaining to Africa on the blog.

I’ll be sharing some posts on Colombia and scuba diving as well as travel tips over the next few weeks too.

Happy travels!

~Michaela

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