A backpack, a typewriter, and a ticket to Colombia led to a finished book—
and now a writers retreat in the hills of Antioquia.
© LUIS ECHEVERRI URREA/iSTOCK

When I decided to write my first book, Portrait of Leaving, I thought I could do it while traveling through South America. The idea was so dreamy: sipping cortadas in stylish cafés in Buenos Aires, chewing coca leaves and scaling snowcapped mountains in Peru, listening to samba on a beach in Rio with a caipirinha in hand…

But it occurred to me: Traveling means planning, moving, and resettling. Writing demands discipline and routine. Inspiration is crucial, yes, but the mission wasn’t to be a ‘bucket list’ junkie. It was to write a book. I needed to be rooted somewhere.

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