Here’s my monthly update video as we say goodbye to Bogota, Colombia and make our way to Medellin:

And here is the month told in photographs:

• Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next

• Prev
• Next

Things that stand out:

• We had two awesome city managers, Luis and Cata. Can’t say thanks enough for all they did to make us feel welcome in Bogotá.
• There are so many perros in the city. We lived right next to Parque Virrey and it’s bustling every day with all kinds of dogs. So cool.
• The altitude is definitely noticeable at 8,600+ feet. I’m sitting now in a taco joint in Medellin which is a substantially lower altitude and I feel like I can breathe again.
• Colombia is a huge country. I spent the first two weeks of Bogotá traveling all over the country and we only scratched the surface- didn’t realize how huge this country is.
• I don’t know why they don’t believe in toilet seats. It’s just weird.
• 8 cities down, 4 more to go… can’t believe we’re 2/3rds the way through this adventure. The regular conversation now is “what are you doing after RY?” and I feel like most of us don’t know the answer at this point. Will be an interesting next few months as plans start to crystalize.
• I know a couple people this month who were a bit depressed (the term “altitude sadness” was coined by one). While I didn’t personally hit those same blues in Bogotá (Valencia was that way for me) I can certainly respect that some people are starting to hit a wall in month 8. Medellin is a welcome change and I think will inject some literal fresh air in our lungs and reinvigorate some.

Gear shout outs

Three pieces of gear this month merit a shoutout:

1. I picked up a Michael Kors down puffy jacket at Macy’s in a Christmas sale for $100 and it’s probably my single favorite purchase this past year. It compresses down to about the size of a tennis ball can and is super warm. I treated it with Scotchgard as well as Permetherin before leaving the States so now it’s both waterproof and mosquito proof. Highly recommend it. They have it for the same price on Amazon here.
2. The Amazon Firestick has been a gem on this trip. It performs the same function of an Apple TV giving you apps like Netflix and Spotify on any TV that supports HDMI but it’s 1/4 the size of an Apple TV and just plugs into the back of the TV. There’s a mobile app you can use as a remote. It’s so nice to be able to throw on background music when you’re working at home or to veg out and watch a Netflix when you’re feeling like a hermit. The voice remote feature is really cool too- you can say “play Miles Davis” and it’ll immediately start playing Miles Davis jazz tunes via Amazon Music… pretty incredible.
3. TRX. This is a resistance training apparatus that let’s you use your own body weight to perform a number of exercises. It’s been my preferred way to stay in shape this past eight months and while we’ve been doing it all along I came to really appreciate it Bogotá. I normally do it outside but there was quite a bit of rain this month so I started using the attachment that comes with it that allows you to hang it off a door inside. It’s about the size of a softball when stored so it travels really well and is more convenient than finding a gym in each city. The basic kit runs $150 on Amazon.

Tunes

Lastly, the songs below will forever remind me of our time in Bogotá.

This last month flew by. Here’s my monthly update video showing a bit of our living and working arrangement in Mexico City with my commentary:

Here is the month told in photographs:

• Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next

• Prev
• Next

And here are a few of the songs that will forever remind me of this time period:

We’re now in Bogota, Colombia. Happy New Year and thanks for following along with my travels. If you want to get periodic update emails from me that serve as a recap of the highlights, add yourself below:

We’re winding down month five of Remote Year Darien and it’s time for my monthly video update showing friends and fam where our group has lived and worked over the past month:

Here’s a photo album that tells the month’s stories in pictures:

• Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next

• Prev
• Next

Gear Shoutouts

Two pieces of gear I’d like to celebrate this month:

1. My Brookstone mini pocket projector. We’ve done movie nights on the roof of our Riad once each week since we got here and it’s really been a nice break from the grind. Spinal Tap, Swiss Army Man, The 9ines, Napoleon Dynamite and Life Aquatic have been keeping us entertained and sane. Nothing like throwing down some magic carpets and hookah on the roof to watch an American film. At night this little projector is plenty bright and projects a 12′ crystal clear HD image. It only lasts for about an hour on battery so you have to use a power converter but it’s pretty slick and small enough to fit in your cargo shorts (hat tip to Stephan b/c he loves my cargo shorts).
2. My Aker iPhone case/battery. This thing is a gem- I don’t know what I’d do this month without it since it seems Maroc telecom for whatever reason drains my battery 2x as fast as it should. This thing provides great protection as a case, is only slightly thicker than a normal iPhone case and gives me 2 extra battery charges. I regularly 2 full charges here in Morocco so like I said, I don’t know how I’d do without this thing.

Major takeaways

• Morocco is home to some of the warmest people I’ve met. It’s ragged and rough around the edges and precisely the type of experience that we signed up for in joining Remote Year. Anyone can go to London but I would likely never have come to this place if it weren’t for this program.
• Between the air pollution and the mold in our place it’s definitely been a respiratory challenge. We leave in two days for Valencia and I’m ready for the change of scenery and air. There are very few grassy parks with lush foliage here and as silly as this sounds that grinds on your psyche. It makes you appreciate places like Prague that had ample greenery and parks scattered throughout the town.
• The very first night we had dinner with the RY group that was leaving and got a chance to chat with them. I remember making a mental note that everyone just seemed… tired. I understand now. I think it’s the combination of the extra cognitive load of being on alert and maintaining more thorough situational awareness at all times + the language barrier + the scarcity of greenery that has left us all a bit drained. I don’t have a suggestion there other than to be prepared for that going into it.
• The Sahara was amazing. Asilah beach and Hercules’ Cave were both beautiful. The medina in Fes was crazy. All these places we’ve visited here have been super interesting. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have experienced this place, for our guides in the desert, our city managers, cook and support staff at the workspace and all the Careem drivers who took us places while we were here.

Tunes this month

Some of the music that’s been in my ear buds this month:

Good bye Marroco. Inshallah we’ll meet again.

BTW, if you’re not already signed up to get my quarterly impersonal update emails, now would be a good time: