Debrief: Engaged NOT busy 😲

What am I doing?

"But, what are you doing in Colombia?" I am asked.

I wake up without an alarm. Peruse the news or social media from bed. Get up, hot shower, cool air from the open windows. Breakfast is partially laid out as part of the hosting agreement and now I know how to properly heat my own arepas. The day passes with lingering work projects, co-op work, personal projects. Around 4pm I get itchy to move and if it’s not downpouring, I go for a walk, perhaps supplemented by the bruja exercise stations (see photo above).

Then I figure out dinner, when Brian’s done working we walk to another new restaurant and spend ~$10 for us to both eat dinner.

We return and either chat with host family members if they’re around or watch one tv show in Spanish before English-language shows to chill out and bed. Repeat.

What I'm loving about the flow

• No alarms
• Maybe just one meeting
• Work that is stretching my skills
• Connecting with our host family
• Ability to say “yes” in the moment
• Yes, to myself of what I want to do.
• Yes, to a trip to the store.
• Yes, to catching up with a friend.

The yeses are bringing me joy.

What do I do with this?

As we shift next week to our own apartment, I want to buy arepas and quesito. I want to seek social engagement with neighbors or others, including a return visit to our current hosts or finding a language exchange.

And I want to stay attuned to when the yeses shift and I feel “busy.”

WOW. I just realized – I feel content, full, engaged, but NOT busy. Wow. So, this is what that feels like, eh? Yes please. I’d like to stick with this.