It is less than 24 hours before we are on a flight to the first stop of our Year Disrupted. Soon we’ll be headed to Medellin, Colombia.
On the Eve of Colombia
In 24 hours, we will be on a flight to Medellin, Colombia. It is 8:30 pm on Thursday, January 2, 2020. We just finished celebrating a new decade with some of our closest friends and family. It was truly a fantastic way to say goodbye to all of the people we love before we head abroad. The emotion, the love, the popping of numerous bottles of champagne truly showed us how blessed we are. The positive encouragement from the people we love and respect created the magical feeling that we are, after all of the fear and planning and leaps of faith, doing something amazing.
Now, Abhi and I are sipping on Vueve, celebrating the fact that we just launched the first four episodes of our Podcast. It’s been a hectic 4 days what with the celebrations, moving out of two different apartments, and of course, packing for our trip. Tonight, we’re also celebrating the fact that we’ve officially packed our bags and they’re (shocker) just under 50 pounds. Whoever set that weight limit on baggage must have never packed up their life for a whole year.
As of now, so much remains unknown. Literally, our whole lives are about to change in the next 72 hours. I’m sure we’ve anticipated some of the changes but most of what awaits us is impossible to expect.
However, we thought we’d run through what we are expecting and looking forward to as we move countries, cities, and continents. Without further ado, here’s what we’re thinking about on the Eve of Colombia:
Finally Settling Down in Colombia
The past two months have been so action-packed. Between work, quitting jobs, packing, and preparing, we haven’t had a single moment where we didn’t have something to do. When we arrive in Medellin, we’re excited to just settle in. And sleep. We haven’t slept in a while because we’re going on night 5 of an air mattress.
Culture Shock (in a good way)
We’re looking forward to the sensory inundation that comes with a new place. Bring on the sights, the smells, the sounds of Medellin. We’re sure it’ll be sensory overload at first, but we’re ready to dive right in.
Salsa!
I (Gabrielle) feel like deep down, I can dance. But I’m super insecure about it. Abhi’s a more confident dancer but we hear that people from Medellin learn how to salsa before they learn how to walk. We’re excited to get out of our comfort zones and learn the salsa basics.
Foooooooood
We are spoiled in Southern California. Not only do we have hipster, gluten-free, organic whatevers served at every locally-owned café, we also have an amazing array of Mexican, Asian, and other culinary delights. We recently learned that Medellin also has an awesome international food scene. And of course, we’re excited to try out the local flavors.
The Colombian Vibe
Southern California is needless to say, its own vibe. We’ve been to South America in the past (never to Colombia), but we love the attitude and the pace of life from every country we’ve visited. We’re excited to put our fingers on the pulse of the Colombian vibe and try to play along.
New Friends!
I (Gabrielle) really need to practice my Spanish. It’s been over three years since I lived in a Spanish speaking country and my Spanish feels rusty. Abhi has learned some of the basics and is ready to put the pedal to the metal when it comes to conversation. We’re excited to throw ourselves into the Spanish language even if it means sounding awkward at first. We’re also excited to meet other ex-pats and connect with people just like us. We know Medellin has a significant ex-pat community and we can’t wait to tap into the local knowledge.
Truly Becoming a Digital Nomad
When we step foot in Colombia, we will officially become digital nomads. Although we’ve shed the structure of a 9-5, we’re still excited to set up our own schedule as we grow our business and continue to create content for Year Disrupted.
In Conclusion
We’re sleepy, we’re delirious, and we’re so incredibly excited. Most of all, we’re grateful. Grateful for the love and encouragement we’ve felt from friends and family, especially in the last few days. We’re also grateful for each other, and for the fact that we’re tag-teaming this crazy year ahead. Last but not least, we feel gratitude for giving ourselves this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to soak up all of the goodness that the world has to offer.
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