Category: 2026

Seoul, South Korea: 시…happens

My Asia trip began on June 1st when I landed in Incheon International Airport. My friend and I planned to stay 22 days in South Korea, a country neither of us had been to before- and honestly, neither of us did much planning in advance. I was completely open to anything, to exploring as we went. She had a wish list of things she had been wanting to do, and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Little did we know, in the span of the first week, so many life lessons would be learned leaving us with this feeling of: “No way we’ve only been here for a week!” and “Why didn’t we look into this ahead of time??” The overwhelm of planning where to stay and what to see day by day would also take its toll. But looking back, I feel like everything happened the way it should (yes, even the shitty stuff).

A few highlights to show how utterly manic this trip was:

  • Tried on Hanbok and made a friend from Vietnam on our 2nd full day
  • Went out for the first time on our 4th day, partied in Itaewon
  • 2 doritos (30 minutes in our 2nd club) later: my phone disappeared
  • Dealt with heartless bouncers and Korean law enforcement
  • Got refused service by taxi drivers for not being able to communicate in Korean (even when we were using a translator, they had no patience with us)
  • Took a tour to the DMZ zone, went down a tunnel into North Korea, and watched people moving around nearest NK city
  • Experienced the most intense Thai massage ever (not great if you have blisters on your feet, I’ll tell you what)
  • Took a highspeed train to Busan and Korea’s ancient cultural capital, Gyeongju
  • Flew to Jeju island, the land of tangerines – where I spent the whole time at the hotel 😦
  • Went to a clinic for aesthetic and nonaesthetic reasons
  • Had a summer romance snatched directly from a Kdrama
  • And the list goes on…

I think you can guess why it feels like I lived a whole life there. The high highs and the low lows, the culture shock you don’t usually feel when you’re a tourist in a country for less than a month (and much less during the first week of your trip).

But thanks to these experiences, I have a lot of stories to tell and lots of advice to give. Yay!

My student put together this cute little timeline of topics mentioned in this post to help keep track of all of the madness – consider it a preview and visual aid 🙂

In this post, I’m going to focus on the shit that happened during my first week in Korea and how I could have avoided it. I’ll have more recommendations and recap facts in another post.

Day 4: The Premature Death of the Honeymoon phase.

I started the day in the best mood, ready to comerme el mundo, do it all. I wore the outfit I had bought at one of the many little clothing stores in Insa-dong the day before, feeling very Korean and cute. I love Asian fashion, the tendency to layer, even in summer.

Ah, sweet summer child… little did I know that this day would end with tears and frustration. This was the breaking point that forced me to see all of the negative in my surroundings all too soon.

I left a piece of me in Seoul — quite literally — and an expensive piece at that.

The only pictures and videos I have of this day were what I uploaded to my IG stories 🥲. A full day, gone — but boy was it a full day.

The few pictures I did take are uploaded and described on my instagram.

Gwangjang Market

We started the day at Gwangjang Market – went to grab lunch, stayed for the shopping.

I felt right at home. The food stalls and tables set up, as well as the variety of shops and booths, reminded me of mercados públicos in any Latin American country. The prices were unbeatable, and we were able to eat real authentic dishes like tteokbokki (too spicy for me 🥲), kimchi, bibimbap, kimbap (my favorite, and not at all to be confused with sushi) and more. Plus, I tried Korean Sprite, Chilsung Cider — loved it! Comparing it to Sprite does not do it justice – the flavor is totally different.

We wandered inside afterward, bought souvenirs, and got a caricature portrait drawn. When we passed the new KAHI location in Gwangjang Market, we were drawn in by the offer of a free color test and product demo. This service is pretty popular in Korea, so I’m glad I got to experience it.

And it was free.99!

Sure, they were selling their products the entire time, but in the gentlest way possible. The girl that did mine was so sweet, and while she didn’t know much English, she used ChatGPT to translate and explain everything. She took off the base of my makeup and primed it using their skincare products before putting on their foundation and showing me which color palate suits me best.

I can’t quite recall what my results were, but I think it was deep warm colors (orange is popping in my head), not exactly what I would pick for myself. I felt skeptical about their methods, but it was still fun.

