I left NYC to work remotely in Colombia for almost 2 months. I loved it so much I plan to do it every year.

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I have the flexibility to work from anywhere because my full-time job as a communications VP is remote.

I rented an apartment in St. Pete, Florida, last year to escape the cold and I loved it. One of my friends moved to St. Pete permanently after abandoning NYC.

I wanted to work in the same time zone as New York this year. I invited one of my friends to join me as we wanted to start anew in 2022. We left for Medellín on January 4 and returned to the US on February 25.

I chose Medellín because I knew it was a forward-thinking city with lots of remote workers and affordable places to stay

Andrea Capodilupo

A few years ago, I went to Colombia for a work trip, and I was eager to go back. One of my former clients ran a cool new company while investing in coffee farms and the other ran his own consulting company. I kept in touch with them on social media, and it seemed like they were doing well.

When I told my parents I was going to Colombia for a couple of months, they asked, "Why can't you just go to Florida?" I like to practice new languages and my money would go a lot further in Colombia than it would in Florida.

My friend and I rented a 2-bed, 3-bath apartment for $1,800 a month — but we had to book 2 others when we got mites

Deb Tam

Our first apartment in El Poblado was beautiful, but unfortunately, we realized the bumps we woke up with every day were mite bites, so we booked two differentAirbnbs that would cover us for the rest of the trip.

Each of the Airbnbs had dedicated desk spaces for us to work in, and our last one even had a pool.

I worked from our Airbnb, coffee shops, and hotel coworking spaces

I was up by 6 a.m. because exotic birds were either chirping or screaming. I usually start my morning with a little writing followed by an hour walk up the hills of El Poblado, usually stopping for coffee at Al Alma with an oatmeal or a smoothie for around $6.

If I had a lot of calls, I would work from our home, but if not, I would find a coffee shop in El Poblado or a hotel that has open seating areas.

Andrea Capodilupo

There's bustling nightlife and a wide variety of restaurants 

In El Poblado, every week there is a party called "Gringo Tuesdays" where people from all over the world meet and dance.

Andrea Capodilupo

The streets in the Provenza neighborhood of El Poblado are closed to cars and people sit outside.

People were watching us as we sat at a table drinking Aquilas. The paths between bars are lined with trees. The bougie-r the restaurants are higher up the Provenza hill, and they have more sophisticated clientele.

I ate out every single meal in Colombia for around $5 to $20 a day

Andrea Capodilupo

A typical day for me would include a cafe with a breakfast item, a late lunch or snack, and a place to eat dinner in El Poblado. One of my favorite snacks was a fried cheese taco from La Revuelta. The restaurant quality in El Poblado is close to or better than some New York restaurants.

They love their hot dogs and burgers. I really appreciated the take on the hot dog that the Colombians had. Whether it was a mini hot dog plate or a bed of french fries, I appreciated the take on the hot dog.

Deb Tam

I expected everyone to be dressed in flowing dresses with lots of flowers, but the street style throughout Medellín is very diverse. One store that I love is Diez, which sells gender neutral clothing, and another is Undergold, which sells both workwear and going-out clothes. I bought fun striped shorts from Diez and they are very comfortable.

Andrea Capodilupo

Unlike my experience in Europe, where many locals revert to speaking English, I found that Colombians wanted to speak Spanish with us

It was easier for me to understand the Spanish of the country I was in when I visited it. I found a local teacher and am continuing my weekly lessons with her.

Speaking Spanish taught me humility. I kept telling people that I was trying to learn Spanish, but after taking Spanish lessons, I realized I wasn't telling the truth.

You can get to Los Angeles in less than five hours with a round-trip flight from the East Coast. I arrived at JFK at 6 a.m. and was in my Brooklyn office before 10 a.m.

It has its ups and downs, but I plan on working from Medellín every year

Despite progress over the decades, the country still has high crime rates. I took cabs rather than public transportation when I went home after 9 p.m. People wore masks while we were there, and the Pandemic is still taken very seriously.

I love the people of the country and there are many other places to visit. Despite the bed bugs, I would like to go back every year with better Spanish and more friends.

He is a comedy, food, and fiction writer. She likes to travel and eat doughnuts. Her writing has appeared in two magazines.