Being an open minded person doesn’t start overnight. It starts by leaving the things you know and are accustomed to and finding out what happens on the other side of the fence. It’s developed by immersion in other cultures, by being at the mercy of strangers when you are lost and out of money. This is the story of the people who are pushing their boundaries and comfort zones. The travelers I met during Semana Santa as I once again returned to Cali for another “vueltica” of my favorite Hostel and dance floor.

Scarlett Jones

A British citizen, Scarlett’s story begins with her own personal crisis that caused her to decide that it was time to break out of the mold and pursue her own adventures. A marital crisis that put her life in danger, she took the leap and decided to go travel South America until she finds a place that captures her heart. A fellow WordPress blogger, she was very inspiring and creative.  Now she has been on the road for several months, she volunteers, teaches English, couch surfs and even hangs out at hostels which is how we met at El Viajero in Cali, Colombia. So far she has traveled Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. You can read about her adventures HERE

Mirjam Schrag

A Swiss citizen Mirjam was a really nice companion for exploring the cafés and touristy places of the historic San Antonio neighborhood where the hostal we met at is located.  She has been living in Bogotá where she teaches English.  Fluent in Swiss German, English and French she recounted some of her travel experiences to me “I really wanted to see other countries but this time I decided to tour all of Colombia.” Her traveling companion Antonio is an Italian citizen who also pursues the expat life in Bogotá. She also writes a blog which you can check out HERE!!

A few other special mentions:

Carina, a Canadian traveling on holiday in Colombia. Her traveling companion
Adam, an American English teacher who lives in Pereira.  My boyfriend Jaime who was a wonderful traveling companion, he is a Colombian.  He enjoyed the mixture of culture and getting to have an English language immersion experience.  In the hostel the only common language some of us had was either English or Spanish, so he got to practice and hear a lot of it!

Tamsin, also living in Pereira she is an amazing salsa dancer, also an English Teacher she hails from the United Kingdom.

Living abroad is an amazing experience, it’s colored by the unlikely friendships between people and cultures who politically or historically may not agree but here together share the kinship of travelers. It’s a world where your ideas or culture is shared, inspired and cultivated to create a better, more open-minded person.