Tag: Colombia

My Quiet Freedom

September 30, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson

It was Sunday and things seemed quieter in the main areas of Medellin and especially where I am staying. However, this was really just building up to unexpected activity, which I seem to think is more so the normal atmosphere on Sunday, just depending on what social spots you visit besides the contrast of places closing early or not being open at all.

This particular day, yesterday, reiterated what I like about traveling in Latin America and traveling overall. It was a day where there was still a lot to see and many gastronomical options like cafes and restaurants open. I noticed this as I walked more, and I noticed a lot of people were spending their day in Parques del Rios in Medellin. I imagine there were many families and friends also concentrated in other similar recreational spaces. This was me deciding to make my way back to Parques del Rios for the second time though it was a considerable distance from my accommodation. Maybe next time, I will take the metro for part of the way. Most likely, I will not. I enjoy getting there this way, feeling like some exercise and seeing the various performers at the intersections. I had similarly challenged myself, recently, to find a special library in Medellin as well, and getting there and focusing in on my work and thoughts was worth the trek. (Biblioteca Publica Piloto)

My walk to Parques del Rios was on my way to the San Diego neighborhood of Medellin. Later, I was able to explore and end my day picking up some fruit and juice on my way back to ultimately connecting with other hostel guests I had not met earlier and especially one, yet to arrive.

Sunday was peaceful yet vibrant. I ran into a Capoeira group and many families and their pets taking advantage of the warmth in the park, along with vendors and other musical performers there. I watched part of a live concert in the San Diego mall which was super busy as opposed to the smaller ones that shut down earlier.

In the end, I was impressed by my muscle memory finding my way back in the dark and the rain, with a Colombian woman even inquiring If I could give her directions. I apologized to her in Spanish stating I only knew some places and thought momentarily I could be of some help. She smiled and was very gracious.

I recalled meeting a Colombian guy on the way there who was randomly curious where I was going and who asked for my number. I have no plans on dating (I am kind of potentially hopeful and have my heart set on one person) but I feel like I am meeting a lot of like-minded local and traveling friends. I also laughed to myself that once he got my info, I conveniently pretended not to understand the “espere” “wait for me” he stated, because that did not really make sense for me to do so and did not really speak to my security or desires. I am leaning into my instincts and whims and enjoy when they kick in on any level.

Between Time

September 29/30, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson

My post was initially going to begin about money lessons learned, after spending quite a sum in Peru. However, I enjoyed the freedom it brought me, and I also realized that what I was beginning to write was a thinly veiled manner of beating myself up. So I have to find the healthy medium between blaming the powers that be, blaming myself and realizing there is a whole lot I have to contend with, being a freelancer, just as there were many other things I had to deal with being an employee. I note how I have worked really hard in both circumstances, so the lamenting may come but I cannot allow for it to stay.

First of all, I am willing to keep up the work. Mini breaks and this more chiller way of life is helpful. I just need to lean into the tweaks. So I have pretty soberly come face to face with the idea of adding to my workload as a means to eventually not having such a big workload. but wait, hear me out, as I want to pay off every bill, hold on to my investments, trade and just have my current freelancing and side hustles as extra cash that are not needed. I am looking for a low-maintenance completely remote job to meet my goal and, hear me out, for all those reasons above.

Added bonus: I am starting from a place of still hoping to continue my traveling dreams. 😊 So the search is notably hitting different. I feel like such a job will be a bonus to an already palpable life, much less like the times I applied within my country, (though these will be US employers) . . . much less like the times of feeling I needed to make my bones and eventually giving into my way of attempting to meet the expectations of the people and the work environment, which can be fruitless with some managerial situations as I learned more than a few times. I would get to my tasks after so many others and if we put ourselves last along with others putting themselves last is an inevitably deteriorating combination.

So easy to lose a balance.

I also noted an inherent issue with my freelancing relationship in which allotting time towards work cuts into time I can make money easier and quicker in other ways, since a lot of time is then used chasing payments. Also noted: I could be learning on working on managing my freelancing contracts better. Advice welcome here.

So far, I have revisited one of my favorite sites, Idealist.org along with a ton of others which is quite daunting but encouraging, depending on how inspired or discouraged I am at the particular moment. 😊