I am an American who moved to Colombia to find peace after the devastating loss of my daughter. I bought and renovated a Villa, am learning Spanish, and writing as catharsis. This blog will be like a book with chapters. Each blog will be about my life in Colombia and my adventures. I hope you will enjoy the many new discoveries I am making every day about myself and another culture.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I have been there, and I have done that. I decided to move to South America in 2011 and don’t regret my impulsive decision. I encourage anyone considering moving to a new country to do so. I enjoy this beautiful life I have created, and my days are always interesting, never dull, and filled with happiness and friendship. This may sound over the top to some, but I write my truth.
I don’t want to simplify my move because learning a new culture and language requires much work and perseverance, as I have written in my past blogs. However, I did it, and I am reaping the rewards every single day. I wake up to a beautiful view, go to bed with the lights of Cali, Colombia, in the distance, listen to birds singing all day, and sleep without needing heat or air conditioning.
I opened my hotel in 2015, and it is successful now. You must plan for your future in advance and be able to adapt to changing situations. When I bought my Villa in 2012, I had the idea of a hotel. It slowly gained customers, and I am always busy and occupied. My family and friends came here to see me. I have no desire to return to live in the United States.
I read a lot about those who want to relocate during these uncertain times in the United States. It can be done. I am a testament to that. The funny thing is, life is similar to where I once lived, to how I live now in my small town in the countryside of Colombia. I have a lot of friends, and they always return once they visit the beautiful resort I have created.
My days go by fast, and my life seems to go by too fast as I get older. I want to cling to my life like a life preserver, to enjoy every second of every single day. I always envisioned a time when I would be retired. I thought it would be days to do whatever I wanted without stress. What I have found is very close to that vision. I do what I want, but I am always energized.
Being one of a few foreigners in my area of Colombia gives me a reason to practice my Spanish and allows those who engage with me to practice their English. I always go to the bank or a store and have someone come over to chat with me. They always ask where I am from. I love to reply; I am from Colombia now. The Colombian people are the most engaging people; I am so grateful for that. I always have a business card because everyone is intrigued by my story. I love to explain that I am applying for citizenship now. Colombians love that for me.
Amazingly, my story still surprises me, and I am proud of my accomplishments. I have a life that many would yearn for. If you are considering moving to another country, please write a question for me in the comments. I will answer any questions that you may have.
I never thought I could find happiness again after my daughter was taken from this world. But it seems life continues, and I can list 30 things without a problem. Those reading my blog might enjoy this fun assignment, too. Leave your list in the comments. Below is my list, which is in no particular order, just as it pops into my head.
Writing. I am finally actively involved in writing my autobiography. I imagine it will be a Netflix series, but you never know.
Colombia. My new country and I will live there, God willing, for the rest of my life.
Hummingbirds. I like to think they are my spiritual animal.
Bird-watching. Immersing yourself in the sounds of birds will help anyone feeling depressed. I do believe birds gave me relief during some of my darkest times.
Flowers. I cut flowers from my yard every week. I have never had so many types of flowers in my life. They grow without fuss here in Colombia.
The view from my Villa. I live with a million-dollar view and am still in awe 13 years later.
The lights of Cali, Colombia, at night. It is Christmas year-round at my Villa
.My animals. There is nothing to say here; we all love our sweet friends.
My life right now. It is a life with purpose; I love that!
My friends. All of you know who you are.
Memories. I am writing my autobiography now. Those of you who wondered when I would. I am on it.
My son. I lost him for some years, but he is back in my life, and with all the love we can give each other.
My granddaughter. She is a lovely young lady who calls me a lot.
Someone who cooks for me. Cooking is not my favorite thing to do.
The climate I live in daily. Here in Colombia, I live without air-conditioning or heating. It is not needed. Believe me when I say it is a luxury not to need either.
Yoga. It is necessary for my health and my mind.
My Glamping business. Everyone loves a nature retreat.
Nature. I live in it daily.
Music.
My nails and other girly stuff. I don’t care if I see a soul. I will always have my nails and hair done right.
