Colorado

              It was a hard decision to stay in one place and I was still willing to jump ship. I had gotten back from South America and I applied to 25 jobs or so. They were to several hospitals but no one would call me back. One by one, the jobs were filled. I even went to applying to bar tending jobs. The pay and hard work of bartending wouldn't give me satisfaction as a career and I knew I had to find a nursing job.  I had almost given up and taken a crappy job in Denver when my friend, Alida invited me out to a speed dating event where I met a guy who introduced me to Ricky, my recruiter in a pediatric homecare job. I have never done pediatrics or homecare but I was hired. I started working with a girl with disabilites and I knew this wouldn't be hard. I worked with people with disabilities for years and I missed it. I did look for a job working with disabled kids or adults as well but nothing panned out. It was very frustrating taking this job due to the huge paycut and knowing I wouldn't be working in the hospital. It was also frustrating not being able to get a job in the hospital when I am so qualified. I sat for months without a job. I thought I could get a job easily and couldn't find one at all. When life hands you oranges, make orange juice?! I tried. It was devastating at points. JP visiting really helped lift me up and getting out of the house was therapeutic. The places we went to and adventures we had were amazing and lifted me up. I also got the job just before I went on the trip so I felt better mentally about going on it.
           I applied for several apartments and still haven't found one. This is also very frustrating. The studios and apartments are so expensive. Its challenging to find one that I like. Time will tell. I finally found a furnished one that I really liked. I told the landowner I wanted it and she turned around and said she wanted to do air bnb. Interesting. I was looking for the easy way out. I really should get my own place, my own bed, couch and utencils. It was so homy. She said she might call me next week. Im not holding my breath. I would say this year is rough but it doesn't compare to the crappy year I had last year. I never believed in Chinese astrology but when you are born in a year, you are that animal with certain characteristics. Every 12 years, your year comes and it is supposed to be a hard year. Last year, it was the year of the rooster and I am a rooster. My boyfriend and I broke up, he manipulated me and the loss itself caused us to get back together. I left the state of Arizona to get away from him. I knew the relationship was toxic. He still found a way to hurt me. I cut contact from him completely so he couldn't hurt me anymore. I couldn't find a job after September. My trip to South America was the most challenging trip I took by myself. I got really sick for a month down there when I was alone. I felt like I had dug a ditch and kept digging. I tried to get out of it but couldn't. I did have good times and I did learn alot about myself. The lessons you learn when things go wrong make you realize who you truely are. Most of my friends who were roosters were also having bad years and the agony they went through was alot worse than what I had gone through.
               If life isn't what you want, you have the ability to change it. If you want something else than what you have....relationship, job, friends...you can change it. You have the ability to change things. People don't often change it because they get comfortable or because of fear itself. People fear they can't find another guy...they should just put up with the little crap because they feel they don't deserve better or can't find better. It gets lonely or maybe they don't want to give up the sex. It all plays a part in decision making. I did deserve better and I didn't want to  become that girl who went back to agony. I had to leave the state. It was sudden and I miss Arizona like crazy but it had to be done. The year of the horse is upon us and I know its going to be a better year.  I will find my husband this year. I will move out and live alone and on my own for the first time in my life. I will find the job of my dreams with good pay. I will find friends and go on adventures here in Colorado. There are alot of them and plenty of hikes I can do myself. My fear of going out hiking alone has finally left me. Hiking makes me so happy and there is so much I can do here in Colorado Springs and near Denver. I love it here and I am ok making it my home. I just have to get moving.
             My homecare job doesn't pay near enough what I used to make so I am doing overtime. It takes up most of my time. I think it will be worth it in the end and I am willing to make it work here. Keep your head up...I tell myself everyday. Things will get better. Be happy where you are at. Things are about to change quickly for you and you better hold on tight, or your head will spin. Here we go.

