My oldest daughter Annikah and I had an adventure in Colombia and rang in 2025 overseas! This trip was more than just about experiencing Colombia—it was about watching my daughter transform into a more confident young woman. We truly believe that travel is one of the best investments you can make in who you are becoming. There is a beautiful, complicated, nuanced wide world that opens our world view so we want to encourage our kids to explore it so as long as resources allow we gift our kids an international trip (with guidelines and rules: they have a budget they must stay within, no all inclusive places, and they must do cultural learning while there)! Annikah picked Colombia and chose me to go with her! From booking places to stay and figuring out logistics, navigating airports and transport to interacting with folks when you have different languages, to bartering for things and trying new street foods, she built a sense of trust in her own ability to handle new challenges. Each step of the journey, from planning to execution, strengthened her self-reliance and problem-solving skills and even with a big mis-adventure where we ran out of cash and had a loooooong (and unexpected walk) walk to find a bank I was impressed with her ability to figure things out (the funny out takes and even some tears in the highlight from Colombia over on Instagram). After all an international trip isn’t really an adventure until something goes wrong and you just have to figure it out.
Travel has a way of stretching us beyond our comfort zones. It teaches us to adapt, to be resourceful, and to communicate across cultural boundaries. But what made this experience even more special was sharing it just with Annikah. As a mama of four spending extended one on one time with our kids is a blessing and it was especially true as she starts navigating life as an adult. We always encourage her to trust her instincts, do her research, stay curious, and step outside her comfort zone and develop her confidence in unfamiliar situations, but seeing her take charge of the whole planning process demonstrated just how far she had come. We wandered the colorful streets with its cobblestone streets and vibrant colors everywhere, we rang in the new year with thousands of folks in a square in Medellín, we survived crazy fast Tuk Tuk rides (even one small bump of another Tuk Tuk), we hiked through the beautiful forest to see a breath taking waterfall, we navigated public transit and enjoyed learning more about Colombia and the beautiful people there. If you have not been to Colombia yet- add it to your list- amazing place!!
As requested sharing some links and recommendations along with lots of images from our adventure over on Hawa Images.
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