The Guests who visit my Glamping business. I have the best guests who become very good friends.
Travel. I love visiting different departments in Colombia. I still have a lot of Colombia left to see.
Good reviews. I consistently get good reviews for my business.
Flight attendants. I was one, and I love all of you who are still in my life. I love your adventures and will always support you when you have bad or good days. It is not an easy job anymore.
My health.
My healthcare. I have the best healthcare I have ever had here in Colombia.
Politics. I am a political junkie and have never missed a vote since Jimmy Carter was elected when I was 18 years old.
Board Games. I am always ready to play Rummikube. Just ask me.
Dancing. I was a great dancer when I was young, and I can still follow anyone who asks me to dance.
My Villa here in Colombia. I have a minimalist home that is open and has a lot of light coming in.
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
Health and the mind are interconnected. To maintain a healthy body, we must maintain a healthy lifestyle. That includes eating, socializing, being active, having animals, and, most importantly, enjoying our lives by allowing time for fulfilling activities.
I am always busy because I have a side business, running a small hotel and glamping place. I try to take short vacations to give me a new perspective on my place. Whenever I return home, I appreciate what I have done to develop a beautiful atmosphere of nature and birds.
Last week, I visited Juanchaco, Colombia, to see the whales that visit every summer. What a beautiful experience and a bucket-list adventure for me.
The whales visit from July until October, sometimes into November. The weather is surprising because it is often cloudy and rainy. The locals tell me this is normal on the Pacific coast of Colombia.
It was a bit intimidating when we went out on the little boat because the whales were more significant or the same size. Taking photos was not easy.
Humpback whales in Colombia
Would I recommend this adventure? Yes! With some additional information. Juanchaco is lovely but poor. There is a lot of garbage around, something I wish could be eliminated. It washes up from the ocean. You need to let it go because the actual experience of seeing the whales is incredible. The beach is deserted, and you can spend your mornings watching the spouts of the whales and dolphins in the distance as you have breakfast. Are the cabins like mine? No, but they are clean.
Let me talk about the food. It is so delicious, made from fresh catch every single day. The fishermen sell to the hotels after going out to fish in the morning. We had the most wonderful cook who made different recipes for every meal. She made fresh juice, hot chocolate the Colombian way, and lemonade. If you wanted something special, she could make that too!
Hummingbirds are everything to me. They are the reason my Glamping business is successful. These beautiful spiritual creatures give an insight to another realm. Indigenous people have used the images of hummingbirds as spiritual creatures for centuries. They can fly in reverse, suspend in the air, fight each other like warriors, and live a life of solitude. They only interact at hummingbird feeders, or when they are sitting on the eggs fertilized by a brief encounter.
They shine brilliantly when the sunlight captures the colors of their feathers. They captivate anyone watching them flit about, even those who don’t birdwatch. They are magical. They are fierce. They can make the most cynical person stop and reflect. They can heal a hardened heart by watching them interact. Fascinating in a way that cannot be explained.
They are famous without knowing they are. People from countries that don’t have hummingbirds are enamored. Everyone falls in love with the hummingbird.
I have fourteen registered species at my hotel. I am now an eBird hotspot. All birds are interesting. The hummingbird is the one that will always win the Oscar for birds.
Sometimes, when I look at this ring, my heart hurts, but I feel joy from those same memories on other days. It is the ring I gave Misha when she was four years old with her birthstone, a garnet, and tiny diamond chips. I remember her delight in having a ‘big girl ring’ and how much she loved it. I found it in a jewelry box left behind after her death. I was surprised it fit my finger, yet my mom had tiny hands, and I do too.
From this same jewelry box are gold earrings that I wear with hearts. I feel closer to her when I have something of hers touching my skin now that she is gone. She had a lot of beautiful jewelry that went missing after her death. Her roommates took her things. It caused me distress because I knew that it was a robbery. I had one say to me that she has the cross that was given to her at her first communion, again with the same birthstones, and I have seen photos of her wearing it. I was so broken at the time of her death I didn’t fight for her things and accepted these thefts. But now I wish I had them to give to my granddaughter; her baby was two years old when she died.
