Travel Tales From a Colombian Abroad
Since I’m used to spending Christmas in Medellín or Texas, Christmas in France is… a cold one. But only in temperature, since like in many places, Christmas transforms cities and the spirit of its people. Cities seem to be a little louder and warmer than normal.
An Autumn in Paris. It sounds like the title of a movie, and that is exactly what you feel when you spend a couple of autumn days in the City of Lights.
![Opinion - The Peace We All Want [La Paz que Todos Queremos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/286136_10151075699001059_1241341651_o.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
It makes me sad to see how Colombians fight with one another for peace when at the end of the day we all want the same thing: peace. If we took a moment to really listen to what our neighbors have to say, we would understand that the heart of every one of us is with the peace.
![Camping in the Pyrénées [Acampando en los Pirineos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/dsc02658.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Since I arrived in Pau, we had been talking about going camping in the Pyrenees, and we finally made time to do it. Before going on the trip we went to the Decathlon (a French store where hey sell outdoor and sports stuff) and bought a few things to be fully prepared. [Versión en español abajo]
![Sailing Away [Navegando Ando]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/dsc02502.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
What do you do when your boyfriend and his family are passionate about sailing and they invite you to spend a weekend with them in the Mediterranean? You take some seasickness medicine and pray that you will enjoy it. [Versión en español abajo]
![Weekend in Bordeaux [Fin de semana en Burdeos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_5235.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
This past weekend I finally had the opportunity to go to Bordeaux for my first time. The actual reason we went was to see Muse play that Thursday night at a festival, Garo Rock, near Bordeaux in Marmande. Our plan was to rent a house though Airbnb, and sleep close to Marmande the night of the concert; then the following day head to Bordeaux to spend the rest of the weekend there. [Versión en español abajo]
![Pau, France [Pau, Francia]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_5012.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
On my last post I wrote about my experience on moving far from my family. But…where am I? I’m in Pau, France. A city on the southwest of France located in the department of Atlantic Pyrenees. In about an hour we have the ocean, Spain, and the Pyrénées Mountains, therefore there’s always something to do in its surroundings. [Versión en español abajo]
![Moving to France [Mudanza a Francia]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/arboles-free-foto.jpeg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
I arrived in France with the joy of finally being with the person I loved, and the hope of getting to know more about his culture, friends, family, and of learning the language. The first couple of weeks everything is new, you feel like a little kid discovering everything where even the most ordinary things are fascinating. However, at the same time you feel vulnerable to be in an unknown place. I’m not going to lie, the change was hard on me at first. I felt strange, I felt like I was on a trip…on one of those trips where you feel that you’ve left part your heart somewhere else, and even though you try to enjoy all the new experiences you know you are fortunate to be able to live, your thoughts fog all the amazing things that are right in front of you. [Versión en español abajo]
![Medellín, Colombia [City of Everlasting Spring]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/img_2211.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Being from Medellín, I thought it was most appropriate for my first post to be about MEDELLIN. I try to travel back to my hometown once a year, and there’s always something new to see and do. The last two times I traveled to Medellín I went with my boyfriend who is French, and it probably took him longer to fall in love with me than with Medellín! [Versión en español abajo]