Cosmic Breadcrumbs

So it took a while to get inspired to write again. You can’t just sit down and write or else it will come off forced. I’m currently in a van driving to a small town in the mountains of Colombian coffee country called Minca. I’m listening to music, looking at the mountainous views and felt inspired right here and now. So I grabbed my notes app and here we go.

Let me start with my first cosmic breadcrumb and what that all means. Last March I was driving from Los Angeles to Phoenix Arizona to meet my family for some Spring Training action. The drive is 4 hours of pure desert. Think tumbleweeds and desolation. I was still kicking around the idea of cooking school and hadn’t yet fully committed. The drive was a great opportunity to think. I stopped at 1 of maybe 4 buildings along the drive to grab a taco. While enjoying said tacos this guy walks by that looked familiar. Long story short, I knew him, we were friends from Chicago and he had left a while ago to explore the world for himself. To recap, I ran in to someone I knew from Chicago in the middle of the Arizona desert. Safe to say those are some slim chances. I explained to him and his wife my ambitions and they gave me words of encouragement having already let go of the status quo. Then his wife looked me in the eye and, completely seriously, said that our meeting was not a coincidence, that it was a “cosmic breadcrumb.” I wanted to laugh at first but then I put some real thought in to it. A trail of breadcrumbs is meant to be a path leading you somewhere, right? Well sometimes the Universe drops a breadcrumb or two to help you decide where to go. But you have to first let go and let things naturally fall in place.

See, in my opinion the universe really has a way of making sure things are always in balance. There are probably 100 terms in 100 languages to describe that concept but that’s what it boils down to. Try it, try and let pieces fall naturally, trust your gut when making decisions and see if you can spot a breadcrumb or two.

So I got back from Ireland on December 15th. What the heck have I been doing since then!? Well I left December 29th with my life in a duffel bag on a one way ticket to South America.  This started with some partying in Cartagena, Colombia. Those days were an absolute blast and a great way to kick off a one way ticket to South America. I also met some great new people I won’t forget. But there were no introspective thoughts during that. And I don’t want to blog too much about my partying because there no real substance to it. It was fun. Moving on.

After Cartagena I hooked up with a great group of people through a mutual friend. They were travelling to Minca and Palomino, Colombia to get a more real feel for the country. Minca was a wellness hostel on a mountain and Palomino was a modest beach bungalow. This led to some time for real thoughts.

I want to talk about the secret society that is people doing extended travel. Even if they’re dressed exactly the same as everyone else you can spot them, it’s hard to explain. I’ve seen a few things in my life but never have I woken up so many mornings not knowing where I’m sleeping that night. Think about that. That’s truly letting go. It’s not easy and I haven’t fully embraced it yet. Some might think that the concept of total freedom is awesome while others wouldn’t ever be interested. Either way, now that I’ve actually done it I guess the jury is still out.

The freedom of having my life in a carry on, able to pick up and go wherever on a few hours notice is something I’ve never felt before. And a big point of this journey is to feel things I’ve never felt before. But another part of me is still terrified that I woke up before the Minca trip with instructions to meet at a bus stop. Just last August I had a corporate Job and a permanent place in Chicago. Now my life is in a duffel bag and I’m traveling around Colombia by bus. Buy the ticket, take the ride, right?

To tie this back to the theme of the cosmic breadcrumb, the mutual friend between me and this group, Kevin, had to go to Las Vegas last minute for work. This group welcomed me with open arms to join them on their trip instead of going with him or staying in Cartagena, a party scene I was over with. I could tell they were good people on a first impression. We. Had. An. Amazing. Time. Follow your cosmic breadcrumbs people.

One entertaining side note is just how we got up to our mountain hostel in Minca. It took 8 hours door to door on what should have taken 3 as the crow flies. First, our bus broke down. So we arrived after dark. Let me set the scene for Minca. There is one mostly dirt road through town. It’s narrow. There are hostels and a few restaurants and tons of backpackers. Upon arrival to town we were informed that our hostel isn’t in town, it’s further up in the mountains. Loosely translating the Spanish speaking locals we learned that the only way to access the hostel was a 45 minute ride on the back of a dirt bike because the roads aren’t really roads. They’re muddy, bumpy dirt roads not accessible by car. Then after the ride on the back of a dirt bike gripping for dear life to the back of a local Colombian you just met we had a simple 1 hour hike through the jungle in the dark. It was recommended we bring flashlights. This is all a true story.

The video below shows us taking the dirt bikes during the day. It was the only way to get to and from town. It’s a decent way to see what we had to go through in the dark.

To conclude my current thoughts on the human race, I will always have faith that most people are good.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned that in previous blogs. Without that I think life’s outlook can be pretty grim. And over time I’ve learned that you can pick out who you can trust pretty quick. The human brain is built for survival right? There’s a reason you feel off when talking to the wrong person and you feel warm when talking to the right one. Of course there are anomalies, con artists and such, but people are mostly good. People. Are. Mostly. Good. PAMG. Likewise, I know I’m one of the good ones. And I do my best to make that known quickly when meeting new people that are good, especially when I’ll be traveling with them. I actually think that’s an important part of renewing faith in society. Do things to let people know that PAMG and hopefully it’s contagious.

So what’s next? I’m going to finish out January bouncing around Colombia with friends and Kevin’s greater group, all of which are doing the Remote Year program. I’m currently wrapping this blog up from a WeWork in Bogotá. Starting Feb. 1 I plan to put down some temporary roots in Granada, Nicaragua. I read an article in Forbes a while ago saying it’s a top city to live in for cheap after quitting your job. It’s safe, there are lots of expats and the food scene is booming thanks to the fertile farming land and large increase in tourism as of late. I’ve been in touch with a modern hostel complete with a popular cafe. I’d have my own private room and bathroom and share a common space. The owner said he’d love to have me help out in the cafe and that they could use fresh ideas. I feel happy and get really excited thinking about this next step and the potential it brings.

I will definitely update more often once I’m settled in, back in my solitude. Thanks for reading.