Anticipatory Nerves or "One day, I will take that boy to Colombia"

Thirteen Days. Thirteen days and I'll be taking the trip I've literally been born to take. On the other hand, Monte has been hesitant about this trip since the day I first mentioned the idea. How did so much pressure come from one little trip? I think it all started with a plate of arepas con queso...

Visiting my dad in Richmond one time shortly after Monte and I started dating, Monte had his first arepa. I watched almost too closely as he took his first bite of the grilled corn cake with cheese that my stepmom had just prepared for breakfast. He nodded in approval as he chewed and as silly as it sounds, I probably knew at that moment that one day, I would take that boy to Colombia.

My excitement for a Colombian trek was fueled over the next few years as Monte had his first shot of aguardiente, attended his first notorious Gomez family party, and actually seemed to warm up to the idea of exploring my family's homeland. By the time we got married, there was almost no way this trip wouldn't happen.

That having been said, I can appreciate Monte's tense smile as I exclaimed, "The tickets are bought. It's official!". I'm well aware of his apprehension to consider this trip a dream vacation. He often accuses me of trying to minimize Colombia's shady reputation; I'm biased; I turn a blind eye to the news. And he's right. I've learned more lately than ever before that the general public does not think "exotic" or "adventurous" when I mention Colombia. They think "dangerous" or "kidnapping".

I've come to terms with Monte's uneasiness, and he has come to terms with the fact that we're actually going, so that brings us to the present state of anticipatory nerves. Will this be the dream vacation I expect? Can this country live up to my self-imposed hype? And will Monte's initial tension melt away after a few, now familiar, arepa breakfasts?

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