“Colombia? Wow, you’re brave!”

Just one of the reactions I’ve had since I came back. Several others have joked that at least I didn’t get kidnapped.

But there’s nothing brave about visiting Colombia. Sure, a lot of people still associate it with the FARC. There are still areas not recommended for travel due to residual guerrilla action. But I never felt unsafe.

To me, bravery comes in other forms. Getting on a plane and travelling to another country, when you can always return home if things don’t go to plan, isn’t one of them. You only get one life, and sometimes it’s shorter than you’d like. So don’t hold back. Do your research, have a back-up plan, but don’t let out-of-date perceptions stop you from travelling.

I’ll be sharing some posts from Colombia in the next few days. I hope you’ll follow along to find out why I’d love to return.