Amaya is 16 now. I wish a lot of things for her. I wish I had the wedding dress I married Misha’s father in. I wish I had saved more of my designer clothes for Amaya. I wish I had the christening gown I gave Misha when she was pregnant. I bought it in Ireland. These things are gone, and I don’t know where.
My mother was so good at saving things for me. I have my old Barbies and even a Skipper and Ken doll. They are worn from use as I let everyone play with them through the years. I have albums of pictures in the basement, yet I have not looked at them for years. I want to organize them, but the hurt comes back, and I suppress it by not sorting through everything. Someday I will. I know that I have a lot to say, and I need to put all of my blogs together into a book.
Old things bring back memories, and memories bring back sadness, which causes me to stifle my feelings. I know I will someday sit here and write everything down—every feeling, every memory, all of my simple thoughts, my complicated thoughts—everything. It will be cathartic. It will be an autobiography and a memorial, all in one book. It will be years of my life coming together, represented by many old things that are left behind.
Mother’s Day brings me to a dark place where I feel incomplete because Misha isn’t here. I will start putting all of my blogs together soon. I will have a name for my book: She Left to Begin Again. I will describe how I have found peace in Colombia while telling my and Misha’s stories together. I promise that is on my agenda. While I am wearing her old things, I wish she was still here with me.
Sometimes, when I look at this ring, my heart hurts, but I feel joy from those same memories on other days. It is the ring I gave Misha when she was four years old with her birthstone, a garnet, and tiny diamond chips. I remember her delight in having a ‘big girl ring’ and how much she loved it. I found it in a jewelry box left behind after her death. I was surprised it fit my finger, yet my mom had tiny hands, and I do too.
From this same jewelry box are gold earrings that I wear with hearts. I feel closer to her when I have something of hers touching my skin now that she is gone. She had a lot of beautiful jewelry that went missing after her death. Her roommates took her things. It caused me distress because I knew that it was a robbery. I had one say to me that she has the cross that was given to her at her first communion, again with the same birthstones, and I have seen photos of her wearing it. I was so broken at the time of her death I didn’t fight for her things and accepted these thefts. But now I wish I had them to give to my granddaughter; her baby was two years old when she died.
Amaya is 16 now. I wish a lot of things for her. I wish I had the wedding dress I married Misha’s father in. I wish I had saved more of my designer clothes for Amaya. I wish I had the christening gown I gave Misha when she was pregnant. I bought it in Ireland. These things are gone, and I don’t know where.
My mother was so good at saving things for me. I have my old Barbies and even a Skipper and Ken doll. They are worn from use as I let everyone play with them through the years. I have albums of pictures in the basement, yet I have not looked at them for years. I want to organize them, but the hurt comes back, and I suppress it by not sorting through everything. Someday I will. I know that I have a lot to say, and I need to put all of my blogs together into a book.
Old things bring back memories, and memories bring back sadness, which causes me to stifle my feelings. I know I will someday sit here and write everything down—every feeling, every memory, all of my simple thoughts, my complicated thoughts—everything. It will be cathartic. It will be an autobiography and a memorial, all in one book. It will be years of my life coming together, represented by many old things that are left behind.
Mother’s Day brings me to a dark place where I feel incomplete because Misha isn’t here. I will start putting all of my blogs together soon. I will have a name for my book: She Left to Begin Again. I will describe how I have found peace in Colombia while telling my and Misha’s stories together. I promise that is on my agenda. While I am wearing her old things, I wish she was still here with me.
I have been trying to sit down and write a blog since December about the highlights of the year 2023. I haven’t had the time, as my business has never been so busy as in the past year. It is a blessing and a curse. I have no time to relax and do what I love the most: writing. My business is officially big here in Colombia. I am featured on Google as number one in the Valle del Cauca when you google Glamping or hotels; I never advertise except by my own reels featured on my Instagram, TikTok*, and Facebook* stories. Yet I keep climbing the Google algorithms. I say this with the utmost awe. I never saw this happening when I expanded my business in 2022 and opened my two Glamping cabins.
