Dear loyal and early morning Readers, (ahem: Sum, Lou, Mama V, Annie, Deanna) I have not forgotten you.  I promise.  I’m just too busy to breathe. Send back up.  Or lots of chocolate. Love, Emily

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Nicknames are a big deal in Colombia.  It’s a cultural phenomenon that I don’t particularly understand, but I’ve learned to embrace it. Husbands call their wives gorda and no one gets slapped and wives call their husbands viejo and no one’s ego is bruised.   Kids call each other by all sorts of monikers on the […]

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The finca where we stayed.  With four Colombian families.  That speak zero English.  Until they step into a frigid shower.  When the word s**t becomes universal. Standing next to a waterfall.  That we had to walk past a bear’s cave to find.  In the rain.  Through shin deep mud.  With a temperature of approximately 40 […]

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Puentes are a blessing and I’m running away. To a town not very far from here with a family that calls me their own. To walk and sleep and ride on horses. To write more stories and dream more dreams and share them all with you. Back on Monday, friends.

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I woke up at 5:00 a.m. like always, put my feet on the cold tile floor, shuffled to the bathroom.  Washed my face, brushed my teeth, pulled my hair into a ponytail.  A “cheer pony” for Sisser. Running shoes, jacket, keys, watch. Good morning to the doorman, then out onto the street. And try as […]

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Two friends and I spent the weekend down the mountain where the sun shines without fail.  We layed underneath it and let our skin turn pink as we drank juice and listened to music from the finca next door. Late this afternoon as we pulled back into Manizales and the familiar cloudy sky, Celeste said, […]

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Con mi amiga Jill Braving the last flight out of Manizales on an ever cloudy Friday. To get to a hostel I don’t know the name of So we can leave at sun up. For Six days of hiking through the jungle. And five nights sleeping in hammocks. Across two rivers Climbing 1200 stone steps. […]

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You know that scene in all of those bad romantic comedies where the blonde stands on the sidewalk grinning like a bobcat on crack and then the bus drives by and drenches her with grody, nasty street water?  Yeah, that’s never happened to me. And the wet dog look?  Who me?  Never in a million. […]

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Hello.  My name is Emily and I’m an over committer. The sad proof: Monday-Friday 7:30-3:30 Fifth grade hormone management, crowd control, and teacher clothes Monday 3:30-7:30 Musical practice (with equally hormonal high school children who are less afraid of me) Tuesday 3:30-4:30 staff meeting 4:30-6:00 tutor Spanish speaking sophomore on the beauty of the Southern […]

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After almost two years, I think I realized that this is my life. All it took was a house full of my Colombian friends, some live music, and not feeling the least little bit weird about it. Yes, that’s a man with a saxophone in my house and lawdy, could he play. And here’s the […]

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