Immediately after being picked up from the airport, I am taken to what is probably one of the only organic/vegetarian stores in Bogota. Naturally, my dear mother had made it known to, literally, everyone and their mother that I am a vegetarian. In all sincerity though, this time I am thankful for my mom’s tendency to over share- it avoided all the awkward times I would have had to say “I’m sorry, I can’t eat that”.

After we finish up at the store, we head back into the awful traffic that consumes the capital of Colombia. I am talking about traffic that makes Manhattan traffic look like a joy ride and New York drivers look like Buddhists- traffic that makes my life flash before my eyes at least twice in one drive. But aside from the chaos going on around, I take in the scenery of the city. It’s scenery that is in a way so familiar, but in many others, so foreign. I spent so many summers here when I was younger. But now that I am older the visits have become less frequent and shorter. It’s as though I am visiting a new place every time. My last visit was over two years ago and I was only here for about a ten days. And all my other visits here I always had my older sister to keep me company. This will be the longest time I have spent here on my own in seven years…