Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín, Quindío, Guatapé) July 2019:
The views from the top of El Peñol were breathtaking. I actually burst into tears when I saw these views because I couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to see them with my own eyes. The reason there are no pictures of my face is that I was sweaty AF after climbing up a 700-foot rock, so the sweat on my face would not have made a cute picture. Guatape is known as the most colorful city in the world. When I tell you the U.S. could NEVER have this creative or vibrant architecture, I need you to believe it. The tour group my family was on didn’t even get to see all of these. I got a few of these pictures because I snuck off from the group (I was 19, which means I thought I was invincible. Do not ever do this as a solo, female traveler). Even though this was my first time visiting Colombia, it felt weirdly spiritual being there. I had de ja vu A LOT. Everywhere I went, I felt like I had visited before, just not in this life. I felt particularly drawn to Guatape. The family pics. My grandma and I are on the top left. I’m with my brothers and a llama (this was not even in a rural area; this was in downtown Bogotá). Bottom left is in Zipaquira with my cousin. Then there’s my cousin and me at the base of that big ass rock we climbed. Finally, there’s my aunt and me surrounded by wildflowers in Medellín.
My mom and I are in what I call a “sky train,” which is really just a ski lift thing that takes you to the top of Monserrate. I don’t remember who took this, but I would bet a million dollars my dad did, due to the fact that it’s taken at the weirdest and most body dysmorphia inducing angle for me. This is still one of my favorite pictures of all time because of the view of Bogotá behind us and because we are so happy here.
I cannot stop thinking about the nature here. The sheer amount of VIEWS I saw in the mountains. I think about these views every night before I go to sleep. These views make me wish I had been born a bird so that I could fly around and see them from every angle imaginable. I’m completely biased, but I’m convinced Colombia is the most beautiful country in the world. OMG, these pics take me BACK. I look like I was born 5 minutes ago. What’s funny is I literally remember what I was thinking when each picture was taken. That top left picture I felt like the hottest person who had ever lived. The humidity was doing wonders for my hair and skin. The bottom left, I was floating down the river on a bamboo raft. I had just finished a happy crying session about being in the jungle, the actual jungle, something so many people don’t get to see. I got way too enthusiastic about showing off my Spanish for our tour guide and knew his whole life story by the time the raft ride ended. The last picture is among the wildflowers of Medellín, where I was also thinking about how grateful I was to be alive. This contrast shows how Bogotá is simultaneously urban and rural. These photos look like they’re from completely different regions, yet the bottom is just taken from the mount of Monserrate. Part of Bogotá is in the mountains, and part of it is in the valley, so that’s what leads to that juxtaposition. Apparently, when I was 19, I thought I was the most original person ever for taking pics of the Medellín skyline during the afternoon, evening, and night. But these pictures are gorgeous, so being cringe was worth it.
Mexico (Akumal) 2024:
This was another family trip, but this time, it was for my aunt’s wedding. As the pictures show, I was bored out of my mind. Akumal was absolutely stunning. A tropical paradise. I drank an unholy amount of piña coladas. Swam in the ocean for hours and felt the presence of Heaven in the sunlight shining on my face. Had a crazy, psychedelic dream on night two that I was a fish who was also God, and I lived in the primordial period before even dinosaurs existed, watching the entire evolution of Akumal unfold over millions of years. Woke up, went “that was totally weird,” had a fatass black bean burger with sweet potato fries delivered to me on the beach while on piña colada 4 (this was at the very early stages of cutting alcohol out of my life, where I was of the mentality that it didn’t count as binge drinking if I was in another country), and genuinely had an amazing vacation. My only complaint is that I only stayed for 3 nights instead of 13.
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