After two years of self-induced reclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to grab my dog, camera, computers and idea-filled notebooks and move out of Virginia, USA and venture into the never ending path. Counting with savings of only $10,000, an investments account, a laptop and a couple of cellphones, I decided to stay at an Airbnb in the Rincon de Los Andes neighborhood in the NE of Bogotá, with a majestic view of the mountains.
Before arriving I drove 15 hours from Virginia to Miami, and after a weekend spent between Miami Beach and the Airport, I drove another 15 hours back to Virginia to drop off Anuket, my female Weimaraner dog, at my mother's house. Only to spend another 15 hours on Interstate 95 the next day on my way South to Miami, so that I could cheaply fly into Colombia. I booked the earliest flight to Bogotá that morning, deciding which city to invade first at a CVS parking lot. And a few hours after turning in my rented car, I boarded a 777 plane headed for the Colombian capital.
The planning stage took me a week or two, I had to inventory all my physical goods in order to gather as much money as possible, make sure my dog was healthy enough to fly and that my COVID-19 vaccines were up to date. I visited several Pawn Shops to rid myself of several years (and thousands of dollars) worth of electronics, for a very minimal resale price of course. I sold my 2007 Ford Explorer SUV which I bought for $2,500 after totaling my very special (Reef Metallic Blue) 2016 R-Edition VW Passat. Lucky for me, the insurance company paid me a fraction of the car's original value, which I used to retake and fund my old investments accounts. After boxing up my extensive, and very expensive book and media collection, I sealed my old bedroom, rented a car, and at midnight on October 19th 2021, left for my island outside my island: Miami, Florida.
I figured it'd be easier to fly with my dog out of Miami and into Colombia however due to her protective nature, and miscommunication with the Airline, I ended up overstaying at several hotels, motels and Airbnbs, a deficit of $6,000 and flying without my favorite second officer (Anu). And finally after 10 very long, tiring and expensive days, I found myself at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. I hired a cab, and rented a curious and nostalgia-filled studio for the entire month of November; where I set up my provisional HQ in South America, planning to utilize that entire month to acclimatize to the Andean heights (2,600m), and construct a strategy for my financial, emotional and intellectual success.
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