a la finca!

  

I've been in San Gil for two weeks now. When I first got here I thought I would only be passing through on my way to the coast, but it looks like I'll be here probably another week. I've been living and working on the farm of an Aussie hostel owner named Shaun. The picture above is the view of San Gil from his farm, great view to wake up to every morning. I'm living with two other peeps my age, Autumn from Philly who is working at a local orphanage and Joe, an English chap who's working as a kayak/ raft guide for a couple months. We get along so well and have quickly become good friends. My days are generally spent cleaning around the farm, salsa lessons from Autumn, a few hours in the heat digging up the soil to plant over 100 sunflowers (not the easiest work I'll have you know), and evenings spent drinking in the town square where everyone hangs out and gets generally wasted. Part of the river runs through Shaun's backyard, so there are plenty waterfalls to explore daily. I'm having a great, relaxing time here. Happy Valentine's Day ya'll!

 

 

¡Colombia está chevere! y el aguardiente también!

I had to get sick to finally slow down and write another post... I am recovering from some flu like sickness that left me bed ridden and unable to hold down any fluids for the last 24 hours. Yuck! But thankfully, it did not last long and I´m regaining my energy. I guess these things are inevitable and if anything I fully realized the support system that exists between fellow travelers. Everyone in the hostel was eager to get me water, offer me meds and share natural remedies. But this has been my overall experience in Colombia thus far, just an overwhelming amount of support from people. Each and every one of us on our own individual journey, travellers and locals alike, opening up to one another in love.

For the past few days I have been in San Gil, Colombia, just northeast of Bogota. This place is said to be the adventure capital of Colombia due to its massive canyon, many rivers and caves. Absolutely gorgeous! I will be staying here for a bit because the owner of the lovely hostel I´m at offered me a bed if I could plant some sunflowers on his farm. Without a single hesitation I accepted as I would like to have a bit more time to get to know this place. From what I have experienced so far, I really really enjoy it. This area is known for its fruit, so every morning I head down to the market for fresh squeezed juice and a huge fruit salad with like some coconut/cheese concoction on top, que rica. The hiking is amazing here, with beautiful, powerful waterfalls and watering holes to bathe in. I can´t even express in words the power of these waterfalls, so cleansing.

Traveling alone without a plan has been a lesson in allowing the universe to run its course and to be open to any and every possibility. At best, I try to think that I am relatively in control of myself and my surroundings. But I am quickly learning that all of that means nothing. My first few days in Bogota I had no access to any money because lo and behold my cards would not work, refused to work. Of course, that is the worst thing to happen when traveling, maybe second to getting sick. And now I have both of those scenarios behind me and the road ahead of me. Already within 9 days of being here, I have met so many amazingly kind and giving people, its almost overwhelming.

I am still adjusting to the language. At times the amount of thought I have to put into one sentence can get quite frusterating, but I find that people are usually patient enough to hear me out. One rather comical situation: I was on a full bus headed home and wanted to offer my seat to an older guy standing in the aisle. I tapped his hand, pointed at myself and said ¨¿quieres sentar?¨ He looked at me funny, so I repeated myself, and he gave me an even funnier look. Pretty quickly I realized that instead of asking him ¨¿quieres sentirse?¨ meaning would you like to sit, I had been asking him would you like to feel while pointing at myself. Everyone around us had a good laugh, including myself. My favorite word right now is the Colombian word chevere, which can be used as an adjective to describe anything and everything that is pleasing. Food can be chevere, a person can be chevere, the sky. And overall I would have to say my experience in Colombia thus far has been just chevere.

Bogota sunset

 

My amazing Couchsurfing host and friends in Bogota

 

hay un mundo más allá

And it's here, the day I've been planning for the last 2 years. It has yet to really hit me, what I'm about to go do. Im feeling some nervous anticipation, not a chance I can fall asleep tonight. I have never felt this feeling before.

The winds of change have been blowing over the last few days in sunny St. Pete, maybe some of the most blustery days I can remember. My last month here in Florida has only reconfirmed for me over and over that I am supposed to go on this trip. I love how living in possibility has a way of revealing itself to you, unfolding as if it's letting you know that you're on to something good. Finally it will be just me, my backpack and my lack of inhibitions. And finally, I will come to terms with my ties to that continent and its people. South America has something to teach me and I will be receptive.

To all of my family and friends, good god, I have got so much love for you. Not a chance I could have pulled something like this off without your support. The send off has been just amazing, I feel so loved.
- Mom and Dad, I am so sincerely grateful that yall took the time and effort to help me out in the last few days, you know I would have been s.o.l. without you. You are the reason I am who I am and that's attributed to your job well done as parents. Please try not to worry too much about me, Im gonna be just fine.
- Ceviche crew, now that was a party, rowdy like always. Not many people can say they love their co-workers, but we've become family and we all know how special that is.

- My girls, my ladies...words can't even express. It has been so real. Really, really living and loving. Thank you for teaching me. And to think that even better days are to come, now that will trip ya up. We might all be  doing our own independent thing right now, but we will reconvene again soon and create!

 
- St. Pete, yep I've fallen in love with a city. (Elisa, thank you for helping me see that)

A final thought shared with me by Ms. Ross:

A man needs to travel. By his own means, not by stories, images, books or TV. By his own, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his. To some day plant his own trees and give them some value. To know the cold to enjoy the heat. To feel the distance and lack of shelter to be well under his own ceiling. A man needs to travel to places he doesn't know to break this arrogance that makes us see the world as we imagine it, and not simply as it is or may be. That makes us teachers and doctors of what we have never seen, when we should just be learners, and simply go see it. - Amyr Klink.