Many guests return to my place more than once and I have made some close friends. A young couple, Kevin and Katherine, have become my Colombian family. We spent Christmas together. My son had to be in the United States during Christmastime, and spending the holiday with Kath and Kevin was comforting as I missed my son CJ so much. We played games, cooked, relaxed, and relished this special time of year. My friend Vince, a pilot for Copa, returned with his family for a second time. He brought me an Argentinian wine that was super! Another friend, Omer, returned after the New Year and brought his parents from Amsterdam. We started a tournament with the game Rumicube. I do love to play games. Memories of times in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee return to me when I play board games. Colombians are big on playing games, and I have many to choose from at my Glamping place. My best friend in Colombia, Alvaro, came over with his American family and a beautiful gift of hanging solar lights hummingbirds! I have solar twinkling lights all over my property that light up at night. This gift is unique, and I can remember my dear friends every night when I enjoy it. Another lovely guest made a catalog of ten pages about my business. It has all the information necessary for anyone who makes a reservation at my place. I send the link when someone has questions; it saves me so much time! Other guests often share ideas I should have thought of myself and didn’t. I now have little mini bars and snacks in the two cabanas. People can use the beers, soft drinks, and snacks and pay when they check out. You would think I would have known to do this as I spent so much time in hotels as a flight attendant!
Last year, we had a definite change in the climate at my Glamping business here in Colombia. It rained so much in 2022 that we thought we would never see the sun again. The new year brought the sun to us here in the Andes Mountains, so much sun that we forgot we did not have it the year before. We were grateful when it rained! My Avacodo tree made fruit, and flowers bloomed that I didn’t know I had. The distinct temperature change continues into this new year of 2024 and is quite shocking. I even see mangoes grow on my mango trees. The temperature consistently averaged around 74 degrees during the day, and now it averages 80 degrees here. In direct sunlight, it can actually feel hot. Because of this shift in temperature, I made changes around my property. More areas give shade, including a new roof over my big patio area with games, lounge chairs, and a hammock. I am constantly updating my place with improvements. I just finished a new walkway and revised some of my gardens. I organized my laundry area, updated my outdoor kitchen, and added a beautiful firepit that my guests love to grill and cook San Cocho, a favorite Colombian meal. The climate makes no difference to the bookings at my retreat. People love nature, and they love the beautiful sounds of the birds sharing the rustling breeze and the cool temperatures at night. Not to mention the incredible views of the mountains and the Valle del Cauca seen from every angle here.
Now, for the most fantastic news: I am featured in a docuseries by international Award-Winning Author, Filmmaker, and Empowerment Specialist Toneal M. Jackson* called “I Survived it ALL.” I am one of the women who share their story in the Death segment. The premiere date for my part of the docuseries is March 1st. This docuseries will include stories from myself and other women about Death, Discrimination, Depression., Domestic Violence, and Devastation. The premiere date for my part of the docuseries is March 1st. When Toneal contacted me last year and asked me to participate in her documentary, I said yes. I recorded my part in April. I look forward to the premiere and trust Toneal in her artistic ability to tell my story of grief and gratitude. I will say this, it has been a long journey of healing for me. Some days I wake up and embrace my surroundings, other days I wake up and miss what could have been if Misha had not died. It is a forever part of my personality. I hope that by sharing my thoughts in this docuseries I will help others who have lost a child, grandchild, family member, friend suddenly and without warning. It is something I have accepted and live with day to day. I do the best I can to live my best life while honoring the memory of Misha. I know she would love that I have shared my journey on film and a rememberance of her. The title is so apt because anyone who has lost a loved one knows to keep living is to be a survivor. Feel free to share your own experiences with grief in the comments below. I would love to hear how you have overcome the obstacles that you faced.
