In 2012, I spent seven months traveling the world. When I returned home, everything looked the same, but I wasn't. The life I had built no longer felt aligned. I was restless. Uninspired. I knew I wanted more, but I didn't know what that looked like yet. 

A few months later, I entered a "Life is an Adventure" contest and ended up winning $500 as a runner-up. It was a turning point. It made me realize that if I truly believed in something and gave it my whole heart, I actually could create the life and work I had been dreaming about. I ended up taking that $500 with me to Thailand, and that trip is where the first seeds of this company were planted. 

In this travel series, I want to go back to those seven months abroad and share more of the experiences, moments, and lessons that shaped me, and eventually Lotus and Luna.

Hello!! Hope you had a great holiday season!!

I made it safe and sound to Colombia 3 days ago and am having the time of my life! We are staying in a hostel near museums and universities, and have met tons of interesting people. Our first night was rough—our hostel lost our reservation, and we walked around in the rain with bags—but since then, everything has been great. We spent our first few days walking around the city, checking out the parks, and going to outdoor markets and museums. The food is pretty good (lots of soups, platanos, and corn). We’ve met tons of interesting people, including a treasure hunter named Dale who is here to make some serious money - (another story in itself)!

Today was one of the best days I have had in a long time. The more you put yourself out there, the more exciting things that happen. My friend Carolyn and I went out with a group of people a few nights ago, and ended up being approached to be in a Colombian soap opera. I spent the day filming a speaking role as a store attendant (in Spanish!). It was my first acting experience, hours of makeup, changing clothes, and practicing scenes, and I had a great time. We met famous Colombian actors and designers, and everyone was so nice. It's called Los Pobres Ricos; I’ll let you know the air date!

After the shoot, we went up a beautiful mountain by cable car, where we could see the entire city. We met an amazing Colombian family. We originally had plans to go to a fancy dinner tonight in the Zona Gourmet since we made money acting (our hostel budget was tight :), but this family was so nice they invited us to dinner and into their home and we had such a great time with them that we figured hey, we can always go to a nice dinner, but when do we have the opportunity to spend time with Colombians. All in all, everyone has been so friendly!!

Tomorrow we head to Villa de Leyva, a pueblo town where we can hang out, go horseback riding, hiking, see waterfalls, and go white water rafting. It will be a nice break from city life! We may have to come back to Bogota again, before we leave Colombia, since we have met so many people that I would like to get to know better. Everyone seems so sincere, and the country is beautiful. I will write more soon, but for now, I hope you are all doing great!

Mucho amor!!

-Janelle