Back in America

I'm back from Panama and am car-less in suburbia. Am like a 50s housewife. Spent the day doing laundry and cooking.

After spending the last five months in the business world, I’ve discovered that I am not cut out to be a business woman. That would require me to be driven by money and live a very stressful life, and I’m not driven by money nor do I want to live a stressful life. At least I can say I tried it. I have also discovered that Panama and other equally hot climates are not for me. I need a city with more of an edge, more culture and a little more depth. Panama is like an American colony that drifted too far south. In Panama, you just feel like you’re in a poorer, less efficient Florida and if you wanted to, you’d never need to speak a word of Spanish and could surround yourself with expats without ever having to interact with an actual Panamanian. It’s just a weird feeling.

In late September, I’ll be flying down to Colombia to update the Frommer’s chapter for the 2010 South America Guide. I’ll be in Cartagena for about a week in late September. If anyone is interested in visiting Cartagena and the Colombian Caribbean coast, let me know – I am looking for a travel companion. Usually I don’t mind traveling alone, but for some reason, this time around, the thought of seeing the Atlantic Coast of Colombia on my own doesn’t excite me very much. If anyone is interested in coming, we could go to Parque Tayrona and the Sierra Nevada mountains and it could be lots and lots of fun…lots of good seafood, parties and sites in and around Cartagena. Plus, I might get some free stuff, being a world-renowned journalist and everything. If you would like to learn more about this traveling opportunity, please contact Jisel Perilla at 703.818.0687…

I’ll be meeting Stephen in Bogota in early October, and we’ll go to the Eje Cafetero and Medellin from there, then go back to Bogota to visit Villa de Leyva and Los Llanos, and I’ll finish up my Frommer’s writing toward the end of October. There’s still a lot of Colombia I haven’t seen yet. I’ve never been to the Amazon, which takes up 33% of the country, and I’ve really never traveled the coasts, apart from Cartagena. I’d like to go to Popayan and the southern region plus Los Llanos and the national parks. Unfortunately, I have only 60 pages to cover all of Colombia, so I’ll have to limit myself.
After Frommers, will need to find a job in Bogota…have a feeling it will happen…Am also somewhat intrigued in Chile.