1. I love art. It was a missing link in my life.
If you find yourself in Bogotá, you'll likely see plenty of these paintings and images by Fernando Botero Angulo, who specializes in Boterismo - depictions of figures that are enlarged and/or exaggerated. I got to see plenty of these amazing pieces at Mueso Nacional. It reinforced my love for art, for sure. I also fell in love with this painting called La mulata Cartagenera by Enrique Grau.
2. When you're traveling with a group of people, you'll inevitably grow closer.
Here's an image of me with my dance partner and fave cowboy - Taylor. This was true when I went to Europe all summer, and it was true during my Colombia adventures this past week. Being in a foreign place is an experience that you will share with everyone there. For some, it's their first time being out of the country. The longer the trip, the more time you get to spend with these people and get to know each other. You look out for each other, build a bond, and more. It's the most beautiful thing about going abroad, in my opinion. The community you build is so strong.
3. Self-Care and Self-Love are Important.
Traveling is a form of self care and love. We had the chance to also go to a space and get facials and massages while there. We also did a self-love workshop to focus on ways to alleviate all of the stress of everyday life. It's important to know your self and worth. Taking mental health days and practicing mantras is a great way to make sure that you're good. As I always say, you can't be your best self for others if you're not your best self for you, first. Also, Nikka taught me the important lesson of receive, relish, and reciprocate. When you think you don't deserve something or find it hard to accept something (like love and affection from others) remember to receive it with an open heart, relish in it, and then reciprocate that love.
4. Trying new foods is good for the soul.
This is TarTar by @DeTalMadre on Instagram - check them out. It has mango, cheese, avocado, and this greenery on top (lol you can tell I'm not a foodie). Originally, I thought I wouldn't like it, but it was really good. Everything was raw. I have the hardest time trying new things (like I did not eat any ants) but I made sure to try as much as I could on this trip. I highly encourage it because you don't get the chance everyday, so why not engage in some good international cuisine. I had desserts, foods, fruits and drinks that were really good. I honestly had some stuff that I didn't like - like strong aguardiente alcohol - but I was able to learn what I did and did not like through eating.
5. Traveling is scary, fun, and emotional.
This is an image of all of us after a night of dancing at Andres (a crazy cool restaurant). I left this trip with all of the emotions! It was epic and beautiful and hard to work through them all, but we did. I get really scared to travel about a week before trips. I get nervous about the experience, things going wrong, etc. However, I chill out and have fun once I'm there. I think being nervous to travel is a common experience and that it's perfectly okay to feel that way, but I never let it discourage me from making it happen (besides, I spend too much money on these trips to do that). It's always fun and a great experience to see new places. Even more than that, I love doing it with others. As I said, the community that is inevitably built is crazy amazing. As many emotions as I go through, I wouldn't change it for the world. Each travel experience that I have had has made me more open, open-minded, and cultured.
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