So in case you didn't hear the teachers of COJOWA screaming from the rooftops a couple of weeks ago, we had a surprise vacation announced for this past week.  There is little more than you can do to make a staff of foreign teachers happier than to announce a surprise week off of work.  Within minutes of hearing the news, I was looking for flights out of dodge.  Lindsey, Linda, Julie and I spent the past week in the department of Santander, Colombia exploring the areas in and surrounding San Gil and Bucaramanga.  Activities included whitewater rafting, rappeling down waterfalls, and paragliding in San Gil.  Bucaramanga surprised us with a fun market, amazing salsa dancing, and Colombian bowling (bolos criollo).  Bolos criollo means throwing lead balls at yellow sticks while at a significant distance...while drinking beer, of course.  It was incredible.  More than any single activity though, I just loved getting out, exploring, seeing new landscapes, staying in hostels, and doing all that traveling involves...   

-meeting people in hostels from all over the world.

-sharing crazy experiences.

-staying in a place just long enough to figure it out, find the drugstore, favorite restaurants, and not need a map.

-walking through markets.

-wandering down streets just to see what's there.

-playing card games in the hostel.

-not checking my email for days.

-having everything I need in my backpack.

-not working.

-doing things you only do on vacation like paragliding!

-taking pictures.

-arriving somewhere new at night and being surprised in the morning at what you see out the window.

-talking to people on buses.

Don't get me wrong, I love that I am living in a foreign country right now, but I love what it means to leave and see something new.  It's good to be home too, and nothing makes home feel like home than coming back to it.  I like Cartagena and exploring a new place makes me remember how much of Cartagena I have left to explore.  :)