After a sleepless 20-hour journey (which may or may not have included a little Crimes of Grindelwald), I am once again in Manizales, Colombia–in the same apartment, no less! While the location is the same, the mindset is distinct. This isn’t vacation. This is life.

My three weeks or so in the United States took me to Washington (to visit my parents and sister), Oregon (for my grandpa’s funeral), Massachusetts (to visit my brother), and California (to visit the UCLA family). Friends from across the country came to Seattle to develop a business plan, go for morning kayaks, and brave the massive slip-n-slide on the Fourth of July. It was jam packed and I savored every second. Nevertheless, it was time to fly south for the summer (a rather unconventional migration pattern, I admit).

It felt so similar to last time. Multi-leg redeye. Rummaging my way through the Bogota airport repeatedly confirming that my baggage would in fact go all the way to Manizales without any additional intervention. Thankfully accepting Mr. Valdez’s support in my time of need. Getting butterflies as the plane touched down.

Except it was so different. I knew where I was going. My Spanish was better. It didn’t feel foreign. I didn’t get yelled at by the taxi driver for slamming the car door (when in Colombia, be sure to close car doors very gently–I learned my lesson the hard way…multiple times). I said hello to the doorman as I picked up my keys. My soul was flooded with nostalgia when I slid open the balcony door and feasted my eyes on the magnificent view.

Manizales is home–or, at least, one of them. It doesn’t take long to turn the foreign to familiar. You can learn to be anywhere in the world. You can adapt faster than you think. I spent a mere five weeks here back in March and April, but the moment my feet hit the ground at 8am today I immediately felt peace, serenity, and comfort. I can’t express how grateful I am to feel so welcome in this country. I love it.

It’s Colombia for me, but it could be anywhere for you. The experience of spending an extended amount of time in a foreign city (especially one that is perhaps not as influenced by the US) has profoundly changed my life. If this is something that remotely interests you, I implore you to go for it. You’ll learn, grow, and have a wealth of new experiences. Nothing is certain; everything is possible.