The aversion has continued throughout my adult life. I could never understand how some people can be so dedicated to a sport, buying hats and shirts and posters, never missing a game on TV and letting the topic infiltrate every conversation.

But a live game is a lot different than watching men run around on a flat screen. Feeling the contagion of excitement, unification with others rooting for the same team, and the high of a win in a group atmosphere is cool. So when I was invited to watch Medellin’s local team, Nacional, versus one of their rivals, Cali, I decided to take up the offer. Of all the aspects of Latin American culture I’ve explored, futbol fever is one I’ve never bothered to plunge in to. Until now.

Nacional fans

After a tight metro ride, waiting in line for ages and getting felt up by a female cop, we run into the stadium just in time for the beginning of the game. A sea of Paisas in green shirts fill the bleachers. In the ultra-fan section, massive banners that throw their hood up line the rows. Those not decked out in green and white striped jerseys are shirtless, and what they lack in uniform they more than make up for in intensity.

Since we are in Medellin, Cali’s fan base is excruciatingly small in comparison. On both sides of their designated area are empty bleachers, save dozens of police and Colombia’s SWAT team equipped with riot shields and helmets.

Cali supporters shielded by riot police

We settle into our seats and join the chanting, singing, clapping, and foot stomping that persists through the entire game. Little kids make up some of the most devoted supporters – tons of them are decked out in Nacional jerseys waving flags and throwing their hands up when they score.

The clock runs out and Nacional wins the game 4-0. The Cali fans leave 10 minutes before the game ends to prevent any conflicts. The crowd cheers and chants, “Ole, ole ole ole, Medellin, Medellin.”

In spite of my general dislike of sports, seeing the game live and experiencing the atmosphere was an experience worth repeating.

Maybe Colombia will turn me into a football fan after all.

Reading this post via email and can’t see the video? Check it out here.

My mom grabs an industrial-sized shopping cart out of the line and swings it around, making for the entrance. A woman dressed to the nines in pajama pants enters before us. My mom shows her membership ID card to the semi-retired employee and we push forward.

The sheer size of the warehouse is what overwhelms me. That, and the grayness. There are no windows here, just dim lights that hang off the ceiling several feet above us.

Our first stop is electronics. The only reason I have entered this suburban inferno (otherwise known as Sam’s) is to replace my MP3 player. We pass rows of flat screens and cameras, but no music players.

A woman in a bright blue t-shirt and perma-grin plastered on her face greets us. “Can I help you folks find something?”

My mom chimes in. “Yes, we’re looking for MP3 players.”

“Oh gosh, I actually don’t work here. I’m with DirectTV. Have you heard about our special?”

I cringe and walk away. We make another loop around the electronics section, but to no avail. A man approaches us this time, dressed in the same bright blue shirt and false smile. “Have you heard about the Direct TV special that we’re running?”

Eek. My mom is aware of my aversion to places like this and so tries to make it a quick trip. The first stop is a Tupperware aisle, where a middle-aged woman and her mother are staring at plastic containers in boxes. They hold a lengthy discussion about which set seems to offer the best value and the special features each one has. They weigh the pros and cons of each brand. Then they walk away with an empty cart.

Further down, rows of super-sized condiments stare back at me. The powdered creamer is large enough for a cat to hide inside. The tubs of peanut butter hold enough goo to make PB&Js for all of the kindergarten classes in the county.

Next are the fruits and vegetables. The selection of non-frozen and non-canned options is small. What is available is almost identical. The peppers are of the same shape and same color. The same is true of the strawberries, and the apples. There are no obvious discolorations or bruises. Not the kind that you’d find in a natural setting anyway.

The chip aisle is offering a discount if you buy two bags. A plastic bag is provided for the customer to place their two giant bags of chips into. So you can put two bags into another bag.

I’m certain my mom has detected the glaze forming over my eyes, so she heads to the check-out counter. It is here that I’m forced to stare at the Sam’s customers who have chosen to take their shopping experience to the next level and dine here. They snack on hot dogs and french fries while they perch on plastic benches next to their overflowing shopping carts.

The cashier hands us the receipt and we push our cart outside. The light is blinding – a stark contrast to the grayness inside. My mom pops the trunk and loads the groceries inside.

I lean against the car, look at her, and say, “If you ever hear me say that I’m done traveling, please bring me back to Sam’s.”

Photo by Wiedmaier

Maracas, one of my favorite beaches in the world

I also took a 10-day vacation from work and my blog to take a step back and think about what I’m going to do differently this year.

