Tag: Colombia

Recognizable

October 28, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

It is nice to implement the resources I have and primarily, just to remind myself I have them.

The support has always been there. My family and friends want to see me win.

Mutually, we want to support each other’s journey. Beyond empathy, we want to see the joy we have along the way and alternately, that we can recover when necessary. Any nemeses and enemies of mine are a lesser challenge armed with them. On my worst day, I can now audaciously face the challenges against me, including the challenges of a system built up against us.

Rather Than

September 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

Tossing around stories with friends for Happy Hour or during dinner following all too familiar office politics, I kept an optimism that maybe countered the arbitrary criticisms leveled from my boss. Maybe the natural optimism came from a young lifetime of hoping and daydreaming.

I always felt like there was more to everything, so much more to come. Maybe all the books and novels in my arsenal did that too. After the fairytales, into the stories, through the essays and falling out of the plays, there was some underlying promise of relief, release. Good times. Deep laughs. Good meals. A dive into all that my senses could soak up was my trained escape from a heavy day. A lot of goodness could be outlined by the security and fun I had in a childhood of fun with siblings and a family I could trust with my quirkiness and true thoughts. My already fantasizing mind was filled with optimism to counter my criticisms. My backdrop of support, affection and progress stood up to bad experiences and mistreatment.

This was the norm I became increasingly aware of when I embarked on my own, from large campus and graduate from The Ohio State University to eventual work life in DC . I was pretty excited about both. Work became increasingly less exciting, however. I know there is something more.

Turns out a lot of work holds space for office politics and underpayment. I saw this come about even if it was not already present and it didn’t seem to be so bad. It hurt my boss’s mind that I could be discredited and only be temporarily discouraged and angry. I knew that my progress and sustainability really was based on the need to be okay and the hope that my good times would visit me again and again. My dreams had shown themselves to be kind to my reality, so I swallowed a lot of the work stress.

Even just letting the workday wash away from me in my apartment after work or at the gym was a lot to start to let go. Eventually, I wanted more. I needed more freedom while I also worked on doing something meaningful.

Stretching out on the sofa or cuddling into my armchair, eating my favorite meals, I got to relax maybe just for the evening or for two whole days before Sunday dread and Monday morning. Everyone at work looked forward to Friday, a telling tale of this not being the ideal environment or way we would prefer to spend our time, although there were varying levels of getting into the activities of the job. I would not mind and enjoy some parts, while dreading other aspects of my work. Is it just natural?

I could no longer do it. I needed to go away for a while, maybe forever and I found myself back in San Juan, then Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Panama City. I needed to take these trips again, away from the toxic work environment, working on my own to get back to myself and not fighting through infringing work ideas but rather more of me, getting to know me and focus on me, being independent, working on my own, being my daydream.

I knew.

September 29, 2025 By Cassandra Johnson

The weather in Bogota, Colombia was chilly, so I was not particularly sure about enjoying a long time there. Sometimes the weather was even cooler and the nerve I had, on certain days, to also get caught in the rain! I tend to get cold easily.

I was missing the Medellin weather truly, for a beat, but had a strong feeling that Bogota would be more enjoyable for me. How is that? I knew it would not be as pricey as Medellin. I knew I could have more of a casual working life while I was abroad versus my days and nights in Medellin. It would feed my more pressing focus to earn a living and enjoy myself in my spare time. My notion stuck with me.

Tourism, nightlife and ideal weather was ripe in Medellin, in my opinion, nice but seriously distracting from my everyday routine. I was in a similar boat in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Bogota filtered in some sun as well. I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming spaces and the absence of feeling watched or out of place, but due to my good time in other parts of Latin America, I was also not surprised. I was so affirmed by my encounters and surroundings, that this would be my trip 1 of 2 to the capital city.

I started the first trip with some mediocrity. I did not especially care for the hotel I had chosen. To my relief, I had only booked one day and decided to try a nice hostel for the remaining few days. I had flexibility and could stay or leave early. I was considering Cartagena for the next stop or leaving Colombia completely. I did not feel hurried, only limited by which way I wanted to invest my money.

Leaving the Bogota hotel, I thought this would perhaps be one of those times in which the hostel was nicer than the hotel. I was right.

