The little things

Walking by a bush or flower that smells so lovely that you walk a bit slower or stop walking altogether just to get another whiff. A nice view. Eating warm garlic bread that you bought from the supermarket while you walk home. Overhearing a funny conversation. Feeling the breeze. Getting a cute text. The baked goods you can justify buying at the panadería. A warm day. Cherry tomatoes. Walking to the vegetable stand on Sundays to buy the cherry tomatoes. Running and feeling terrible, then feeling pretty OK because you were athletic for once. Talking to your loved ones on the phone. Pretending you’re with them. A movie. Your roommate / best friend making you an arepa, popcorn, tea, coffee, lunch, dinner, and pretty much anything else. Making your roommate / best friend an arepa, popcorn, tea, coffee, lunch, dinner, and pretty much anything else. Food in general. The little things.

I’ve been back from Colombia for about a month now and the biggest thing I can take away from the whole experience is how important the little things are. When your friends and family are a world away, you have to take what you can get. My roommate and best friend Ana made me happy, of course she did, but I couldn’t rely on her completely for this. I made it through my toughest days because of the things I’d usually overlook.

For example, when I was in the States I mainly relied on others for my happiness. I seldom had time to myself and spent most of my moments with those I love. It made my life great. So when my people visited me from the States, I was over the moon. Showing them the country I had fallen for was wonderful and hearing about their lives brought me so much joy. Naturally, when they left, my spirits were low. This is when I turned to podcasts. It felt like someone was there talking to me and at the same time, I was learning. It’s a little thing, but it helped me get back into my routine of not relying on others.

Delicious street food. Roasting veggies. Making hummus. Pretending you can cook, then realizing that you can cook alright.

Of course there were big things that made me happy, like when I travelled to another part of the country or, like I said above, when someone visited. But those things did not happen as much as buying garlic bread.

A view from a hike I’ll write about in another blog. Clearly not as common as garlic bread.

If you let the little things bring you down, you may as well let them bring you up too. Or better yet, just let them bring you up. I’d be one grumpy lady had I not figured that out.

Petting your friend’s dog. Getting a seat on the bus. Petting a stranger’s dog. Scrambled eggs. Fried eggs. Cumin.

Meet my good friend Dani’s dog Katara <3

Before I left Bogotá, I wanted to head to the top of Monserrate and see the sunset. I had only been in the daytime and was eager to see the sun go down behind the city. After eating my beloved bandeja paisa, Ana and I sat on the wall overlooking the city and watched the sun disappear. The sky turned all tones of pink, orange, and red. I realized I was constantly smiling. Then, what seemed like out of nowhere, a guy with an acoustic guitar (like what? We were on top of a mountain) started playing the fuckin’ Beatles. Any other circumstance and I’d think this moment was corny, but it got me. We both cried. It felt like a sappy ending to a cheesy movie. And it was a sappy end to my cheesy Colombian movie. Fade to black. Cue credits.

Colombia feels so far away now, like it happened years ago. Getting back into my old lifestyle was easier than I thought; it all feels so normal. I miss Bogotá a lot, though. I’ll wake up and want to have a coffee with Ana, walk to Dani’s for another tattoo lesson, run in the park near our apartment, and look out for dogs being walked. But I’m also happy to be home. I feel tired all the time and I think it’s because I’m so comfortable. And the cold makes everything so cozy. My parting words are: I’ll be back, Colombia. For the sunset, for the dogs, for the sporadic weather, for the garlic bread, cherry tomatoes, and arepas, for the mountains, for the breeze, for the seat on the bus, for the little things.

Here are my actual credits:

Thank you, Ana, for always being there to talk some sense into me and helping me with any issue I ever had, ever, and for being my rock. My mum, for her overpowering love and desire for me to do what I felt was best. My sister, Charlotte, for always keeping me in check. My family, for always wanting to hear what I was up to and making me feel an immense love. My beloved, Zach, for giving me more support than I ever could have dreamed of- this experience would not have gone as smoothly if you were not around. My bffs Nick, Alanah, Mackie, and Kelly, for helping me in any way they could, making me miss them even more, but then making me feel OK that I was so far away. My dad, for helping me be so goal oriented. Dani, for teaching me how to tattoo (obv.), but also becoming such a close friend and important person to me. Katara, Dani’s dog for always giving me kisses. Ron, for visiting and bringing me a whole lot of joy. Vince and Tyler, for also visiting and spicing up all of our lives. All of you for reading. Every one of my friends who has showed encouragement these past months. It’s helped a lot. And Ana’s family, for making me feel like I was home every time I was around. I fell in love with Colombia because of you.