I strongly believe in personal evolution. There is always something I can do better or improve upon, whether it be physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, and I plan to evolve a lot in 2012.

The Blog

I am a disciplined blogger. I put out around two posts a week, make them all at least 500 words in length, and add cool photos or videos for your viewing pleasure.

Because of the stringent rules I’ve put on myself and my blog, I sometimes find myself sitting in front of my computer after having just realized it’s been three days since my last post in a panic, racking my brain for interesting things to share. That means I don’t always put out blog posts that are inspired.

I don’t want to publish anything unless I put 100% effort into it. So in 2012, I will not be abiding to any kind of posting schedule. I will write when I have something really funny/quirky/profound/thought-provoking/cool to say.

I’m also not going to limit myself to a set word count. That can be agonizing sometimes. Now, I’m going to mix it up. At times, I’ll add one photo and tell a story about it. And when the story warrants it, I’ll write posts that are as long as they need to be.

I’m not going to play by any rules anymore. It’s not my style.

You + Me

In 2012, I’m going to work really hard at connecting with all of you who read my blog. Some of you are very interactive, and I really love that. I want to get to know the rest of you. Who are you? Where are you going this year? What are you passionate about? This blog is a two-way conversation. I want to know you.

Fun

my sister and I on New Year's Eve

I spent a lot of 2011 putting effort into building a self-sustaining lifestyle for myself. It’s paid off big time. I’m at a comfortable level financially and see lots of opportunities on the road ahead.

But I also want to have some fun! I won’t be in my mid-20s forever and I want to enjoy these years before I’m shopping for denture grip and playing bingo.

Music

I am fascinated by percussion and I am totally dedicated to learning how to play the bongos this year.

Exercise

It’s true, I’m skinny, and I’m very fortunate for that. That is all thanks to my vegetarian diet and good genes.

But I have always neglected the physical side of life. I usually avoid treadmills and extreme sports like the plague. I know there’s a whole other world I’m missing out on, so this year I’m going to be pushing my body’s limits and getting into better shape.

That’s what I’m looking forward to in 2012! What are you working towards this year?

Happy New Year! Wishing you and yours a wonderful, positive, prosperous, successful, and memorable 2012 with lots of love from Trinidad and Tobago :)

I haven’t gotten all dressed up for a long time, so I thoroughly plan to enjoy myself tonight! Hope you all are doing the same :) Let’s make 2012 the best year yet!

I used to have no problems with flying. It didn’t even occur to me to be nervous. I’d hop on 12+ hour flights back and forth from the US to Australia and New Zealand and feel nothing. Then everything changed.

When my grandmother and I were coming back from Rome in 2009, we hit a rough patch of turbulence midway. I mean REALLY rough. It was so bad that objects towards the back of the plane started rattling off onto the floor. I was sure we were going down.

Ever since then, I’ve felt nervous on planes. As time progressed, the problem seemed to get worse, not better. Even booking the flight was nerve wracking. I’d get jolts of nervousness like lightning bolts through my body just thinking about upcoming flights.

Not exactly a convenient problem for a nomad to have.

My flight back from Tampa to Mexico City in October was the worst to date. On the way to the airport, I was shaking and nauseous and I was very close to canceling the flight altogether.

So a few days before I hopped on the flight leaving Mexico yesterday, I knew I had to do something. I was tired of feeling so nervous and anxious and decided to face my fears.

NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, is a practice that has increased in popularity in the past couple decades. It’s been on my radar screen for awhile, but the first time I looked into it I was put off by its potential for evil. However, I’d heard it was an excellent way to cure phobias, so I thought why not?

I bought the book Free Yourself From Fears with NLP: Overcoming Anxiety and Living Without Worry (affiliate link) and watched the following videos on YouTube: (http://youtu.be/kG7Epc5cq_w) and (http://youtu.be/qIT3OF3UTx0). I didn’t just read the book or watch the videos, but I followed along with the mental exercises.

The result? For the first time in two years, I felt fine. I wasn’t nervous beforehand, I didn’t start sweating or shaking in the terminal, and the mild turbulence we passed through didn’t make my heart skip 10 beats.

But it seems too easy, right? I mean watching a couple of videos and reading a short book on my Kindle, and that’s it?

It appears so.

So I’d like to challenge you. Are you afraid of flying or do you have another mild phobia? Check out some NLP books and videos and let me know what happens.

Also, I’d love to hear from you if you have any experience with NLP. Was it effective? What do you think about it?