Indeed, I was able to secure a nicer place by checking into a new, spacious hostel. Though a shared space, I opted for one of the all-ladies room leading to a new friendship with a Venezuelan businesswoman.

The hotel had nice amenities and a receptive staff, but the hostel was more conducive to my goals, more aesthetically appealing and the staff and other travelers proved even more receptive. How interesting that staying at the hotel, in this instance would have painted a less pleasant picture of my stay there.

Returning to Bogota about a month later, I specifically wanted to run out my 90-day Visa and I opted to treat myself. I picked the Calendario neighborhood this time and an AirBnB that also served as an upscale local high-rise. The view was amazing, the front desk reminded me of my space in DC and at the time, I felt this was the closest to the experience I would want if I chose to live in Colombia instead of Peru, so it was good to try it out. I don’t know if I would stay there for longer than 3 months. There is warmth there, but maybe I still need more. Searching.

Ending Begins

August 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

When I accepted that I would not be able to visit Peru again for another year, and my 90-day Visa was coming to an end, I was okay with that. I was nostalgic in the way one could get right before leaving a place and experience of which they have grown quite fond. Peru had again become my temporary home. I had a good run and being that it was my 4th visit, I bargained on how I would return. 

I had ended my visit this time, after some apartment seeking in the San Isidro neighborhood but also thought about how convenient it would be to live in the area of Miraflores, where I had been spending most of this recent time. 

However, I wondered if me navigating these decisions in the capital this time was altogether too different, since my true affection for Peru started in the city of Pisco versus this metropolis. I would later question if I could also translate that to Cusco, retrying this home to Machu Picchu as well. Lima had always mostly just been a travel-through city, even after the extended stays, so yep, this could almost be like acclimating to any major city in a number of places. Still that could work for my aging lifestyle. I am not mad at all at blending all life’s modern conveniences with Peruvian culture and cuisine.

Consequently,  a time for a decision on a long-held dream had now reached me just as I again reached my dream South American location. I was still just deciding on where specifically to live in Peru, or was I?

Another thought lingered around overall just connecting with people, so I pivoted between accommodations and events to find both a nice comfortable setting and a local group of friends. Setting up a life with conveniences and support for part of the year abroad and another part of the year back home was my broader plan. Setting up a life to thrive while working as a digital nomad, translating from anywhere was also key.

Yet, following this repeated trip, I gradually realized I wanted to continue seeing more. Maybe my dream could even be played out in another South American country and/or across multiple ones. I set my sights and my next experience on Colombia.

Telling Time

May 31, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

I plan to go back to Guatemala.

Although, I left the country for Mexico about a month ago and I really enjoy myself here, the Central American country stays on my mind. 15 days was not enough to do all I wanted to do, which also would include a lot of days, just being there not having to do anything, freelance work or otherwise. The capital city specifically lingers with me, and I just want to linger there.

Can a person instantly adopt another comfort zone? Is it possible for a person to feel like she stands out while feeling welcomed at the same time? Yes. Apparently. Both.

People were not too prying, just nicely curious and not so much in circumstances where you are also just a passer-by, a shopper, dining in, strolling. They are just notably kind and receiving.

Being a nomad in a lot of Latin America has generally felt similar, mixed with hanging out with travelers and locals between work and volunteering and my own preferred sight-seeing.

I cannot detach myself from the high relaxed vibe I feel wandering around Guatemala City (Ciudad de Guatemala) for a couple of hours, working from a coffee shop and even exchanging pleasantries and jokes in the grocery store. I can easily get used to working from this capital city, and of course, you know, I am already more than okay with not having a boss. Just mere deadlines.

I love the city of people who are native to the place. I loved how accessible many of the stores and restaurants were to my neighborhood. I was in Zone 1, but in consideration of Zone 4 for next time. I enjoyed hanging out there. I Ubered to Zone 9, to a more touristy area one day and loved that it still wasn’t touristy, just ritzier. Btw, the flirtation is welcome as well.😉

Most likely, I see myself returning to Guatemala City. It was the sleeper hit I was not expecting because I really enjoyed Panama and Colombia among new places I had never been as well as my familiar Peru where I have been planning to stay.

I simply did not know what to expect from a city and country I had not yet considered among the stops. I had heard good things on YouTube mainly. The visitors were not wrong, and I now have more of a sense of how stress-free and productive I could be there.