Letting my guard down

         I went on vacation with my mom to Kona, Hawaii. It was such a great time. I had planned to go to Hawaii with a friend and it didn't work out or did it? The second island I went to was Maui and I was alone. I rented a car and drove to all the places I wanted to go to and explore. It was fun but a little lonely. Towards the end of the week, I met someone named Janika from Germany in my hostal that also wanted to go to the road to Hana. She had a french friend named Jean-Phillipe, JP we called him that also wanted to go. We barely knew each other but the road to Hana bonded us. Since I had a car, I invited them to come along. We hung out for a three to four days straight after the road to Hana which consisted of 4-5 hours of traveling down to Hana and stopping at every waterfall or place that you can because there could be a potential adventure. We hiked almost 2 hours to get to the bamboo forest which was my favorite. It was amazing and well worth it.
         Janika was a tough girl, who isn't from Germany? JP was funny and always broke the silence with a joke. I met some spanish girls that wanted to go out dancing and I didn't want to go alone. I convinced the two to come with me but Janika bailed at the last minute. JP and I went out and enjoyed a night of dancing and drinking and towards the end, kissing. He had the cutest french accent. I couldn't help myself.

    The next night we all were together and I didn't want Janika to feel like the odd one so we didn't mention it. While Janika went off to the bathroom, JP would pull me in and kiss me. I was like you are going to get us caught but it also excited me. It was hidden and secretive which made it fun and exotic. The next couple of days we all hung out and decided to hang out on New Years Eve. It was fun because we celebrated France, Germany and Spain's New year followed by Ohio's, Colorado's and finally Hawaii's. We were the last to celebrate. Somehow we got on the subject of self defense and since they both had experience with this, they taught me pressure points and different defense moves in case I ever needed them. This later influenced me to join a self defense, Krav Maga class in Colorado Springs.
    The last day in Maui we all spent it on the beach. It  happened to be a naked beach and this guy kept running up and down the beach doing crazy exercises to try to catch our attention. It made our day and we ended up spending the day laughing. Janika kept leaving to go get beer or go to the bathroom. I knew she knew that JP and I had kissed. It gave us a few moments here and there to kiss. I had even felt myself get tipsy enough to be vulnerable and tell him how much I would miss him. We knew he was in the USA in New Mexico for training with the airforce for a few more months before he would go home to France. I had asked him if we could meet up half way but it would be 4-5 hours drive for the both of us. I knew it wouldn't turn into anything and told myself, just enjoy it now because it will be over soon.
    When I walked away from Janika and JP at the airport, I knew it would be the last time I saw them. How wrong I was. It was strange to think how much they had influenced me when I only knew them a few days. I called JP a week later to see how he was doing and day by day we ended up talking to each other more and more. I knew I might get a job soon and if there was any chance of seeing each other, I knew it had to happen before I got hired. We made plans to meet in the middle in Santa Fe, New Mexico for the weekend and he took charge of the plans. I spoke to him on the phone about the plans of where we would stay and what we would do but he told me, I got it. It made me so nervous of not being in charge. He knew. He even said something...it must have been my nervous voice or maybe he knew I liked being in control all the time. It was challenging to let go.
     He arrived just a few minutes before me which also made me nervous. I don't know why I have to be in control of the situations all the time but as a nurse, I feel like its just taught to us. Always be ready for anything and always be in control of the situation. Maybe it was just me. We spent the weekend getting to know each other more. He had been in Santa Fe before and knew where natural hot springs were about two hours away. It was a drive and then a hike but the hot springs were amazing. I had never been to natural hot springs. The land was covered in snow and ice but I wrapped a towel around me and changed into my swim suit and got in. It wasn't as hot as I would like to have had it but it was pretty nice. We stayed submerged for a little over an hour and as the sunset, we got out, changed and headed back.
     On the way back I got weary. I had to stop a few times and stretch my back due to pain. He wrapped his arms around me and held me for a few minutes. I felt rejuvenated after being held. He was playing on my heart strings and as much as I told myself you aren't going to fall for this guy...my heart had another idea. There was a fight that I was having inside of myself. My heart would tell myself, this guy is leaving back to France in a few months...just enjoy the moment. Don't get your feelings tied up in it. Then my brain would tell myself, easy, let yourself go, he's really nice and you deserve this, just be careful. My heart was broken almost a year ago and it has taken me almost a year to get over it. My heart was almost healed and in walks a great, amazing, generous guy that captures my heart. He treats me so good. He paid for everything including the hotel and he was an amazing kisser...

       When we left each other, I knew this time I would see him again. He wanted to come up to Colorado and see me and another part of the country before going back home. Distance does something to me and I felt it as soon as he drove away. It was a heavy feeling on my chest and anything I told myself, it wouldn't go away. I kept thinking about what it would be like when he would arrive in two months to my home in Colorado Springs. I realized I had found a good one. He was truthful and sincere. He told me the truth instead of what I wanted to hear...and I could tell. He was guarded as much as I was and sensitive. He makes me laugh, all the time. He once told me, "If you want to see my book, ask me. I will open the pages and let you read them. If you don't ask me, I won't show you my pages. Its easy to let other people talk sometime." I told him, "I need to be more like you because I show my book to everyone regardless if they want to read my pages. I read them aloud so they can hear what adventures I have been on if they want to or not." It was a cute analogy since his first language wasn't English. I would not have thought of it.
        I have been away from him for two days and my chest still feels heavy. I haven't felt anything for anyone in almost a year. Now I sit and wonder about him everyday. The heaviness leaves only when we get to talk to each for the day. I hate myself for letting someone in again. It has awoken my heart and feelings which is a good thing but being away from him hurts. I can't imagine what it will feel like when he leaves the country. I keep telling myself to stop feeling but the heart wants what the heart wants. I know there will be a lesson in all of this. Maybe, he was sent to me to show me how I am really supposed to be treated. Because when I am with him, I feel like a princess.

 

Cartagena, Colombia

The next destination was Cartagena, Colombia. By the time, we arrived there, my foot was almost healed. I had really lucked out on not breaking it. Anyways, we flew there and directly went the island that I had booked. I had arranged to have someone pick us up at the airport who took us to a private boat taxi that took us to Bocachica Island. I felt rich getting out of the airport where there was a guy holding up a sign that said my name. Alejandro became our uber driver for the time we were in Cartagena. He was so kind and funny. It's always good to know someone in the area.
      It was rainy season so there wasn't too many people on the island. I'm talking about another family or possibly 5-10 more guests. So when Karrie went off with a book, I had to find something to do. The resort told us it was too dangerous to leave the resort due to the residents that might rob you. We ended up leaving the resort anyways. We met a few Argentinians and we took off to the local store. The power went out but I think they do it regularly every night to save electricity on the island. The first night, they gave us a free drink due the blackout. Everyday after that it happened and we all got used to it.
      As the Argentinian girls, Karrie and I walked towards the local store which was a 25 minute walk, we were stopped twice by people. The first time were cops on a motorcycle who asked us if we had anything on us that was important or worth stealing. We said we didn't carry anything important. We were only getting a few beers since it was less costly at the local store. The second time we were stopped was by locals that just had finished work from a neighboring hotel. They started to walk with us to make sure we weren't bothered and no one messed with us. They weren't expecting anything but at the store we bought them a coca cola each. I never knew if the hype of being dangerous was true or not but people say when you walk around with no fear, that's when you get in trouble. Be aware of your surroundings and always be prepared for anything. If you have a second billfold or wallet, you should be carrying it for a diversion. I became a little nervous since I had carried my phone with me. If I lost my phone, I didn't just loose my camera but also my communication with my family and the only way to book the next part of my trip. It was more important than my wallet.
       The local market was crazy. Water was sold in bags and the snacks weren't appetizing at all. We got a couple beers each and some water and snacks. It would be a lot cheaper this way. We made our way back to the hotel. The guys that walked us before told us that it wasn't safe and now it was getting dark. They refused to leave us. The danger that lurked out there was hard to say if it really was there but we thanked them profusely after they walked us home. I didn't feel danger but you really don't know. When I had asked about Cartagena, people always warned me to be careful. After leaving Cartagena, I felt like it was one of the safest places although it was the only place I had been robbed.

   

