Wayward Wednesday — Molly Wanders

Well, what do ya know, I missed two cents Tuesday again. Its early Wednesday morning and I'm sitting on a call I never talk on, looking out the open porch door at our array of potted plants (it rained last night so it's chillier than usual today), drinking coffee with milk for the first time in 6 months. Black is better.

As I'd 'foreshadowed,' this past weekend did end up being one to remember. Friday started early at the only Irish pub in Medellín, where everyone was white and spoke English... that was weird. Jameson whiskey and green paint everywhere- a solid foreign St. Paddy's Day (wise words from an actual Irishman, don't say St. Patty's Day). Saturday was when the real fun began. A group of about 20 of us did a tour with a man named Rafa, a Colombian hippie, in vans, with a blow up swan named Esther. We had breakfast at his home (puppy, kitten, and hammock included), drove through winding mountain roads, stopped at fruit stands and a fake town, jumped off a bridge into a green lake (where the real town is actually submerged underneath), climbed 750 stairs to the top of El Peñón, drank mango biche micheladas, had a hippie-prepared picnic, explored the colorfully revamped Guatapé, and went to our first dessert bar. Then somehow, after our 12-hour adventure, we made it out... To a cool, two-story, hidden jungle bar called Bolívar.

Sunday brought my first ATVing experience. One thing I'll say about foreign countries is safety isn't exactly a priority like it is in the states. I don't mean things are unsafe here, but they are totally cool with people just wingin' it. There's usually never railings, or seat belts, or release waivers, or training, or rules for that matter. Our ATV tour guide was the first to even ask us for identification, and we only needed our passports because in that area cars get stopped by the police and foreigners without their passports will get arrested. :) I was slightly nervous because I know how common ATV accidents are, but 2017 is the year to say 'screw you' to my fears and anxiety and do things that I'd normally pass up. My ATV experience was incredible and once I got the hang of it, I was flying over the muddy terrain and riding through rocky streams, smiling from ear to ear under my helmet (Surprise! We got helmets!). We also wore these insane, bright colored plastic boot covers, pants, and hoodies (I looked like a big blueberry), but you'll see those when the promo vid comes out. Did I mention my super talented friends are starting their own production company and making videos for these tour groups to use for commercial purposes? #Proud

Monday was Moth, aka story telling time, and we listened to our fellow remotes' stories about getting lost at night in the Colombian forest, being almost eaten by a cannibal (nightmares), and a drunken night ditching a cab, climbing barefoot up a water spout and passing out on a roof.

Tonight is El Cielo- a top 50 restaurant in LatAm- and I'm mainly excited because you get to wash your hands with white chocolate before one of the courses. I'm dead serious.

Tomorrow I fly back to Bogota to see my boyfriend, Flume. Couldn't be happier to jam out at Estereo Picnic with some new people, but I will miss Medellin and the warm weather for sure (we've been advised to bring ponchos and wellies).

My two cents:

1. When you get stressed about work, remember that it will all be okay in the end. Just keep moving forward, and with a little prayer and perseverance, you'll reach quota!!!!

2. If your boss tells you that you have to fly to London from Peru and come back the same morning your best friend gets into Lima from the states, you say yes and don't complain. Just become friends with two expat Brits and make plans for them to take you out while you're in town.

3. If all of your friends jump off a bridge, you should probably do it too.

4. Most times, home cooked meals are better than restaurants. Sometimes, hippie-cooked meals are better than restaurants. Rappi burritos are always better than restaurants.