I still must be vigilant, especially now as a solo traveler. I remind myself to be discerning and I guess at my more mature age and with more experience,  I enjoy myself while deferring to my instincts. Even being somewhere twice now, like Colombia, I have faced a familiar scam of being overcharged.

Yet again, Guatemala? There is so much more to eat (both cooking at home and eating out). There is a lot more ideal weather to sit in. There are more libations and cappuccinos to sip on, and I need a lot more time to hang out with the local people and expats.

I may not go back immediately but, as I mentioned, I am quite enjoying myself in Mexico again. I just got back to my accommodations from VEGAMO restaurant in Mexico City and once again, I am just reminded of all the unique places, hospitality and conversations each country has to offer. This is my first time in the capital, and I want to stay at least a third of the time I stayed in Merida. Time to take my time.

You are welcome here

April 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

A person needs time to get her bearings, more at certain times than others. Sometimes, this is barely at all, as it was arriving at the Guatemala City Airport a few days ago. Sometimes this is a lot, as it was trying to fly out of Cartagena to Panama City (more on this in a May post).

I was happy to easily be able to navigate through La Aurora Airport and access all the things I needed like free public Wi-Fi and the options to choose between Uber or taxis. At the moment, taxis won in convenience and easy immediate access.  I told myself I would make up the cost using Uber for my departure. Perhaps. When it comes to airport drop offs and when I am not walking within the city, Uber has been a good choice in Colombia, Peru and Mexico. I imagine Guatemala will be too.

Before leaving the airport however, I just needed a place to sit with my computer, I needed a coffee shop (aka hot chocolate and/or cappuchino shop) with snacks where I could gather my thoughts and my tummy. Oh yeah, also notable: I would need an ATM to take out local cash to pay the taxi driver and or nearby vendors as well as prepare for places which may only take cash/efectivo. The independent coffee shop was along the way, right alongside the exit outside of the airport. I would work on my freelance translation work while waiting a bit longer for check-in time.

A few local people stopped by, asking If I needed various items, such as a car rental or a Sim card. A car rental salesman left me with his card. I was straight forward with some others about already having a place to stay and not actually needing a ride at this very moment, but maybe a little later. We smiled and they complimented my Spanish.

I lost the attention of a few other tourists, (European or American, I believe), who had been looking at me from the time I went through customs. As I settled into my drink and chips, I briefly thought, now how boring my calmness and comfort must have become. One smiled, but more to himself.

It was also nice to simply have a little small talk with the Guatemalan people at the airport, perhaps getting to know a little more about the place and chatting some before heading over to my rental.

The baristas had waited on me so quickly and did not know how ready I was not to have a lid on my cup and to chill and eat in. I have become accustomed to things being a little different and being able to expect or welcome these things has brought a smile to many of the people I get to meet. Being chill, patient and accepting is a foundational vibe in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Panama and Guatemala. The vibe is contagious.

Thank You So Much For Today

February 27, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

Thank you so much for a lovely day, seems like with each passing year, my birthday gets better, whether I am learning more about myself or just basking in all the generosity I receive.

Thank you.

I am overwhelmed by the wishes, gifts and love. If the day evolves into tears of joy, it’s only right, because I am beyond moved. Thank you friends and family for being my community always. I will always be yours😊

Received

January 31, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

Being inundated with positive messages, circumstances and people can challenge negative trauma and highlight the good life.

As a child I was carefree. I was also insulted and bullied. I grew up in a time without mass social media, so my heart goes out to the children who have to deal with being targeted today. It seems like such an oxymoron that I had so much foundationally loving people and experiences as well as harmful ones. I was then led to believe my positive influences will always overcome my bad ones even if they do not show up all the time or for an extended time.

As people, none of us perfect, we commonly exit childhood with some reactions to negative experiences and some defense mechanisms to combat those challenges. We seek and require acceptance on some varying levels. We can be healthy, we can get healthy but overall, there are so many moving parts to circumstances and all the people we encounter along the way which challenge this notion. We may still be quite successful. This has been my awareness. We all seem to have some level of internal obstacles.

Now, I realize my current travels cause my mind and nervous system to relax and take the moments a healthy spirit needs more often. Traveling through Latin America over the last year and some months has defaulted me to a situation of friendly, kind locals and a world of international travelers.

