It’s a bit strange to write about love in Colombia on the Internet because it is such a personal subject. However to be fair it is also a part of life, and perhaps I would be remiss to chronicle my life abroad without including the emotions that go along with it.

Love in Colombia

Falling in love is not to be taken lightly. The last relationship I had terminated just over two years ago because it was a dead end trip on a boat full of alcoholism, never a good idea. The time that followed was full of travel and inconsistency which prevented me from settling down and forming any relationships, which to my benefit made all my arrivals and departures that much easier.

Now after much wandering and constant change I have arrived in a place where I feel settled, content and happy. The cherry on top is that I met my “novio” (boyfriend), a wonderful Colombian man who has become a special part of my life. I can only describe my emotion as a long slow fall into the warm embrace of young love. It scares me and exhilarates me at the same time.

I don’t like the term “love at first sight” because I feel that it is too risky, I do admit though that there was an energy between us from the very start that carried a zing which I haven’t felt in a long long time. Perhaps it was love at first sight but I severely repressed it due to my own cynical nature and the protective barriers guarding my heart from the potential harm of admitting feelings too quickly.

There are details that I am going to leave out of this story because they are too personal to share with my audience. My Spanish is still quite limited, and he speaks no English. It really doesn’t matter, when we run out of words we just go do one of the many common interests we share.

We enjoy bike rides, dancing, hiking, swimming, and traveling. I can look into his beautiful chocolate colored eyes and hope that he sees the meaning I wish to convey with my baby blues.

As we spend time haggling over our misunderstandings and unintended meanings I feel my Spanish increasing faster with his constant presence. Words are overrated and overused. Maybe the best relationships are based on shared experiences with limits on excess chatter.

And of course nothing is ever permanent even if it should last for years. Should something come between us I know that this thing will not easily be forgotten. Life is too short to worry about the future. I will learn and I will live on.

Conclusion

The sweet feeling I have, the tender words we share, the passion between us, is as beautiful as the exotic tropical flowers that bloom all around us. When I am out on my bicycle he is there beside me encouraging me to push past the hard parts and overcome the pain. We do everything together. He goes with me to orchid events, I go with him to farmers markets.

When we go out dancing we are there together following the rhythms of the Latin music that feeds our growing affection. Here’s a note to my Love in Colombia: “Be good to my heart because you have captured it in your hands and I will be good to yours. Te amo…te quiero mucho.”

Editors Note 2022: Wow, I really fell head first into that one. The relationship did, in fact, last 4 years. My longest relationship to date. In the end it didn’t work out even after we had a baby together. After that first boyfriend, I had only one more with plenty of failed attempts. Be sure to read about my dating adventures in Colombia here: Some of My Dating Experiences or, if you are as new to this as I WAS, then learn a thing or two about Dating in the Coffee Axis!