If you would like to buy a ticket for any of the series the schedule is on the photo below. I can get a ticket for you, and you don’t have to go to Chicago. I will have a private link on YouTube for anyone who wants to see my survival story, or any of the others that are offered. Please contact me here or on any of my social media sites below.
Facebook: @Michele Huffman Carson or Glamping at Villa Migelita Ecolodge, Colombia
TikTok: @villamigelitacristalcasa
Instagram: @villamigelita-cristalhouse
LinkedIn: @Michele Carson
You can follow Toneal on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
@MyNameIsToneal
Booking.com awards
Kath and KevinAlvaro and familyThe docuseries schedule
I have always preferred the mountains to the beach. The mountains are alive and listening to their surroundings. They hurt and show torment when they are not treated with respect, just like we do as humans. I remember vacations as a young child, traveling with my family to see the mountains by car. I was even stung by yellow jackets sliding down a cliff when I was fifteen. That was not a pleasant experience, but it did not diminish my love of the mountains. Nature is present and alive on the hills. I spent every summer with my children in the mountains as they grew up. Now, I live in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. I am surrounded and immersed in their presence.
Recently, an investor group bought a farm nearby in my village of El Meson. They destroyed the mountain by building a small road without adequate plans or an engineer to design a road without harm to the trees and terrain. It was quite a shock to the residents here, including myself. One day, we have perfect crystal clear water; the next, mud comes through our faucets. I, of course, panicked. I have reservations into 2024, people who cannot wait to stay in the beauty of the Andes Mountains. I had to find a quick solution to the contaminated water. A water filter was designed and installed at great expense to me, and I have submitted the bill to the owners who have damaged the mountain. But what’s worse is what he did to the mountain and the nature that lived there. We have bears, panthers, possums, armadillos, small monkeys, and so many birds it is impossible to say how many species. He sent them looking for a new habitat. For me, this is devastating. I am still at a loss as to why the CVC of Colombia, which cares for our water and nature, has allowed this. My community has finally sent in a lawsuit. I am still determining what will happen from that, but I want to make it known on my blog.
The water in my Hotel and Glamping business is crystal clear again, but not for my neighbors. I am hoping someone reading this will step in to help them. They do not have money to install water filters, and they should not have to. I am unsure how to progress on this, but I would like to know if one of you reading my blog in Colombia knows a lawyer or agency that can stop this devastation and destruction and restore the right to clean water. It is a law in Colombia, but from what I have seen so far, there appears to be no one who will help them. An elementary school now needs clean water to cook or serve the children juice from this same water. It is a travesty for everyone including older people and those who have no voice.
The mountains are hurting around me in El Meson. I feel the pain in my soul.
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
Recently my computer crashed, and I had to take it for repairs. It was old, but I loved it and hoped I didn’t have to buy a new one. I learned I needed it to write comfortably and quickly to change settings on certain apps like booking.com or Airbnb. I discovered I could get by for a few weeks without it, but I was delighted to have it back, newly updated. I need it for my Glamping business, and I had problems without it.
Did I miss it daily? No, I didn’t. I use my phone much more than my computer. I make short videos and can even use my phone to write, but it takes work. I love a keyboard to type on. I can answer emails on my phone, too.
During the time without my computer, I spent less time in my office. I even closed the door early most days. I exercised a little more, relaxed a bit longer, and loved being out of the office.
Every week is ideal because I wake up to the sounds of birds. Research has shown that their songs and calls are restorative. No matter any minor annoyance thrown my way, I only need to hear a Venezuelan Turpial singing to make me pause and listen.
Some of my weeks are filled every day with guests, days that don’t allow me to spend time writing. It’s a pastime I enjoy. When I have a few days to myself, appreciate my views, the natural sounds surrounding me at my Villa, and time to write my thoughts down, that is an ideal week.
After all, people pay me to enjoy my Glamping place, Villa Migelita Ecolodge, so I should enjoy it also. One needs to appreciate what they have, and I can when I have a few days where I am able to stop for a while and listen to the beautiful sounds from all the birds who live at my lodge and share with others my thoughts.