Any amount of negativity or moments of nonacceptance are constantly discounted by looking up and walking out and being in Paradise, being surrounded by it.

I don’t know what all the future will bring, and I know there are difficulties getting through all the processes of my life. There always have been. Yet, in a home country (the United States) where I had to negotiate and feel awkward for taking free time from work and strategically working it in, there are now so many more moments in these international streets where I just simply get “to be”, without as much pressure, with a lot less judgment.

Looking Back

December 31, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson

This is also a work in progress like the previous post. (I am still dealing with some questions for myself).

If I am honest, I have not lived in the United States for a while. I have been away since November 2023, except for visits in both April and August 2024. I was still in the US (in San Juan, Puerto Rico) when I started, but a few months later I landed in Merida, Mexico where I stayed throughout Christmas 2023 and New Year’s, into my February birthday. Not until April was I ready to leave Merida, for a short stop in Houston, TX, before getting back to Mexico to see two more recommended cities. Guadalajara (was not the best experience among so many other great ones). Still, my curiosity and aim to have and share nice experiences with others around the world was my focus.

Following Oaxaca, Mexico (which I loved), I revisited Peru (this was about the third time in some cities). I thoroughly enjoyed myself with a lot more income at the time, and mostly living my dream of everyday life as an expat there. I was there for 3 months. I have wanted this since I volunteered there in part of 2010 and 2011. I enjoyed volunteering in Bolivia in 2011 as well, but Peru stole the show.

After Peru, I went to Colombia (Medellin was the first city and where I stayed most of my allotted 90 days – until next time). Bogota was just six days (really nice, still) and Cali and Ipiales were the one-day stopovers I mentioned last time. An added note: When traveling through Colombia, I particularly enjoyed the travel hack of overnight buses as they saved money with one night of lodging not needed, and most hours spent sleeping. I had been aiming for this since I flew between the US, Mexico, Peru and into Colombia.

Okay, well, sleeping on a bus is not the most comfortable feel (facts) but as another precaution, I kept the trips to about 11 hours or less (allowing for added stops). *I remember longer trips from my past and they can get old. I also like the safety of arriving in a place in the daylight, at home or abroad. I was advised to do that my first time in Lima. The only unfortunate circumstance back then was how every decent DC flight landed around 10 pm. Fortunately all went well, and the remote city I later reached was in the accompaniment of another future volunteer/fast friend. We planned to meet in Lima and go from there.

I am now back in Ecuador. I only visited Guayaquil for a few days in 2019, but now I have been able to check out Quito and Cuenca.

Next: I was recently thinking about Paraguay or Uruguay (this would be my first time in each). I am really excited about Brazil but a little worried about suddenly discontinuing to use Spanish and checking out parts of Paraguay and Uruguay would give me the continued opportunity to use Spanish. However, I do think this could mean survival Portuguese and some important phrases will be a fun activity to add to my more fun to-do lists.

Crossing Borders: Colombia to Ecuador

December 30, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson

This is a work in progress: I have been going through a rough patch – so this is a rough draft.

Overall, I found people in Colombia to be very nice and discovered this even more, the longer I stayed. *There were instances where I did not feel like I fit in (something I can revisit in general at another time, for various reasons).

Throughout my stay, I soon discovered that I was being treated in a very familial manner and very often, people either did not know where I was from or assumed I was from Colombia or that I now live there. I was in Medellin (for approximately 2 months) and Bogota for just 6 days. The same was true of both and I was not even prepared for my stay in the small border city of Ipiales with a small town feel.

It was during the rain and not the sunshine, as well, when I realized how nice the people were in Ipiales. I was preparing to be someone who absolutely stood out in the small Colombian city quite different from Bogota and Medellin, but there was never really a time when that happened in an off-putting way. I felt like what I suppose anyone who did not look local felt like but, just like them (I imagine), I also  probably was just treated and seen like any foreigner who passed through their Colombian border city to get to the Ecuadorian border city of Tulcan.

(I also learned later that Ipiales is popularly known for a church, which I did not visit). Overall, I felt welcome and accepted, two vibes I cannot help but notice. Camaraderie in the rain was one of those reiterated moments. A strange look was just curiosity and I felt the hospitality and greetings that stick with me so much more.