I ended up buying three products which have become totally essential to my daily skincare routine: the CAXA UP face-lifting device (always wanted one of those and with the discount the price was super attractive), an ampoule serum, and a sunscreen stick — my fave.

After all that shopping, we were ready to take the long trip to the other side of the Han River.

All downhill from there?

The rest of the day was a bit chaotic. I couldn’t help noticing that I was trying to control the outcome of our adventures. Additionally, in some way, my phone was contributing to my stress. I was navigating, scoping out our destinations and the surrounding attractions, looking up places to see if they were open, trying to live our trip to the fullest – all the while searching like crazy for ATMs.

In many aspects, Korea felt more insular than I expected. Global ATMs are not available in every convenience store, specific apps are needed to navigate without getting lost, and even the outlets need an adapter to charge – and lucky me, I forgot my powerbank and my adapter. Before leaving the area, we went around in circles looking for someone that could help me find a global ATM.

We wasted time only to go down to the metro station and realize that some metro kiosks let you refill your T-money card with a credit card. Cash is mostly an essential though, and I didn’t even realize at this point that my debit card runs in the Discover/Diners Plus network which is not common in most countries. Whoops.

My adorable Zoa Tmoney card. Shout-out to GD ❤

Once I reloaded the card, I was good to go. We got to Seongsu 50 minutes+ later by bus and discovered that our destination was out of the question. We needed to book in advance to get into Haus Nowhere – a strange brutalist concept space mixing contemporary art and retail(?) with a strong sci-fi vibe. Plus, there was some sort of private event going on that day. Another reminder: always check two things before committing to a long commute – if the place is open and if entry is limited.

We turned around and headed to Gangnam to check out the Starfield Library without skipping a beat. While lovely, after all of the walking and bus/train hopping we did, being surrounded by books I couldn’t read that basically seemed like decoration was a bit underwhelming. Yes, there were people studying there, and the concept is striking, but it seemed like we were there just to take pictures and leave. It could be that I felt that way because we had crossed the entirety of the COEX mall, a huge, sprawling cluster of buildings with various floors and confusing signage, to find it. Either way, I was beat.

Finally, we said fuck it. We needed a drink.

We got caught in the rain as we left the mall and had to run to a convenience store to buy umbrellas — UV umbrellas, not rain umbrellas. The cashier laughed at us, but honestly, come on. To me it worked just as well, it’s just dual purposed. You can fight me in the comments. 😉

Apparently the one I bought wasn’t made to be water repellent – but you coulda fooled me!

Next stop: Itaewon. We were ready to partayyyy.

Itaewon: the end and the beginning

Itaewon is an absolute shit show after dark. As is expected in a party district full to the rim with young people and tourists covering the sketchy types that take advantage of those spaces…

We went to two clubs: Dawn and the Mansion.

At Dawn, we brought the party, asking the DJ to put on reggaeton to liven things up because honestly, it was DEAD in there. All of the boring pop was undanceable – and not even K-pop was being played. 🙄 Before we left, we had filled the place up with our perreo in the big front window, attracting attention – so much so that they asked us to come back the next day and gave us free drinks.

We were on cloud 9, but it was getting late and we wanted to catch the last train at 12, so we headed out before getting sucked into the Mansion…

We were only there for about 30 minutes. We had our free drink and didn’t even leave our table. But as I would see in the CCTV footage later, I finally took off my phone off my wrist to do some twerking. As we picked up our things to go, I realized my phone was not with my stuff.

How?

I asked the bartender if a phone was turned in. Nothing. He and other staff struck arms across their chests. We dubbed it the “AHHH-NEEE” X of doom (the common sign for “no” in East Asia). I was in total shock. Somebody had managed to scoop it up somehow, right under my nose and out of view of the cameras.

And just like that, the party was over.

Losing my phone in Korea

Thank God for my friend who was with me. If it hadn’t been for her support, the rest of the trip would have been impossible. I couldn’t move my money around and had no way of navigating. Was this the detox I needed? Maybe, but the damage was more than I had expected. Without her, I don’t know what I would’ve done.

