Books by Erin Donaldson
I did not set out to become the woman writing books about dating and long-term life in Colombia.
Life had other plans.
I have lived in Colombia since 2013. During that time, I have dated, traveled, raised children, built businesses, learned Spanish, made cultural mistakes, started over more than once, and gradually developed a much clearer understanding of how life here actually works.
These books grew out of those experiences.
They are not written from a distance, and they do not sell a fantasy. They offer candid guidance for readers who want to understand Colombia beyond vacation photos, relocation hype, and familiar stereotypes.
Passport to Passion
How to Navigate Love, Dating & Good Living in Colombia
Dating in Colombia can be warm, passionate, generous, confusing, deeply traditional, surprisingly modern—and occasionally transactional.
Passport to Passion is a candid guide to the cultural expectations and relationship dynamics foreign visitors do not always recognize until they are already emotionally involved.
The book explores:
- dating and exclusivity;
- money requests and financial expectations;
- family influence;
- communication across cultures;
- trust, loyalty, and infidelity;
- immigration and passport-related motives;
- class and regional differences;
- warning signs foreigners often excuse or misinterpret;
- the difference between genuine affection and an attractive fantasy.
This is not a pickup manual, and it does not promise that following a formula will produce the perfect Colombian relationship.
It is for readers who want to ask better questions, recognize problems earlier, and approach cross-cultural dating with both an open mind and reasonable boundaries.
Who Is This Book For?
Passport to Passion may be useful for you if you are:
- dating someone from Colombia;
- preparing to meet an online romantic interest;
- visiting Colombia and considering using dating apps;
- trying to understand confusing relationship behavior;
- rebuilding after a difficult cross-cultural relationship;
- looking for something more honest than stereotypes about Colombian men or women.
Coffee Axis Living
An Insider’s Guide to Long-Term Life in Colombia’s Coffee Region
Colombia’s Coffee Axis is beautiful.
It is also more complicated than the usual photographs of green mountains, colorful towns, and cups of coffee suggest.
I wrote Coffee Axis Living because many relocation guides stop at weather, rent, and residency requirements. Those things matter, but they do not tell you what it feels like to build a functioning life here after the novelty begins to wear off.
This guide looks at the everyday realities of living in Colombia’s Coffee Region, including:
- choosing between cities and neighborhoods;
- housing and rental expectations;
- transportation and getting around without a car;
- healthcare and daily services;
- cost-of-living considerations;
- safety and situational awareness;
- cultural adaptation;
- making local connections;
- the differences between visiting Colombia and actually living here.
The goal is not to persuade everyone to move to Colombia.
It is to help serious readers decide whether this region fits the life they are trying to build.
Who Is This Book For?
Coffee Axis Living is written for:
- future residents researching Colombia;
- remote professionals considering the Coffee Axis;
- retirees and long-term travelers;
- people comparing Manizales, Pereira, and surrounding communities;
- readers who want context before making an expensive decision;
- current residents trying to understand their new environment more clearly.
Earlier Publication
The Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Pancakes
This small cookbook came from one of the more ordinary challenges of living abroad: missing familiar comfort food and learning how to recreate it with the ingredients available locally.
It includes gluten-free pancake and crepe recipes, practical advice for working with alternative flours, and a Spanish-language ingredient guide for readers shopping in Latin America.
Recipes include cocoa crepes, kefir pancakes, and apple-cinnamon cottage-cheese pancakes.
It is a lighter piece of my publishing history—but still part of the story of learning to adapt, improvise, and make a home abroad.
About the Author
Erin Donaldson is an American writer, cultural correspondent, and Colombia consultant who has lived in the country since 2013.
Through OpenMindedTraveler, she writes candidly about dating, relationships, cultural adaptation, travel, and the realities of building a life abroad. Her current publication, Coffee Axis Living, expands that work through reporting and commentary on Colombia, relocation, culture, and international business across the Americas.
Her books are grounded in firsthand experience, careful observation, and the lessons that rarely appear in conventional travel guides.
Questions about the books, media requests, and relevant collaboration inquiries can be sent to: