I was sitting at my computer waiting for some software to load so that I could continue once more with my daily work. An email from my dad popped up. It was a forward that I would normally delete; however this one touted the most beautiful river in the world. Believing that anything involving foreign soil deserved a quick glance, I took a peak.

Cano Cristales is a river located in La Macarena region of Southern Colombia and truly deserves its reputation. It is only reachable by horseback and can only be visited in between the wet and dry seasons. The algae and plant life just below the surface blossom into life and color the water as if poured from a painter’s pallet.

I have seen information like this before, gorgeous images of faraway places. It never occurs to me that it’s tangible, truly within reach; at least not until I received that email. I forwarded it to my best friend from high school who now resides in Baltimore. She really can say that she knows Colombia like a native because she is. I told her quite bluntly to take me there and the planning began. The plane tickets, upon research, are less than I had even hoped for and the season that we would need to travel falls right on my birthday – the very definition of perfect so far. My friend was recently married so we are dancing around that relationship, making sure he can spare her for a few days, and not hold a grudge against me in the process. I am saving my days off from work so not a migraine nor broken leg nor wedding will keep me from work. My Spanish lessons should start soon and I am hoping my skills of the past won’t fail to emerge. And, who better to explain the food and culture and anything else I may need to survive way down south than Liliana’s mom over some delicious Saltado?

Never to travel lightly, I am also looking into a self defense course to go along with my Spanish and in-depth culture study. I have no illusions about this being a pleasure trip where nothing could possibly happen. Naivety and wide-eyed innocence in traveling left me a long time ago. By the time of the trip I plan on being prepped in supplies and readied in courage and ability. However, for all intents and purposes (and my over-the-top bulking up aside), this will be just another trip. I called my father a day or so after receiving his email and told him of my plans for just another trip. I prefaced the news with the point. a valid one I might add, that he had after all, sent this email to the only one of his children who would actually find inspiration and drive within in the photos. His response, “That’s the last email I’ll send to you!”