Bienvenidos mis ositos, tu siempre eres mis queridos! (Welcome back little bears you are always my dears!)
So a lot of us are probably feeling down in the dumps because of the recent ugly price action in the crypto space. In these times it helps to recall the reasons why you dived into the space. Now most folks are in it for the money.
There’s nothing wrong with that especially if you’re on the younger side and have that hunger to earn and learn.
There are times when you should put some of those hard fought gains to productive use.
It’s good to step away from the charts and the non-stop analysis on social media every so often. In addition to relieving eye strain, you also need to take care of your health particularly your mental health.
What’s the point of making all this money if you can’t enjoy it?
Remember you need to lift your spirits when you encounter slumps in your crypto investing. Don’t feel bad if the entire crypto market is taking a beating (unless you bought some real stinkers without doing your due diligence).
We’re in the middle of the holiday season, seasoned finance professionals and other whales are probably liquidating some positions so they can raise some money to buy lavish presents for their loved ones. They’re probably also taking care of some tax bills too.
What’s more some are probably going to spend some time in a warm environment to get away from the winter for a bit to recharge. Why shouldn’t we do the same?
I’ve had my eye on Cartagena for some time now. I’ve visited other cities in Colombia before but haven’t had the chance to check out a beach city until now. Some have complained that it’s TOO touristy but I wanted to check it out for myself.
Cartagena has hot and humid weather like Panama City which I wrote about here:
Panama City is more convenient for US travelers because it uses the dollar and you can find more English speakers.
However due to the current exchange rate, Cartagena can be much more wallet friendly. When I went 1 dollar could buy 4,000 Colombian pesos. I also felt safe even at night. Although I would still take the normal tourist vacation like don’t walk around drunk with wads of cash in your pockets.
You may also encounter aggressive street vendors and beach vendors. Some may even follow you around for a bit. It can be annoying but remember this is a tourist city that has been starving for visitors.
Now on to the fun crypto part.
I met a nice lady for dinner.
Normally this isn’t a big deal BUT after eating and chatting for a bit she showed me her Binance account on her phone!?!
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what I would consider marriage material! Back stateside, I feel like a weirdo because there’s not that many people that I know in real life that like talking about crypto. When I do find people they’re usually grungy dudes. (No offense sers).
Now the cynical part of me thought “What?!? A beautiful woman from a developing country has an interest in crypto? This must be a sign of the top!
Then the rational part of me took over. We ARE STILL EARLY. Back in the states (and other developed markets) we are spoiled. Our situation may not be perfect but we have a relatively decent banking system with a stable currency (for now).
Colombia and some of their neighbors have gone through awful bouts of inflation and brutal living conditions. They also have experience with power mad and corrupt politicians. When something like Bitcoin and friends come along, don’t you think they will see the value?
Now I don’t want to oversell it because crypto isn’t an overnight solution. It will take some time for the general population to catch on. However I am excited for Colombia and the Latin America region in general.
This is a part of the world that has suffered economically for way to long. We’re talking about roughly 700 million people that want to improve their standard of living. Crypto can offer them a path to do just that.
We often fail to appreciate how good we have it in developed markets. Yes I get it, the powers that be like to making annoying rules that drag us down but there are people that are just happy to have a job and have access to food and water.
Though it will take some time, my guess is that crypto usage will increase steadily. It’s important for us in developed nations to help our crypto brethren in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Just recently Gemini and Bancolombia have partnered to make crypto more available.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/gemini-partners-with-colombia-s-biggest-bank-for-crypto-trading
This could lead to more adoption and a chance for a global version of WAGMI.
I don’t know about you guys but I’m fired up for crypto after visiting Cartagena!
Be sharp, stay hungry let’s get that money!
