An Unexpected End to My Slow Travel Journey

This isn’t a blog I expected to write but I want to share why I chose to bring my slow travel journey to an abrupt end.

For those who have been following along this year, you’ll know that in mid-January I walked across the border to Juarez and started a slow travel journey through Mexico.

I spent a couple of weeks in Mexico City before meeting up with friends in Puerto Vallarta. I spent over a month in Guadalajara before bouncing around the Yucatan Peninsula. Then, about two weeks ago, I touched down in South America.

In Medellin, Colombia, I met up with friends and it started off similarly to my adventures in other countries, eating local cuisine and sightseeing. And, like I’ve done in all seven other cities I’ve visited during this year’s travels, I went out to see what Medellin’s nightlife had to offer.

I won’t be going into detail about what transpired. I’d really prefer not to and I’m still waiting for investigations from my financial institutions to conclude. What I will say is the day after going out I realized I no longer had my phone or debit card.

I had contingency plans for a lost card and I had ways of dealing with a missing phone but the combination one-two punch was more than I had bargained for. I decided it was best to head back home.

It was not an easy decision and neither was navigating the logistics of getting from Medellin to Albuquerque but I believe it was the best choice under the circumstances.

Thank you to each of you who reached out directly to check on me. It means a lot to know how much you care and I can assure all of you that I am doing okay. Trust me, I’d rather be exploring some new South American country right now but spending Easter with family is pretty nice too.

For those of you in Albuquerque, I hope to see your faces soon! For those I met during my travels, thank you for making my trip special and meaningful. I hope to see your faces again someday, too!

And to those of you who have reached out because you have upcoming travel plans, including trips to Mexico and South America, let me assure you that I would return to the road in a heartbeat, and that includes Colombia. There was nothing unique to Medellin that made me feel any less safe than I did in any other city or country. All of the common safety tips apply as they would in any city, including those in the United States, and I urge you to keep your guard up.

• Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Don’t draw attention to yourself.
• Drink responsibly and keep an eye on your beverages.
• Be aware of common scams.
• Watch your surroundings when using an ATM.
• Know the local number for emergency services.
• Only use reputable transportation companies.
• Store your cash and cards in multiple locations.
• Keep a backup credit card for emergencies.
• Always keep an eye on your belongings.

Also, be sure to stay in touch with friends and family regularly during your travels so if you run into trouble someone is more likely to realize it quickly.

I consider myself lucky to only be dealing with lost possessions and not physical harm or worse. I’m home, I’m healthy, I’m safe and I feel grateful.

I’m grateful for the 78 consecutive days of travel I was able to experience this year and I can’t wait to get out there to explore more of this world. For now, I will enjoy my time home in Albuquerque with friends and family and I’ll be reminiscing on the memories and friendships I’ve made in the eight different cities I visited over the course of 11 weeks. It’s been an incredible journey and it’s been a pleasure to share it with you.

That said, I have quite a cache of stories, including everything after Guadalajara, and I look forward to finding ways to share them with you. Keep an eye out for them here as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

Hasta pronto!

Eric