What began as a dream of “someday…” turned into “tomorrow…” within a single day.
For years, I worked as a barista, and last year I started dreaming of understanding the coffee-growing process. It felt like a distant dream, not happening anytime soon. And honestly, it felt terrifying—really terrifying. So, I planned a “safer” route: a workaway opportunity on a cacao farm in Nicaragua. It looked magical. It just… wasn’t coffee.
But first, I had a retreat planned: four days of silent meditation in Gran Canaria. This time, a clear theme emerged for me: safety. Feeling safe within myself without needing external factors to provide that sense of security.
I didn’t have a concrete plan for afterwards, and on January 3rd, when I got out of the retreat, I had no idea where I would sleep the nights that followed. In a conversation about van life and travel, someone mentioned Cali, and it was like the coffee dream that I had put asleep, suddenly awakened. Have I been postponing this dream by looking at different places?
The answer came quickly and clearly: yes.
I realized I’d been delaying Colombia—the place I truly wanted to go—because I was too scared.
There it was again: safety. Alarm bells rang, but deep down, I knew this was my next step to take.
So, I dove deeper into the concept of safety. Could I feel safe even when I felt unsafe?
I decided to face it. I didn’t want to keep relying anymore on external factors ruling whether I felt safe or not. I wanted to create a safe space for myself where anything could arise—even feelings of insecurity. Because those feelings are not the entirety of who I am, what I feel, or what I see. What if I am the safety, the love, the space in which all of it unfolds?
With that focus and the intention to learn and integrate this perspective—combined with cheap tickets for a flight leaving the next day—I stepped into the unknown. On January 4, I flew from Gran Canaria to Madrid, and on January 5, from Madrid to Cali.
The mix of extreme tension and deep trust took the spotlight. I practiced feeling safe even as fear rushed through my body. I realized that my thoughts about the dangers were largely tied to memories and beliefs about safety.
What if those fears were just memories? What if my experience this time could be based on trust, joy, and presence? What if that could be my reality, rather than the one my fear was painting?
And how amazing is it that I’ll finally learn about coffee, plunge into Colombia’s warm culture, and immerse myself into the stunning mountains of the coffee region… How amazing is it that I’m no longer putting off my dream but living it right now!