Cartagena, Colombia

This weekend started the first of the few nomadic months I plan on spending working as little as possible, and traveling as much as possible. Not having an apartment is definitely a huge money saver, especially since lately I can’t seem to stay in the same place for too long. Although the challenges of not having anywhere to call home are making themselves ever more present, I am curious to see where the next few months take me

After some uncertain travel plans, I decided to make my way to the balmy yet beautiful Colombian town of Cartagena. Because (as per usual) my plans were VERY spontaneous, I found myself sitting on yet another airplane wondering exactly what might be in store for me during the next four days.

Usually the first things I do when booking a spontaneous trip are find a flight that works with my schedule (even before deciding on a location) and then booking a hostel. Since jetBlue is fab and has direct flights from JFK to CTG almost every day, I was sold. The next challenge? Booking the hostel!

Ever since my first solo backpacking adventure 2.5 years ago, I have begun to question more and more the idea of fate versus free will. Now this might seem dramatic, philosophical and extremely off topic, but I have made some incredible friends in some amazing hostels simply by arbitrarily clicking through hostelworld.com. It’s terrifyingly insane to think that some of my lifelong soulmate friendships were formed over a very short amount of time in an entirely different country or foreign continent. For that reason I am always selective of the environment in which I will be making my next group of friends. On this journey I couldn’t have been more pleased with my selection, El Viajero Hostel Cartagena. As if the featured photos and phenomenal ratings weren’t enough, the hostel also offers free breakfast and most importantly DANCE CLASSES. Ever since I learned Salsa and Bachata while living in Spain, I have been enamored by talented dancers on YouTube and have enjoyed the spontaneous kitchen salsa dance party that often breaks out among my closest of lady friends.

The day I arrived was a whirlwind of exhaustion between the travel I do for work and the travel I do for fun. I spent most of my day relaxing and chatting up other travelers in order to plan my next moves. By the time it was time for Salsa lessons, I had already befriended an American couple; a well spoken German; a velvety voiced Dutch guy; and an Austrian with the biggest, most genuine smile I have ever seen. We ended our night in a small, cramped Colombian club where we truly stuck out as foreigners. But that only means that (besides for us) the discoteca was authentically Colombian.

The following day I traveled with the American couple to a beach called Punta Arena on an island called Tierra Bomba. After reading countless reviews that the famous Playa Blanca was overhyped, my new friends and I opted for something a bit more off the beaten track. For ~$6 round trip by boat my friends and I had our own private cabana mere feet from the sea.

Travel isn’t just about the sights you see, but about the people you meet and change your perspective, one small piece at a time. On that small island off the Cartagena coastline I got to see a glimpse at one of the most authentically happy and beautiful couples I’ve ever met. I never thought a young marriage could be so healthy and inspiring until I met my friends. These two will (and have) follow each other to the ends of the earth and back. They are so confident and comfortable in their love that it didn’t matter if a solo flight attendant backpacker from New York joined their beach day. My encounter with the blissful couple has proven to me that love can be given unguarded and fully if given to the right person. Being in their presence has shown me that this type of magic does exist somewhere out there.

Much of the rest of my time in Cartagena was spent wandering the streets of the old city, watching fútbol games, drinking the local beer, and staying up dancing. Sometimes travel can be exhilarating and busy and hectic. Sometimes it is relaxed with no real purpose to the day besides happiness and copious amounts of tropical fruit. Onward with the next journey!