       They upgraded our room at the Blue Apple Beach House and gave us a private porch and our own hammocks. During the day, guests from Cartagena had paid to come over for a day trip. It was nice to have other people come to the island. It made it fun to drink, lay back and have fun. They even had a kayak and paddle board to use whenever we felt like it. So Karrie and I went out into the kayak the first day but I realized we have different ideas on where to go. She wanted to go around the island and I wanted to go straight out into the ocean. Her way was definitely safer so we decided to go. I think she went with me because I really wanted to go but it was a two person kayak. After I felt the uncomfortable energy as soon as she got in, I knew it wouldn't be good. It's really important to do things you want to do and not to do them to please another person. We both did not have a good time although if you ask her, she will say she did. We both felt a little sea sick and decided to go in. Our relationship was getting to the point where we both preferred to hang out with someone else.
        Whenever there was another person in the pool that I was in a conversation with, she was ease dropping and jumped into the conversation with her opinion or a correction. I kindly looked at her and told her No, I was right and she might not have heard the whole conversation. It wasn't just once or twice but it was very frequent that she did this. I didn't understand why she had to correct my story or my perception of a story that I was telling. Was it a way to maybe feel superior to me? I'm actually not sure. I just realized from this point on that I was going to try to be nice but we probably would never talk to each other again after the trip. I cant stand someone putting me down all the time. I was learning patience here on this island and very quickly at that. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I would take the paddle board straight out into the ocean and just sit there trying a few yoga poses and meditation techniques. I was in paradise so there wasn't a reason why I should be so upset about this. The crazy thing was, she followed me down to the beach and watched me. It was like I couldn't escape. I'm sure everyone feels this way when they travel with someone. You just need a break. She wouldn't give me one.
 I spend some time out on that paddle board. I watched a few sunsets. It was beautiful. When I returned to my room that last night, I realized my bag was out. I quickly looked at the money but couldn't figure out if it was all there due to the difference in currency. I then put it into the safe and silently yelled at myself for leaving it out this whole time. How could I be so careless? It was after we left that I was looking at the money and realized I had only 45,000 pesos instead of 200,000. The cleaning lady was the only one in the room and she stole about 50.00 american dollars from me. Always be careful. I learned this lesson real quick and paid more attention to my money after this. I hoped this money would benefit the lady that stole it. I know that it probably was more than 3 months pay. I had to be more careful. I had a belt that held my money and usually I would never take it off. Here on the beach, it was a different story and I went out into the ocean many times. I made it quite easy to steal it. I had an interview from a hospital back in Colorado Springs one night here on the island. The time difference was only an hour and the reception was pretty good. The interview went well except that I had another vacation planned in Hawaii in December due to my mom giving me her timeshare. The lady interviewing me said there is no way she could hire me when I was asking off two weeks during the holidays. It was during the end of the phone call I realized how hard it would be to get a job when I got back.
        Karrie had suggested that I just stay in South America and travel since I didn't have a job. I told her it wasn't the responsible thing to do. I didn't have the clothes for it or a backpack. It wasn't a good idea. She and I was at dinner one night and she repeated to me, "You have to stay, you have to stay." After she said it six to seven times, I thought she would stop but she kept repeating it again and again. I stopped her at fifteen and said, "Ok, can we talk about something else? I'll make a decision but for right now, I'm not going to stay." I told her that night that I was staying in South America and without another thought, I changed my ticket to stay for another month until December 12.
        The last two nights we spent in Cartagena were in a hotel, ten minutes away from the city center which was amazing. We were back on the mainland. I had heard that this is the place that everyone tried to steal from you and the most dangerous in Colombia. Both rumors were not true. I had asked a few friends about Cartagena but every person's experience is going to be different. You just have to trust and go with it. Take in the bad with the good, right? Karrie and I met up with some friends that we had met on the island in the city center. We had dinner and then went out dancing at a salsa club. Dancing salsa makes me so happy. I enjoyed myself highly. Karrie wanted to go back to the hotel around 12:30am and I said she could grab a cab and head there but she said she would wait for me. We headed home around 1:30am. She didn't want to go anywhere without me. It is understandable because it can be scary when you barely know the language and you really don't know how dangerous it can be especially while you are alone. I am so used to traveling by myself, I forget this sometimes. I loved the energy of this place and thought, I have to come back here someday.

Mindo, Ecuador

     Karrie and I woke up early to catch a bus to Mindo which was only one hour away in car but in the bus, it took us two hours to get there. It was due to the windy roads through the mountains. We stopped in a very small little town at a restaurant/bus station. We primarily went there to zip line. We talked to the guides that were across the street and signed up for zip lining. As we were getting something to eat, we met two american cousins and they signed up for the zip  lining as well. There were 12 different lines and it only cost us $30. We added on a bungee jump of 50 meters as well for $5 more. It was quite exhilarating towards the end. The guides were cute. I have dated two Ecuadorians before and I couldn't help but flirt. I was quite nervous about a few of the passes across the jungle because the maneuvers to get across were called mariposa, meaning butterfly and superwoman. The superwoman, you had to wrap your legs around the guide and let go facing forward. It was like you are a superwoman flying across the jungle. The other one is when you are upside down and the guides hold your legs up. You are opened up like a butterfly, but you are upside down. The bungee jump at the end was a test of faith. They had you on a platform and tied two cords to you. One was to hold you when you dropped, the other was to hold you back before you dropped. Dario would unhook you and hold onto you. He counted and let you go to swing down. When my turn came, I told Dario to count to three but definitely let me go before he reached three.

The coffee farm tour was included. The other girls couldn't quiet understand everything the guide was explaining and it was raining. We had left our rain jackets up with our stuff locked up in the front. The guide started to explain that first they have to pick the coffee beans which have a small fruit like covering on them which they soak in the water. He gave me one to try and it wasn't bad. They dry the beans out for a period of time and then they roast them. They allowed me to roast them from a green color to a brown color. If they roast them a shorter time, the coffee won't be strong. If you roast them to a dark brown color, it will be a strong roast. We made a medium roast that day. After you let the beans cool, you grind them. They let us try a cup of fresh coffee each and I have to say it was pretty amazing. They say if the coffee is fresh, you don't need to put sugar or cream into it. I never had black coffee before and this was amazing. Out of all the experiences in our whole trip, this was our favorite. The price was amazing, it was exhilarating, and the coffee was amazing. We ran our of time to go to the butterfly house which was disappointing but we had to catch the last bus back to Quito. Also, they told us the butterflies wouldn't be flying around, they sleep in the afternoon. The bus ride back was horrible. I got so motion sick and was holding out to throw up. The buses would be the end of me. This was a pretty cool experience and I wouldn't change anything for the world.

Quito, Ecuador

        A few hours on the plane gave us time to become great friends with a woman named Erin. She decided to go to the amazon by herself after a few days in Quito, Ecuador. Her hotel was just ten minutes away from our hostel. So we decided to hang out the next day, which she was happy about since she was just learning spanish. A few things had gone wrong in this trip so far and Karrie and I kept trying to keep our heads held high and think positively. The power went out on the street that our hostel was on so we didn't have power or light when we got to the hostel. Our flashlights came in handy and the power outage only lasted a few hours. The restaurant we went to was amazing. Unfortunately, I don't keep track of the details so I cant tell you the name. We did see Cuy on the menu which was guinea pig. I was disgusted. We didn't order it.
         Ecuador was quite a long distance but what made it worse was we had to go through Panama which was in the opposite direction. We got in after a long day traveling and planned to pick up Erin in the morning. We took the teleferico, a gondola lift that would take us from 10,226 feet up to 12,943 feet. The gondola would ascent twenty minutes to take us to the summit of Pichincha, an active volcano to the lookout Cruz Loma. It was one of the highest aerial lifts in the world. I did ok in Bogota but Quito was a different story. I felt the altitude sickness as soon as I got to the top. Karrie and Erin were both ok so they decided to hike a little bit while we were up on the volcano. I found a few llamas that kept me busy. I was waiting for my moment with the llamas so when I saw them on top of that volcano, I was pretty excited.

     The next day, Karrie and I went to the mitad de mundo, know in english as the middle of the world. This is the place in the world where the early spanish explorers thought this was the middle of the earth, where the two hemispheres met. Years after, they realized the exact coordinates were 240 meters off. There is a museum located at the incorrect location with lots of interesting facts. The toilet is supposed to flush both ways, clockwise and counterclockwise. Your weight is supposed to be less at the Ecuador by a few pounds. Balancing an egg on its head is supposed to be quite easy and walking a line with your eyes closed is impossible. This didn't quite happen at the monument although it was very interesting to learn about the indigenous people and to hike up to the top of the 30 meter high monument. Thousands of people take their picture with one foot in one hemisphere and another foot in the other. The real spot is 240 meters down the road which Kelly and I didn't get to because we didn't know the truth. We met another couple later on that told us that they did balance an egg on its head and tried to walk a straight line. The equilibrium in your head is messed up and its apparently impossible to walk a straight line with your eyes closed.
        We were able to get lost trying to get back to the city on a bus that took us way out of the way. I had to ask around and find out what bus we needed to take to get back to where we needed to be. We could have taken a taxi but it was only 40 cents for the bus compared to 20 dollars each. This very nice couple from Venezuela helped us. They told us about their country and how awful things have gotten from Hugo Chavez being in presidential power from 1997 to 2013. They were seeking refuge and trying to fight for a different life in another country. Some of their family members were left behind but they needed to leave as soon as possible for an opportunity for a better life. They left with little money and were trying to find a job to support them. It was sad to hear and every Venezuelan that I came across had another sad story to tell. There was no food and no medications in Venezuela if you would get sick. Everything had been looted. Life was being destroyed and the only way out was to find something else in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile or Argentina. Karrie and I were shown where to go and we left with more than a history lesson.

