Every year, right before the holiday season, I start feeling nostalgic and I miss my hometown. I miss my country of birth, my roots, my culture, my people. I miss Colombia. Being a citizen of the world and feeling like a child of no-where, it makes me wonder why, out of all the countries I’ve lived in, out of all the schools I’ve attended, and out of all the places I’ve laid my head to rest at night and called “home”, Colombia is where my heart belongs. (Read my bio here.) I sometimes envy the people (like my little sister) who grew up in one place and will now graduate high school with her childhood friends. I envy my boyfriend when we drive down the street of his mom’s house and he reminisces with such joy about his childhood. All those places for me and those people along with all the memories of my childhood and early adolescence are scattered around the globe – some in Mexico, some in Spain, some of them here in Miami and LA, but most of them in Colombia. I guess that is why my heart still belongs to Colombia even though I love and cherish the life I have built here in Miami. Don’t get me wrong, now when I go to Colombia to visit, I love it, it is food for the soul, my spirit soars…but then I can’t wait to come back home to Miami. That is the beauty of being a citizen of the world and a child of no-where; I have little pieces of my heart sprinkled around in all those places that I’ve loved, and every time I return, it feels like coming home again, every single time.

On a lighter note, check out my hat! The pattern you see has become an international symbol of Colombia. The typical hat that carries this pattern has a big oval rim originally designed as a peasant item to provide shade while working the land, tending to cattle, working on crops, riding on horseback (you get the picture). The official name of this hat is a “Vueltiao” hat (Sombrero Vueltiao in Spanish) which is roughly translated to “turned hat”. Vueltiao hats as seen today, are handcrafted by local artisans that have learned this craft passed down from generation to generation. They are made from the natural fibers of an indigenous palm tree that grows at the edges of rivers and swamps of the Atlantic Coast. The braiding technique used to make these hats originate from the Zenú Indian culture and dates back to more than one thousand years! I found this Vueltiao Fedora at a local artisan market on my last trip to Colombia last year and it is one of my most prized possessions. I wear it proudly and every time I look at it, I see a piece of my childhood and that makes me feel closer to home, wherever that may be.

Stay Fabulous!

What I’m rocking:

Shirt & faux leather leggings: FOREVER 21

Shoes: Converse Hightops – Limited Edition

Ring: custom-made in Colombia – Obsidian & Silver

Watch: Marc Jacobs