My heart was racing. I was in total shock. After asking the staff inside the bar, my first thought was to ask the bouncer what I should do if someone had taken my phone, how the bar handled a missing phone or potential theft on their premises. I struggled to form sentences and leaned on my friend for support, asking if he knew what I should do or had seen anything.

His reaction took me out.

He immediately became defensive. It was not his problem. My friend knows some Korean and picked up on him insulting us, telling us to fuck off basically. I stressed that I just wanted to know what the procedure was and let him know in case he saw something, but in my mental state, I only began to cry harder as he told us to get lost. I stepped away, feeling angry at how helpless I was. As soon as I started walking, the bouncers at neighboring clubs came up to me. I figured they could see face wet with tears, my bloodshot eyes, surely they might be concerned about me.

Nope. They were trying to hand me drink vouchers and persistently attempting to lure us into their clubs. Their eyes registered my pain. Their actions ignored it. I firmly asked one of them where the nearest police station was since that was originally what I hoped the Mansion bouncer might tell me. They pointed to the end of the block. There it was, just across the street.

This isn’t a place where you see Seoul’s kindest face. With so many drunk foreigners acting up every night, I could see the weary faces and negative biases. Still, nothing had prepared me for the treatment I received. I entered the police precinct, a bit calmer, but still desperate for support.

The police were helpful enough. I could sense that this incident was probably a drop in the ocean for them, but they still dutifully gathered all the information I could provide. I reported the theft and tried to locate my phone, to no avail because without a safe device, I couldn’t get past the MFA.

Our only complaint was the lack of genuine empathy. I was practically despondent and had no way to call a cab or direct us back to our apartment. They noticed we had not left and basically told us we should leave, that they would be in touch. I tried to ask for help calling a cab. I was stressed knowing we wouldn’t be able to communicate easily with the taxi drivers… They said they couldn’t. Just…couldn’t. So, we went on the corner and waved our arms until we flagged them down and got turned down repeatedly. 🫩

Korea is not for beginners.

I thought I had done enough research. I knew about Naver and T-money. I knew I would need cash. But I still wasn’t prepared for how limiting my bank card’s network is there, how tricky dealing with taxi drivers can be, or just how dependent I would be on having the right apps.

Google Maps does not work, so you better download Naver. Naver is slow sometimes, especially when everyone in Seoul is probably using it at once. Uber is limited, so Kakao T needs to be set up with your Korean number stat. But then they may still cancel or take you to the wrong destination because the gps and locations are not so precise.

You can hail a cab, but most will not bother with a translator app, so expect to be put out if you don’t have the location ready and zoomed in — in Korean — on the map for them to see immediately. Taxi drivers aren’t known for their patience, but this was still the worst experience I ever had communicating with them, and I’ve dealt with taxi drivers in Paris (yikes).

I know taxi drivers in general are a tough demographic, but the amount that we were yelled at was unbelievable. They weren’t willing to listen to or read from the translator app when we tried to communicate with them. In our three weeks there, I can recall only three drivers who were actually friendly, and two of them weren’t in Seoul.

You’re also more likely to be ignored on the street if you have big luggage like we did. By week 2, both of us had 2 full rolling suitcases and 2 carry-ons, plus our backpacks and purses. Moving to a new accommodation was a nightmare. By our last week back in Seoul we made sure to stay in one place.

Another tip: make sure you bring an adapter for outlets in Korea. I had no idea those were different despite all my research.

We live and learn. But don’t learn the hard way. Don’t be like us.

The Comparison I couldn’t help but keep making (sorry): Japan vs. Korea

I struggled not to compare Korea to the other Asian countries I’d been to. Maybe that’s not fair, but it did bring me to some interesting conclusions. At the time, I only had Japan to compare it to. Now, I would say it was trickier to navigate than Thailand also.

In terms of culture, I knew that Korea is a highly competitive society, more individualistic (in SOME ways — not in all, like fashion, for example) than Japan. But I didn’t know just how different the hospitality standards were.

