Guest Author: Denzel Johnson

The positive thinker regards life as an adventure where the rewards are in the risks and the pleasure in responding to the challenge.

A card printed with that quote has sat in my wallet since setting off last year for my journey through Latin America. I convinced myself that my philosophy as a traveller should somehow reflect these words and the card was meant to encourage me to step off the beaten track and venture where others wouldn’t consider a destination.

Having recently just spent a good portion of my gap year in solo travel through South America, I not only found myself on my own but always more positively challenged because there was no one else I could rely on.

I took this approach while studying Spanish and I ended up coming away from Latin America confident with my level of fluency, especially considering I arrived 6 months earlier with no Spanish at all.

My trip was going to be extensive and my itinerary had included a number of countries, some of which I went through twice as I looped down the South American continent, and then back up. My plan was more than flexible and allowed me to stay in some amazing remote places along my awkward route.

The idea of truly going off the beaten path happens when you find yourself somewhere you never intended to be, and maybe out of your comfort zone. For me, that step meant crossing a border that I’d previously decided against doing. At some point during my journey I changed my mind and planned to go to Colombia, even though it wasn’t on my original itinerary. The country was initially left off my route due to some regional safety concerns, but I changed my mind after further consideration. My expectations weren’t high when I ventured off, but what I got back in return was more than I expected.

People often have preconceived ideas about a certain place, and they are often not true, especially if they have never visited. The thought of visiting somewhere off the usual tourist route, now more than ever makes me curious; often what others shy away from is the best place to be. The city of Medellin in Colombia is a perfect example, as it was once known as the most violent city in the world. People still shy away from the city due to that former title. Interestingly, it the city has made an amazing turnaround in a period as small as a decade and it is now one of Colombia’s most desirable places to live.

Today it’s hard to imagine this city as anything less than the popular place it is now; an inspiration to other cities that have had their fair share of corruption. Medellin has had a lot of people and resources committed to it, and all of this effort has paid off. The city plan connects all the different communities, better than ever, thanks to initiatives like the Metro.

The openness of Colombians also has to be noted. If stepping off the beaten track was a “pleasure in responding to the challenge”, Colombia and definitely Medellin make it effortless.

About the author: I am a student from England currently travelling the Americas on a scholarship from the Royal Geographic Society. My interests come from a geographic point of view aimed at understanding different cultures and what their place is in the modern world.