      The next day, we walked around Quito and went to a museum to learn about the culture and history of the Ecuadorians. We also went up this amazing cathedral and tried the typical food of the culture. There were people walking around selling food to make money. I hadn't gotten sick yet so street food was ok in my book to try. It was actually really good. I was hungry and we only paid two dollars for it. We tried some fresh fruit from the local stands as well. I tried joking around with Karrie at this moment and realized she was either more on the serious side or didn't get my sense of humor. I refrained from telling jokes around her from this point on. We slowly realized how different we were from each other. That night we got into a little fight over the charger which I had bought for $3.50 and she had refused to buy. When you travel with people, you have to realize you are going to act differently due to different stresses that you may not have in the United States. However, in our case, we didn't know each other at all. So we were constantly trying to get to know each other.

           

       

Bogota, Colombia

           As I watched a few friends travel around South America and constantly inviting me to come along or meet them down there, I knew I was constantly throwing away opportunities of a lifetime. A girl from work mentioned that she is heading to Colombia and I thought, "this is it, my chance that I cant throw away."  So I asked. She was heading there with a friend of her brothers and had never traveled with her but she said if it was ok with Karrie, it was ok with her. A few emails later, we were all in agreement to go. Caitlin had bad news a few weeks later and decided not to go. I called up Karrie and we both decided it was worth it to go together although we didn't know each other. We planned the next two and a half weeks in Colombia and we decided to head to Ecuador as well. She bought the flights and I bought the hostels. We decided to look up two cities each so we would have an idea on what we wanted to see. We talked on the phone a few times to decide on where we were going and how long we would stay there as well. I planned  information  on my part and made a plan.
           I have had a really hard year and knew I could turn things around with this trip. Chinese zodiac year of the cock wouldn't be horrible anymore. I was sure of it. My cousin, Josh looked up 2017 chinese zodiac for the year of 2017 for fun told me it would be a great year except for those born in the year of the cock (me). He told me, "I wanted to travel with you but now I dont think so. This year will be rough for you,  no thanks. I think I will sit this one out and we can travel together some other time." The time he told me was at the end of 2016 and all I could tell him was, "This is full of crap and you are going to regret not coming with me. I don't even believe in that. Those were my famous last words. As soon as 2017 came with the Chinese new year, the hardship began. This trip would change things around for me though....so I thought.
         I arrived at the airport and everything went smoothly. I decided to go to the bathroom before I got on the plane. My suitcase got stuck as I was coming out of the stall and I began to fall. I lifted my foot around the suitcase and then my shoe got stuck. My foot came out of the shoe and slammed onto the cemented bathroom floor. I instantly started to cry and couldn't move. The people in line all stared at me and one asked, " Are you ok?" I cried back, noooo, Im  not. I pulled myself to the end of the bathroom to wait for the pain to go away. I tried to step on it and realized I couldn't. It was embarrassing but long story short, I got on the plane in a wheelchair and had to ask the disabled cart to pick me up in Austin, in my connection to take me to the gate due to not being able to walk.  Everyone tried to give me advice but due to not having insurance, I thought it might be better to take care of this problem in Colombia. I had called Karrie before getting on the plane but she assured me everything would be ok. In Austin, I tried to get on the plane by walking and cried with every step I took. A lady looked at me with pity and asked with her eyes, what happened. I told her, "I think I broke my foot and I'm heading to backpack across South America." She responded with such inspiration and hope for me. She said, "Tape your toes together and take it step by step, you can do this. It will be ok." I repeated this to myself and prayed that it wasn't broken. I even did some reiki on it which I hadn't practiced at all. It was all I had and I needed to try something.
         We met in Colombia in customs. Our flight came in at the same time and we were only 10 minutes behind each other in the line. We headed off to get a taxi together and I found an uber. I tried to bargain with the guy but I wasn't familiar with the money yet. I realized after making the deal, I lowered the price by three dollars only. Karrie looked annoyed like we had paid too much but the deal was set and we were on our way. All I knew was that it was cheaper than a taxi.
             The next day, we decided to go to the gold museum. It was quite interesting to find out the history of where the gold that was found actually ended up. The Spaniards took it or it was traded to them for other items. After the museum, we slowly walked around downtown to see the amazing architecture in the congressional buildings. I limped along the way, Karrie was gracious enough to wait for me and to walk very slow around town. We got some arepas which were like thick pancakes made out of flour or corn with anything you wanted on top. Karrie asked for a cheese and ham and I asked for an egg and cheese. It wasn't very good but I had tasted them before and knew they could be better. The woman selling them to us gave us 5 different sauces to try with it and we did try them all. The pineapple sauce wasn't very good with my eggs but I had to try it.
           After walking around, we decided to head up the mountain called Monserrate which was about 10,350 feet. We had to take a cable car and we decided to go at sunset. Bogota is 8,600 feet so they cable car takes awhile to carry the passengers up so no one gets altitude sickness. We were able to see the city during the day and then watch it light up at night. It was beautiful. We only had one full day here in Bogota so we tried to do as much as we could. The next day we would head into Quito, Ecuador. When we got back to the hostel, Aragon, I decided to talk to the guy that worked there a little. Karrie went to bed but I stayed up to talk to Luis a little. He was a 30 year old Colombian from Cartagena, a city that we would visit in just a few days. He seemed very nice and he really helped me get back into the spanish mindset. He offered to teach me salsa but with my foot, I told him I would take a rain check, not sure if I would ever see him again.