My advice is not to expect it to be like Japan – in every sense. It is its own country shaped by a unique history and identity.

The negative side of the inevitable comparison is the disparity between expectation and reality. My experiences in Japan have been colored by the fact that there has always seemed to be someone around willing to help a foreigner. Regardless of language barrier.

Although my Korean was too nonexistent to help much (at least I can get by in Japanese), when I tried, people were not terribly receptive. Much less fake “impressed.” No sugar coating here. I felt like I was inconveniencing people who I asked for help. When I did, the results were not so great.

Perhaps I was a bit spoiled. Japan seems to be more equipped to help tourists (even in Tokyo), while in Seoul, despite English being more widely spoken, general helpfulness and friendliness were not common from strangers. Most people are just trying to get by in their own chaotic worlds, and I can empathize with that. It’s just something to keep in mind.

Travel on Hard Mode

So, for 2 weeks, I lived like a tourist in the 90’s, before smartphones and information at our fingertips. What were the positives? I started writing – in a notebook, the old-fashioned way. On the train, while everyone was staring at their screens and doomscrolling, I was jotting down messy (practically illegible) notes about what I had done that day.

My humblest moment >.< most of my phrases were wrong, but I was trying!

If I needed directions, I would ask someone or look it up on my computer and write them down. If I needed to remember common or specific words in Korean, or I learned or heard a new word, I would add it to a list in my notebook. On the metro the last week, I was reading the train lines and station names. Did I get lost? Sure. Did I butcher the Korean language? Often.

But I found that I was able to survive without my phone. Hell, people had survived without them for ages before the 2000’s. The experience made me realize just how dependent we are on technology for everything.

I joked saying I was traveling on hard mode, but I made the choice to do so with the sincere hope that the Korean police would be able to track down my phone. I got called into the station to review the cctv footage, I went back to Itaewon and asked if any phones had been turned in, and I practically prayed a novena – but it was no good. My Samsung S23 was gone for good.

I got a new phone — an A17 budget phone from the Samsung store in Seoul, tax-free — the last full day of my stay in Korea. It was a downgrade, but… the price was right, all things considered.

The picture quality is not the same. I couldn’t recover notes I had taken and pictures from the entire last day when I had my phone. This drove home another important point: BACKUP your phones, especially when traveling.

Seoul, My Soul

So… did Seoul steal my soul?

Well, it definitely stole my phone… as well as quite a bit of my patience. But it also taught me some valuable lessons. Oh, why must I always be forced to learn the hard lessons in life? I guess so you, dear reader, don’t have to!

Would I go back? Somehow, the answer is yes. Even after everything went wrong, I still look back at Korea and think: what an experience.

And there’s more where that came from. Stay tuned for my breakdown of where we stayed, what other parts of Korea we visited, and more lessons learned the hard way!

Budgeting a Month of Remote Working in Colombia

Today I’m going to tell you about part of my time in Colombia while including key vocabulary related to where I stayed and how I chose those accommodations.

(I wrote this while I was there before completing the trip (in April-May), but the information is still accurate and educational!)

Here’s the breakdown of my budget and what I’ve spent so far on accommodation (y lo que he gastado en alojamiento).

2nd stay in Bucaramanga, 8 days for 864,000 cop (paid directly to the owner)

I’m only going over my stay up until May in this breakdown to show just how affordable a month of solo travel can be in Colombia as a digital nomad.

In a month of very generous spending, I’ve spent a total of about 3,500,000 COP (about $1000 USD) on accommodation, which could seem obnoxious (demasiado, insoportable), but let me break it down further.

Disclaimer: This has not been a trip dedicated to tourism in the traditional sense. I chose to pay more to have a place where I would be able to work and live comfortably for several days. So, as a work-away trip, it has been worth every penny (ha valido cada pesito) and far from a waste of money (lejos de un malgasto de dinero).

This was my first stop in Bucaramanga. It basically has all of the essentials (plus an extra bedroom AND hot water) for about $32 USD night.

