Rose Colored Karina is more than a personal travel journal. It’s a place where the wanderer, the wanderluster, can come to get inspired. It’s a place to get ideas and tips on what countries to go to, what to pack for your trip, what to see while you’re there and what to expect from the culture and customs of your desired destination.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, I grew up going to Mexico every summer—San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to be exact. Spending three months there annually, I was essentially bred to travel. My mom was from Mexico and my dad from Dallas. And I, along with my brother, grew up bilingual. Switching from English to Spanish and back again seemed natural. It seemed easy.
That was then. My mom passed away in 1989, and that changed everything. Going to Mexico every summer was no longer our usual routine. Speaking Spanish was no longer necessary, so why do it?
FAST FORWARD to the age of 13, I convinced my dad to get me a passport so that I could go to Europe with my French teacher. She lead an annual, school-approved, two-week trip to France and Spain every summer.
An unbelievable experience that reminded me of my time in Mexico, in France, I could put my schooling to good use and find the bathroom on my own. In Spain, I could put my Spanish to good use and help my French teacher buy aspirin from the pharmacy for a sick student. It was then that I vowed to make travel a priority. My college years took me to Indiana, where I went to school. I studied abroad in Rome. And my first job took me all around the U.S., including Puerto Rico.
Today, my husband and I travel as much as we can. We prefer to travel to Latin American countries. I feel connected there. I feel more alive. I feel the presence of my mom. Wherever I go, I can speak Spanish again. And it’s more than seeing the ruins in Tulum, the ocean in the Dominican or the walled city in Cartagena. It’s about helping the elderly lady in Guadalajara carry her groceries; it’s about eating fish on the beach with your taxi driver in Santa Marta; it’s about dancing with the locals in Holbox during a free concert the last Saturday of every month. It’s about finding yourself in the middle of a political rally in Bogota. It’s about the experiences that are too fleeting to snap, but too impactful to forget.
I hope you enjoy the stories, tips and helpful info. Feel free to drop me a note and let me know what you love and don’t love about the blog. I’m always open to a little constructive criticism.
Thanks for stopping by!