The sights and sounds found along the numerous calles and carreras were the most intoxicating. Whether it was vendors selling fresh fruit, brightly painted buildings, or beautiful graffiti, colors as varied as the rainbow tied Bogota together.

No matter how long you're traveling for or where you're traveling to, you need to make peace with the fact that you will poo yourself (or at least come damn close) at some point in time.

One of the things that struck me most about the thriving, optimistic, marvelously warm and open nature of the place was how profoundly it conflicts with the usual image it has in the wider world.

Going through customs in Colombia, exploring the Bogota airport, getting cash out of the ATM machine, and hopping on the local bus all seemed familiar, despite the fact we had never visited Colombia before.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: I love where we live. And like the millions of folks who visit Cape Cod each year, we'd visit on holiday even if we didn't live here. So we feel incredibly lucky to live here year-round!