Part 9.b: Peace in the Mountains

Chelsea and I landed in the Medellin airport and headed to the bus terminal, happy to meet Nicholas there. He had just flown in from Cali, Colombia and we hadn't seen each other for 2 months. Together we took the bus through the amazing mountain terrain of the department of Antioquia to the beautiful tiny town of Jardín (Spanish for garden).

Being back in Colombia was like a breath of fresh air and if you are looking for fresh air, it doesn't get fresher than Jardín!

We enjoyed the very slow pace of life here. Walks through farmland and mountains, views of waterfalls and beautiful flowers; these were everyday things that didn't go unappreciated by us!

The kitchen of our cozy upstairs 2 bedroom with the wrap around porch became the study spot for me to work through my lessons and prepare my project assignments for my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. If you are a native English speaker, this is not a difficult certification to obtain but if you're 53 and haven't had to turn in assignments (with rules!) for many years and have struggled with your self esteem for even longer, every assignment turned in becomes a stressful event. Nicholas and Chelsea were super supportive. They helped me with figuring out how to submit things on the website and they each did a bit of proofreading to calm my nerves. I must admit, Nicholas helped me understand the rules they wanted me to follow with footnotes but I did all the creative work myself. I tried to believe my kids when they said I was doing great but I was very nervous every time I had to wait for a grade. This was the only thing I could think of to do for me to become financially self-supportive and I really wanted it to work out!

Luckily, the environment was so soothing for me that my stress was often melted away by a walk, a cup of coffee in the lively center of town or taking a moment to pet a dog! Chelsea and I did a couple of amazingly low priced tours. One was paragliding, which appealed to my adrenaline seeking side as I ran off of the cliff! The other, a day at a coffee finca, appealed to the coffee lover in me!

Speaking of coffee, something Colombia is known for world wide... In my past life I was a self proclaimed coffee snob. No really - not only did I grind my beans and brew them in a fancy Technivorm Mochamaster machine but I also bought green coffee beans from all over the world online so I could roast them at home and be sure of the freshness! Well, leaving abruptly and living on the cheap in so many different places robbed me of the luxury of being a coffee snob. Lots of places I have stayed in don't even have coffee makers! I was forced to invent a few of my own and I became really handy with a stocking! Chelsea had bought me a coffee grinder and some coffee beans for Christmas that first December. Eventually, I ditched the grinder for extra suitcase space. Lately I drink less coffee (about 1 big cup a day). I still enjoy some great coffee when I'm out but I have taken to the convenience of drinking Jaun Valdez instant coffee at home and I actually like it! 53 year old Marina would be appalled!

In the parts of Latin America I have been to it is very common to buy fresh beans. I'm not talking about green beans but the kind of beans you might make a nice pot of chili with; the kind I've always bought dried or in a can. It is also normal to find some of them sprouting eagerly. On one such occasion I planted a bean and it became our houseplant...I named it Roberto Plant as I have always been a Zeppelin fan.

Our one month stay in Jardín seemed to end abruptly but not before I completed my certification "With Merit!" My self esteem benefitted from my time there as much as my stress levels. It's a good thing because as it turned out I would need all the peace and self confidence I could muster in the next two weeks.