Have you ever felt your eyes water just from the taste of something familiar—an arepa, a buñuelo, or even a fruit that carries memories of home?
I left Colombia at 16, full of dreams and expectations, without realizing that the flavors I thought were universal, borojó juice, chicharrón, mangos that taste like sunshine, were treasures unique to Colombia.
I remember standing lost in a supermarket abroad, searching for borojó. Of course, I didn’t find it. What I did find was a mango so expensive I decided to leave it behind. My family jokes that I only truly learned to value fruits and flavors once I left Colombia. And maybe they’re right. Every time I go back, I savor each bite as if it were the first time.
Living outside of Colombia, I’ve learned something powerful: you don’t stop being from where you come from. You carry it in your heart, wherever you go.
Not long ago, I read a line from Neale Donald Walsch: “If lies did not exist, we would never know what truth is.” It reminded me that sometimes, you need to step away to truly see and value what you had. That’s how I see Colombia now, not through the lens of what it lacks, but through the abundance it holds.
For me, the dream isn’t the American Dream. It’s the Colombian Dream.
A Colombia where life is safer, freer, and more abundant.
A Colombia where people lift each other up and see in one another a reminder of our shared uniqueness.
A Colombia where decisions are made from abundance, creating equality and growth.
But this isn’t just about Colombia. It’s about all of us. Every country, every culture, has treasures we often overlook until distance or time makes us see them differently.
So today’s challenge is this: cherish what makes your own home unique. The greetings, the flavors, the stories, the resilience. Notice the things that feel ordinary, but are actually extraordinary.
And I’ll leave you with a question: What is your dream for the place you call home? The one you’ll carry in your heart, no matter where you are?
– Diana
Founder of N3XU
Fellow Traveler. Systems Nerd. Believer in Thoughtful Change.
