Continuing with nostalgic topics, I must say I had amazing holidays growing up. Of course I did not know that then and I used to complain about what I was missing out far away from the city.

Utica, on the way from Bogota to Medellin, was a paradise for me. The weather was always hot, but breezy. I used to go horse back riding by myself, galloping at high speed. Oh the freedom!!

There was a pool in which I spent countless hours, and a river nearby with family-made ponds, for hours of non-stop fun. I think what I remember most vividly were the hundreds of hours reading in hammocks around the house and playing cards and other games with my aunties and grandmother.

On Sundays, the town square would fill up with vegetables and fruits, clothes and Tchotchkes. It was a 30 minute walk from the house, totally worth it. We would start early and after shopping we would have decadent fruit salads and shaved ice with condensed milk. My mouth waters as I write this.

There were downsides too, don’t get me wrong. Little bats lived in the house and used to take stabs at scaring me in the middle of the night. There were also millions of mosquitos and scorpions around. But those memories have faded away and all that matters now is the warmth of well spent family time.

I must say that I have always been a very urban sort of person. Writing this from a suburban house in Piermont NY I feel the strong need to be back to the noise and messiness of a big city.

Yet, I would give anything to be back at that house that no longer belongs to our family, to that river, to that pool, to those moments of absolute bliss now gone forever.

My parents still go out of the city every weekend. Right now they are by the ocean in an idilic place with barely electricity, paradise for their rustic taste. I miss them and my brother and his beautiful family. This year I was able to spend roughly 20 days with them and it was exhilarating. I wish 2024 brings more of that and I wish them a year of adventures and love.

What are your wishes for the New Year?

Mine are writing and reading!! I want to read 13 books and write the first draft of my book on commodities. Let’s see how that goes…