Hola! Que pasa?
As I’m writing this I’m sitting at the dining room table of a hostel in Medellin, Colombia. I’ve been here for a few days and am already dreading having to leave. The hostel I’m staying in, if you’re ever in Medellin, is the Yellow House Hostel (no affiliate link). It’s run by Vince, a French-Colombian. He has schooled me on a few things since I’ve been here in Medellin. If you want to avoid the party atmosphere of the 20-somethings (nothing wrong with that. I was that age once! 
), this will be the place for you.
Now, back to Medellin.
In a word- Amazing. No hyperbole.
Simply awesome.
I chose Medellin after reading the Medellin Living blog by David Lee and was immediately intrigued and infatuated with Colombia. I haven’t really partied like I thought I would, but that’s perfectly fine. Just walking around and exploring this magnificent city has been well worth it. Even though my Spanish is not very good (Mi espanol es una mierda!). Translation: My Spanish is shit! 
The coffee is like no other I’ve tasted. Colombian coffee is definitely the best I’ve ever tasted. And, I’ve practically lived on empanadas!
Everything you’ve heard about the beauty of the women of Medellin is ABSOLUTELY TRUE! Any man will need a neck brace from all the head turning he will do for the bonitas.
The cost of living makes this a wonderland. The money exchange to the American dollar is very favorable. And if your currency is the Euro or the Austrailian dollar, it’s even better. Most meals in restaurants and street vendors are well under $3 -5US. And these are small meals, either.
Medellin is in a state of rebuilding and it’s becoming ripe with opportunities. The tourist industry will heat up within the next 3-5 years and Medellin won’t be a secret anymore. The stigma of it being one of the most dangerous cities in the world will wear off and prices will skyrocket to those of other vacation spots.
Teaching English is a really great option to make an income. From the research I’ve done, you can make about $4-6 mil COL per month. That’s, depending on where you live, a very comfortable income.
The only bad thing I can say about Medellin is that I have to leave. It’s hard to believe that Medellin was once considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I actually feel safer here than in many parts of the US. For those of you under the age of 35, know espanol and like your money to go a little further than it does where you currently live,definitely check out Medellin. If I could stay and work from here, I definitely would do it; in a heartbeat. Now that I’ve experienced this wonderful city and people, I have something to work towards. I definitely need to improve my Spanish before I come back.
And yes. I will be back.
If you want to see more of my photos from my trip to Medellin, click here to visit my Google+ page.