Booking.com is my friend for booking accommodations, and I actually got a lot of great deals (descuentos/ofertas) with my Genius Level 3 status. I always do extensive research using the filter, taking into account (tomando en cuenta) not just the overall ratings but the worst reviews and particular pain points like location (ubicacion), ammenities (servicios, amenidades, comodidades), comfort, good wifi, and a smart TV.

HOWEVER, did you know you can get an even better deal if you get in touch with the property owner and book off of the platform? Another point to have in mind is that in Colombia, unless it’s a hotel or hostal, private owners will prefer to receive cash or transfer (giros/transferencia) using a bank app or Nequi (Colombian cashapp). They probably don’t have card readers (datafonos), making this the only way they can easily receive the money.

My second destination was located at an hour and a half from Bucaramanga. This would qualify as both a hostel and an ecolodge (“glamping”). I had been recommended Refugio La Roca since 2018, and with a view of the canyon, a minifridge, a fan, and even a hot shower with a view – it really had everything I could ask for. Because of a roadblock (literally, un paro), I ended up staying for 2 extra nights (3 instead of 1 in total). Given how expensive a night in one of their nicest rooms, Ritakuwa, thanks to the circumstances which were out of my control, I got a great deal.

Even though I hadn’t been planning on working there, they even had wifi (Starlink) which worked perfectly for me to teach while I was there. The restaurant space was cool and comfy.

Next stop: San Gil, a scenic town known for its accessibility to extreme sports and colonial charm. This was my second time at Meraki Boutique Hostel. I spent a week there and didn’t get bored of the views, the cool temperatures, warm water, and delicious complimentary breakfast (desayuno incluido). With a room change to the third floor, I was even close enough to a router to work from my room.

For my second stay in Bucaramanga, I found a one-bedroom apartment with even BETTER wifi than the first place and a TV in the bedroom (as it should be). I really enjoyed the workspace and all of the amenities such as cleaning supplies (productos de aseo) and a fully equipped kitchen (cocina bien equipada) (minus the microwave, which I did miss).

My last stay for the month is a cozy apartaestudio (studio apartment) with an incredible view of Itagui, a suburb of Medellin located conveniently close to famous nightlife spots (sitios de vida nocturna) such as el Poblado.

Each apartment I picked has had stable internet, a dedicated workspace, and a full kitchen and washing machine/laundry area. Mis infaltables! My must-haves!

What are your must-haves?

If you found this post interesting and helpful, let me know in the comments!

Return to Colombia: The Drama

If you follow my blog, you should know by now that I’m very candid. I don’t just share my travel tips and destinations. I also share my life, my insights, my failures, and my revelations.

3 weeks ago exactly, I came back to Colombia with great expectations. There was a lot to look forward to: a birthday, a baptism, and a wedding. Wow, all that was missing was the irony of a funeral. And, in a metaphorical sense, that’s what I got.

But first, some context. The first week of January this year whilst sitting on a plane minding my own business, I met someone. I fell asleep on him, to be more exact. Snored and drooled on him. And felt completely mortified. Not because I thought anything would happen with this person, but because I would never want someone to invade my space, and there I was, all up in a stranger’s grill. Looking disgusting.

All the same, I was exhausted because that was day following a night sleeping in the Atlanta airport. I had woken up after about 4 hours of sleep and groggily taken my flight to Florida, then got on the next plane to Cartagena with the intention of making up for the sleep I lost.

When I finally came out of it (after the plane landed and abruptly jolted me awake), I realized something bewildering in the state I was in: my earbud had fallen out of my right ear. The same ear that had been leaning against the guy on my right. Now, I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I tried to look around as casually as possible, but when it wasn’t in my seat or by my feet or anywhere around me, I started panicking.

That’s when my neighbor spoke up. He helped me find the earbud, and we started talking organically. That never happens. My first thought was: How can I make sure this conversation doesn’t turn into awkward small talk? And before I knew it, he was telling me about the sabbatical he’d taken for his mental health, and I was sharing the similar experience I had when I decided to leave Colombia.

There was a transparency, an understanding. A spark. As we got off the plane, I started walking slowly to not cut off our conversation. When finally we split up, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should have given him my instagram – and as if he had read my mind, when he got out of the bathroom, he came back to the line (his line was shorter because he didn’t have to go through immigration) and asked me for just that.

