And then. . .

Number of hours spent traveling: 20 Days spent in Colombia: 29 Cazuela de frijoles comidas: 2 Tres Cordillera cervezas tomadas: 15 Shots of aguardiente shots I turned away: 6 Shots of aguardiente I couldn't turn away: 4 Veces que usé tenso equivocado en español: unknown Ceviches I ate: 6 Days at the beach: 4 Micheladas: 10 Showers taken: 58 Sunblock application: 10 Usos de la palabra chevre: 5 People asked why I was a brown gringa: 4 Times I was offended by this: 0 Times people thought I was Colombian until I spoke: unknown Apologies made on behalf of United States for Donald Trump: 1 Explanation of the El Paso/Juarez border: 5 Uso de la frase, "ese man": 20 Photos taken: 88 Veces que escuchú salsa: infinito Ramen from Formosa restaurant eaten: 3 Max number of hours of speaking only Spanish before mouth and brain hurt: 4 New tattoo: 1 Book read: 1 Books started and left unfinished: 1 Reruns of CSI: Miami watched on AXN: 20 Ubers r...

I want to tell you that before ever visiting you, I misjudged you. I misjudged all the things about you, and this year when I visited you again, I was still surprised. Even though I get annoyed when I see El Paso  misportrayed in movies, I still thought that perhaps Hollywood had the right idea about you. Now, I know that you are greener and richer than I could ever imagine. That while I'm there, I keep thinking, "How will I remember all of this vividly, in technicolor?" Colombia, I love the endless green and the trees, your mountains, and roads that wrap around them like loose yards of ribbon. I love the vendors selling brightly colored fruits I'd never seen before, hotdogs sprinkled with potato chip slivers, hamburgers filled with so many things the buns are two distant cousins, golden brown empanadas stuffed with meat and potato goodness, aguacates the size of dinosaur eggs... all sprinkled on corners and sidewalks all around Medellín.  I also love the way these ...