April 30-May 5, 2015 Feria de los Pueblos

     I arrived in Madrid very tired. I flew over with a 7 hour flight. I used to take Trazadone which is an antidepressant. I hadn't taken it for quite a while but thought it would help me sleep on the plane. I guess it reacted to the beer I had drank and caused me to have a weird reaction. I couldn't sleep and I felt hot then cold within a few minutes. It was a bad reaction and stupid of me to take a medication which I hadn't taken in while. I arrived and took the metro to my friends apartment. When I arrived I was greeted by two old friends I had met when I lived in Madrid five years prior. It was good to see them but I had some trouble speaking in spanish. I was really tired and my spanish had gotten rusty. It was quite challenging. I got some rest and felt a little better in the morning. My verbal skills were slower than my listening skills. My friend Marianelly took me to the center of Madrid where we walked around and I was able to try some jamon which is amazing ham that the spaniards smoke. She told me about a program called bla bla car. You sign up online where you can basically hitch a ride from one place to another. I was going to Fuengirola, my old home town where there was a feria or festival that weekend. I met a guy who was from Venezuela who picked up two others and we headed five hours down to Fuengirola. I didn't feel like I knew spanish when I got into the car but by the end of car ride, my spanish had improved a lot. I arrived at 10pm to my friend Damaris' house. I dropped off my bag and went straight out to the feria.
      This festival or fair had grown so much since I lived there. It had many more fair rides and lots of games where you could win prizes. The back of the fair was where these little buildings or casetas had been set up where each caseta was a different country. In the little building you could find crafts, food, drinks, t-shirts and music from that specific country. There were 12-15 buildings of different countries. You could travel around the world in just one night. It was amazing. This was the feria that I remembered. I loved hanging out in south america but it was really interesting to see countries that I knew I would be going to but never had been before. It was exciting to visit Peru because I knew this country was on my list to go to, a dream to hike macchu piccu would sometime soon come true.
     Damaris and I partied for three days and three nights straight. We met up with her friends and family and we traveled around trying kangaroo meat and playing drums in Australia and getting drunk in Belgium and listening to music in Ireland. It was so amazing. We even went to the beach the next day to relax from so much partying. I even went back and met some students of mine after the local high school got out. They didnt recognize me at first but when they did they told me something that I will always remember. A student told me, "Tracy, you were the best english teacher we ever had. Its true. You really taught us a lot." I really invested in them. They were my life. The teachers let me do anything and I had planned a play and music concert for Christmas and it turned out amazingly. It was good to hear this. My trip back home to Fuengirola was remarkable.

          My students reminded me that although I wasn't sure of what I was doing as a teacher, I still was making a difference. My fourth graders were now in their last year in high school. They grew up. I couldn't remember some of their names but I remembered their faces and who they were. I gave more attention to the kids that were in love with learning. The ones that blended in and didnt want recognition or liked being called on thought I wouldn't remember them but I did. They all made a difference to me. After meeting with them, I realized I made a difference to them as well.