Planning the trip

For my birthday (29th of December.. Yeah, I’ve always had lousy timing) I’d received a discount from an Airline, so I bought a ticket to Santa Marta. I chose to go in February because I felt I could stand at work for another month; this trip could help to clear my mind or encourage me to take a life-changing decision. In other words, I wanted to quit my job at an innovative but troubled start-up, but I also thought that if I had a break, I could stay there for more time.

Well, or maybe it was just an excuse to travel. Since the road trip I did a few months before in the summer (2021), I have been feeling this rising flame in my soul; I wanted to watch sunsets all over the world, to taste which country has the best Gin and tonic, where would my soul vibe higher. In other words, I wanted to travel no matter where.

That rising flame threw its sparks

Yeah, a spark. I always wanted to live abroad, and I needed to improve my English skills to make it happen, so I received an email from EF (One of the most famous Language Centers around the world) offering an English study program in Malta. 

I was curious about it. Why not? Where is Malta? Europe? Great! How much? Well, maybe if I save enough money, I could go there for 3 months. Therefore, I scheduled a call to get more info about Malta and other destinations like Ireland, UK, and Australia.

This call was 2 weeks before my vacation. EF’s agent was so persuasive that I almost bought the course at that moment, thou being penniless, but I still had to set things to make it real. Right after we hung up, I had to join an “urgent” work meeting; we were informed that the company was in severe trouble and running out of money.

That was a long night. I had a lot on my plate; I didn’t even know what to do. It’s strange, but there is how a new door opens, and a new beginning shows off in front of you. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Read: Chronicles about a road trip in the USA here

Careful of what you wish for

Early next day, I talked to my dad about it (He’s the most important person in my life) to get some advice; he told me to ask for a loan from the bank, and he got my back in the worst-case scenario. 

2 hours later, I was at the bank asking for a loan to make a dream come true; live abroad (at least for 3 months) and study English. The bank told me the loan could take up to 2 weeks…

The time had come, I was packing my luggage for my trip to Tayrona, and I received a call from the bank; my loan was approved, and I had to sign it. Fortunately, the bank’s office was 10 minutes away on foot from my house (I worked from home), so I went there immediately before they closed. When I arrived, I received a call from my friend and co-worker Anita; my boss needed to talk with me then.

Spoiler alert: I was going to be fired.

So, I signed my loan papers and ran back home to have this call with my boss: I got fired and was free to go. The company had no more money to keep me, so they let me go. It meant my new life started right there, with my luggage next to me, a trip to the beach ahead, and the money to pay for a 3-month English Course abroad. 

Disclaimer

This is supposed to be a travel post, isn’t it? Well, yes. But when I was writing about this trip, I realized that often, at least for me, a journey starts way before it happens. I mean, not everything has to have a meaning. Still, it’s cool to look back and understand how the period of your life before affected the outcome of a trip because you are rarely aware of that.

A blank page; how would you like to name this chapter, Sir?

Santa Marta means something special to me. I don’t know if it is a coincidence or what, but every time after I have gone there, life changing experiences happen; For example, the first time I went there, it was the last time my family (my parents, siblings, and I) tripped together on vacation. We split apart from my father’s family, some dramas, and my siblings and I grew as roomies more than siblings. We went through tough times with our mother, etc. The last time I went there with my siblings, we could reconnect a little; a month later, my dear aunt (she was like a mother to me) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 

This time, the journey was like a closure ritual of the most challenging part of my life and the beginning of a new chapter that I would call “the arise” while I found a more outstanding name. It was also a warm-up trip to my journey to Malta. To beat my social anxiety and allow me to live a little. 

It’s incredible to feel light, powerful, and curious about your future instead of sad, worried (and depressed?) I still had some emotional baggage to let go of. I wanted to enjoy my week at the beach, fly my drone, sunbathe, and share sunsets with my 40%-ABV friend, Gin.

First weekend

I stayed at Viajero Hostel in Tayrona. The weather was spectacular, with few clouds on a blue sky, sunny as a perfect postcard. 

Tayrona is one and a half-hour from Santa Marta, it’s known because it’s a natural reserve, and there is a National Park there where you can find hostels as well; It is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the world. My lodge was 30 minutes away that park, the perfect spot to hide from routines, family, work, or any connection you want to avoid, except people.

The hostel was crowded. It’s a popular place. This place particularly has this party vibe, so it’s great to stay for a long weekend and hang out with your friends. But if you are looking for an introspective and calmer place, I guess there are better options; it doesn’t mean you couldn’t find peace there.

This was my first time in a hostel, I never wanted to share a bathroom with strangers, but you can’t be a spoiled person forever. Also, to share a room with strangers was not the kind of thing I was willing to live so bad, but it was ok. I thought it would be worst; I had no problems with that, except one day, a guy had an alarm set at 4a.m. and didn’t wake him up. Fortunately, someone stood up and stopped it for him. I could hear everyone cheering her in my mind.

Read the second part of the story here