Random point of interest: Colombian immigration now expects you to provide verbal confirmation of where you will be staying while in Colombia.

Of course, my eyes lit up. But I still didn’t expect anything. We added each other, and I scanned his grid. I liked what I saw; he wasn’t someone extravagant and fake. He had few pictures and most were with family or traveling. Shortly after that, he texted me saying he had gotten out already and offering to give me a ride to my hotel. I had told him I was meeting a friend, and she came to meet me. I took him up on the offer.

The look on my friend’s face when I told her some random guy from the plane offered to give us a ride was priceless. But I trusted my instincts. And from that moment, we stayed in contact for 4 straight months. About a week later, he visited Valledupar, we met each other’s friends, and spent a weekend getting to know each other in person, taking it slow. Then 2 weeks later, we arranged to meet again when we were both in Bogota and spend a whole 9 days together.

I guess it’s strange to say we were taking it slow with all the talking we did and all the time we spent together, but that’s really all it was. There was a mutual respect for boundaries that I found refreshing. The second time around, we opened up even more about traumas, expectations, the past, the future… Let’s face it. I’m 34 years old. There’s no way I’m interested in an extended “talking stage.”

But now, I’m left wondering what qualifies as wasting time if you define your desires quickly and things still end shortly after. Well, you don’t waste as much time. The transparency is something I will definitely take with me. But still, my mind can’t separate and detach, even if I’m just getting to know someone. The more I fantasize about the future, the harder it gets. Finding a middle ground is challenging for me.

Long story short, our inside joke when discussing the future was “TBD” – nothing was certain, but we were okay with that. Things happen as they should, and time always tells.

I went back to the States with my plans to return to Colombia already clear for the aforementioned baptism/wedding. As our communication remained consistent, we decided to plan a trip together. We both agreed that you can’t fully know someone from afar, so what better way than traveling together? It’s true and proven by my previous experience travelling with friends and ex-partners that you really do see everything clearly about the other person when you travel with them: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Spoiler alert, but I really was banking on this experience not ending up in the ugly or bad category. We made a google doc together. He likes clarity, and over the years, I’ve also grown better at planning ahead, budgeting, choosing accommodation, transport, etc. I quickly put together the first leg; that one was crucial because I’d be coming back just in time to celebrate his birthday with him.

The plan went like this: 5 days in Bucaramanga staying in an apartment, a night at Refugio La Roca at 1 and a half hours from the city surrounded by canyon vistas for his birthday, a week in San Gil, and from there, there were a few options, but we weren’t able to define it all because I didn’t have all the information about the baptism. Still don’t, except that I probably won’t be here for it.

My luggage for a 3 and a half month trip – how’d I do?

A few flights later, lunch, and a taxi, and we’re on a 12 hour bus from Cartagena to Bucaramanga. The next day basically I got sick. I’ve only just really recovered from that icky flu (congestion still hanging on tho). Then, I felt the tell-tale signs of a UTI. Lovely. Just in time for his birthday in the middle of nature. I was weak, in pain, and yet still teaching my lessons and trying to do my part to make the trip go smoothly.

I got a uroanalysis done in San Gil and only got prescribed with antibiotics last week, so it was a long process of pain and discomfort.

The setup is to say, I wasn’t at all at my best. I was messy and feeling pretty unmotivated to establish my routines. I didn’t realize how this might be coming off, but there were moments. Like when I used his towel to avoid getting the floor wet. I do that with my own towel, but if I was in a dirty place, I’d usually dry myself off first. Still, I didn’t do that this time, he noticed, and it bothered him.

Since the end of January, he had already expressed that the way I chew (especially when I’m tearing into something out of hunger or enthusiasm) activated his misophonia. I have misophonia, so I could understand that. But it still kept causing trouble. When he first told me it bothered him A LOT, I’ll admit, my thought was DOOMED because I know it’s an unconscious habit that would take me time to improve, and if it was that distressing for him (I think of how partners that snored or smoked affected me), then even a small thing could be a dealbreaker.

Still, we both were able to discuss it, and after quickly processing the feedback, I turned off my black-and-white thinking that he would never accept me and instead chose to think proactively. We came up with a code for him to remind me when the smacking was obnoxious.

2 months apart, less than 2 weeks together again, and we’re sitting at a table in Gringo Mike’s talking about his conflicting feelings about our future. The past few days had been tense, but it was a slow burn.

The Last Supper in question

There was a paro (road blockage caused by strike) in Santander, so we ended up spending 3 nights instead of one in Refugio. The staff was lovely to us. They gave a generous discount for the nights we were stuck there that even eliminated the cost of food we had consumed. The place was beautiful and utterly worth it. Cool air, stunning sunrises and calming sunsets. I had the room decorated for his birthday, and they had gone above and beyond, covering the bed and floor with flowers and providing a moist, delicious brownie and a bottle of wine. There was even a cat that came and snuggled with us every day. Plus, the internet was strong enough in the restaurant for me to get all of my work done in relative comfort.

Yes, there were stressful moments. I felt shutdown because my body was in misery. UTI’s and nature do NOT go well together. I woke up at 5 am from the pain and had to just sit on the toilet or stand under the soothing hot waters of an outdoor shower complemented by a colorful landscape view. Yet, I was not okay. I felt lucky that he stepped in and helped make sure we got the discount and communicated proactively with the staff, because I didn’t have the energy to. The situation was frustrating, and I felt like a Colombian would be better received. In the end, everything went well. Crisis averted.

What did we learn? Well, we had a nauseating ride to San Gil. Those curves are BRUTAL. We both felt like shit. He was having trouble hearing. I spoke to him in Spanish, he asked me to repeat myself in English, and I took it the wrong way. I admit, my insecurities with partners using me to practice their English was my main hangup. That escalated quickly, and we were outside of Meraki boutique hostel arguing. I thought he’d called me an asshole (my hearing after that ride was also shit, apparently), everything happened fast.

There it was. The cracks that showed. And then the next night, dinner, he uses our code word in an irritated tone just as I am opening my mouth to answer a question he had asked me – and I snapped. That was the beginning of the end. Hard conversations, irreconcilable differences – to him, that to me had just been motivated by stress and discomfort. No future. That was his conclusion. No use investing more time, energy, and money.

So, now I’m solo traveling, unexpectedly, and dealing with a breakup I equally was not prepared for. I thought that maybe things would go downhill slowly so we could handle it with grace, but it turned out to be a fucking avalanche. I’m still conflicted about his reasons, the way he spoke to me and decided to leave. I honestly believed him when he said he didn’t give up easily. I guess I underestimated just how serious his past trauma and triggers were. Because apparently, I activated all of them. And to him, no amount of time and calm to reconsider was going to change anything.

Takeaways? If you want to get to know a person, you can travel with them. It works. But be prepared for anything. Even ending up alone. Always have a backup plan in mind, an exit plan or an escape door for the other person. I didn’t think he would get tired of me first, and I think the blow that dealt to my ego has been the worst of it, but I’m trying to cope and treat myself with compassion.

All of this being said, I have been working hard and trying to stay on track with my side projects. I’m almost done editing my next youtube video. My next move was to go back to Bucaramanga and get an apartment with a workspace – and it was my best choice. As much as staying with my friends can be convenient, I’ve realized I really love being alone. I don’t feel like I’m bothering anyone and able to keep things to my liking. I’ll be posting about my accommodations and budget – another reason I came back to Bucaramanga is because food and taxis are CHEAP here, it’s not a sprawling city like Bogota, but it has all of the luxuries, and the weather is practically perfect.

I’ll also be sharing insights and tips as I prepare to go from Colombia to East Asia. Korea, Japan, and Thailand, I’m coming for you! I just need this time to process… And I thank you, compassionate reader, for letting me vent and share my Drama with you on this blog.

P.S. The Drama reference is intentional: I saw the movie on Sunday, and WOW. If you like morally ambiguous, emotionally charged movies that challenge you, where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, I would highly recommend it.