I am...

I was probably smiling, I don't remember. 


I flagged a bus down on the street... all by myself for the first time.
Pretty proud, I hopped on, took a seat, and propped by backpack on my lap.


Enjoying the view out the bus window, my smile started to fade as I realized a few turns later that the bus had turned.


Ohhhh shit... It wasn't supposed to turn. No, it was definitely supposed to go straight. Sooo... stay on or get off.. Stay on? Wait, no I should really get off. But I sat there stupidly debating with myself in my head.


No, I should get off. 


I got off, a little flustered. Dodged some traffic and managed to get to the sidewalk. I definitely hopped on the wrong bus. Hmm... Well, I've got a fourty block walk....

                                                     Sierra Morena

                                                        Myself, Jose

                                     Chillin with the hippis (Me, Lineta, Aleja)

                                                      Sebastian, Me, Jose!

I'm not sure where I was getting with my story but I thought I'd tell you anyway. 

Being that Feliz Dia Papa was ayer, I would like to share a little advice from my daddio:

Who are you?

Yes. You have a name, and maybe you can tell me a little bit about your family and what you do, etc., etc. 


Who would you say you are if you thought about things like this-


"You are the little pulse in the centre of your chest. You are... your heart.
Your brain is kinda like me (coming from my dad). It's there to get you where you're going, not to determine where that is. So, although your brain is very important, it's not always the right thing to guide you. Use your brain to satisfy your heart, not to decide who you are."


For those of you who don't know Fred, he's a really quiet guy and doesn't speak much English. He's a chef (an amazing one)- he cooks all day in the back of a restaurant. He's my dad and he's super cool. 


Right now, I'm Julianna Tan. I currently (temporarily) live in Bogota, Colombia. I am a traveler, to the church on the peaks of Mount Serrate, to the house of Simon Bolivar (considered the founder of Bogota), to El Mercado (full of local goodies and cool crafts), and to the neighborhood Sierra Morena.  I am a volunteer. I am a friend (to many people I wouldn't have even dreamt of meeting: Jose, Aleja, Sebastian, Julian, Andrea, Malu, Veanka, Isa, and more.... some pretty cool people). I am a student

.... and these are my teachers.