Missing Colombia ~ Glad to Be Home

Returning from a trip is always bitter sweet for me. Many things I’m sad to say goodbye to, yet many things I’m sooo happy to be back to. So, a few thoughts since returning from Colombia (in no particular order).

I’ll miss …

1. Gorgeous weather! Bogotá has the most perfect weather with a year round average of 68 degrees (I realize this may seem cold to my Phoenix friends). Bright, sunny, warm days with showers in the early evenings to keep things green.

2. Delicious food. I really love Colombian food, particularly that the big meal of the day tends to be lunch so you're not left all bloated before bed time. Plus, all the fresh fruits you could ever want. Check out this site for some great pics and descriptions of typical Colombian comida (food).

3. Grandma Pepita’s juices. Jairo’s grandma Pepita makes the most delicious fresh fruit juices with fruits that are typical to Colombia … Lulo, Maracuya, Curuba …mmmm. She really could make a killing with her own juice store.

4. Family. Jairo’s family in Colombia is so kind and fun. Sad that we only see them every few years.

5. Peluquerias. Translated … beauty salons. These seem to be on every corner in the neighborhoods and the women take their trips to the salons seriously, visiting every 1-2 weeks to get nails done, hair cut and styled, etc. I always make sure to stop in and get a mani and a pedi … only $7 for both!

6. Panaderias. These little bakeries are also on every corner so walking around anywhere you can stop in and get some fresh bread or other little treats. Ethan’s favorite was Almojabana, a sweet roll made with corn meal, cheese, butter and eggs. Very yummy!

Some Almojabana.

7. Public transportation. Bogotá is such an easy place to get around. There is a lot more walking … why not, the weather is great, and you can always catch a bus, taxi, or take the Trasmilenio – a bus system that operates similar to a metro.

Glad we’re back because …

1. No more long plane rides … at least not soon. Ethan was a trooper with about 12 hours of air plane time each way. Plus he developed a bad case of diarrhea the morning we were heading home so we had many diaper changes on the plane. I packed extra in our carry-on just in case and we made it home with one to spare. Can’t say how happy I was to get off the plane last night. Halleluiah!

2. Glad to be back to my own bed and house. I can relax and let Ethan roam free around the house. No more worrying about him breaking other people’s stuff or cracking his head on all the tile floor and glass tables.

3. No more crazy driving. I swear I return from trips to Latin America with an ulcer from all the crazy driving. Driving in L.A. or New York is a treat in comparison.

4. Back to a schedule. The great thing about vacation is not having a schedule. But all the running around, staying out late & getting up early really wears on everyone, especially Ethan. He did great, but he was definitely in need of some regular nap and bed times.

5. Time to myself. I’m an introvert by nature and love time to myself. Everyone knows how it is on family vacations where there are people around all the time.

6. Open space. Bogotá and the surrounding area has a population of about 8 million people so you can imagine how crowded city life can be. We did get out of the city, which is gorgeous, but most of the time was spent in tight spaces and busy streets. At times I love the ability to go out and have people around all the time, but, as stated above, some times you want a bit more peace and quiet.

Landscape north of Bogota.

7. No more food guilt! As I mentioned above I love Colombian food, but we often received very large portions and we were always offered little extras between meals. Not wanting to offend, Jairo and I ate more than our usual share of food, yet we were still encouraged to eat more. I think if I stayed longer I would need to buy a new wardrobe before returning home.

Some pics of the trip coming soon ...