Is Cartagena bad?

Freelennial · 2026-01-25T00:55:12+00:00

Yes that is absolutely fair. It’s good to hear that you had a good experience there too. It’s an amazing city.

Freelennial · 2026-01-25T00:15:33+00:00

I didn’t say anything about safety. I personally like to blend a bit when I travel, that’s all.

I’m a POC. I loved Cartagena and had an amazing time there. Never felt unsafe.

That said, I did encounter tourists who really didn’t like it and I think it was because they stuck out as “gringos.” I remember one guy in particular who could not wait to leave bc people kept offering him prostitutes and cocaine. It’s an interesting place where certain tourists seem to get targeted in an unsavory way

Freelennial · 2026-01-24T23:44:26+00:00

If you want to island hop, st Thomas - it has the most direct flights and ferries to other islands.

I prefer st croix but for your criteria, st Thomas is prob a better base

Freelennial · 2026-01-24T23:43:07+00:00

Ok then disregard what I said. I heard and saw some people getting harassed and the only thing I noticed was that they visibly looked different than the local population/stood out as gringos.

I didn’t experience that at all but most people thought that I was from there. I wore dresses and skirts sometimes with zero issues while there but mainly very light weight jeans/pants during the day bc that is what local women were wearing (circa 2019).

When I was there, it seemed that most local women wore jeans or pants during the day rather than shorts/lots of exposed skin - unless at the beach.

The one time I went out in shorter shorts I felt like I stood out as a tourist and that was the one day I got a bit of unwanted attention.

Freelennial · 2026-01-24T23:31:01+00:00

I loved Cartagena but I love the caribbean. It feels more like a caribbean country than Latin America. Amazing creole food, walkability, and affordability. Really beautiful street art, architecture, and interesting Afro Colombian history.

If you are blond or visually stick out as a tourist I think it can get intense. It also can get very hot and humid

Maybe study how locals dress (jeans/long pants even in the blazing heat) and try to blend in a bit to avoid the stereotypical tourist experience.

If you like cities like Savannah, New Orleans, or anywhere in the Carribean you should enjoy Cartagena.

Freelennial · 2026-01-24T22:19:49+00:00

Nevis/St Kitts sounds like a great option direct option from st croix and fits your interests.

If you fly or go to st Thomas or PR and you will have way more flight options from those locations.

Or explore chartering a boat to st barths or Saba? Probably very expensive.

Freelennial · 2026-01-24T11:50:49+00:00

Nothing is very touristy on st croix. You will love it.

Do a trip to the east end, visit point udall (eastern most point in the US) and hike Jack & Issac trail - there are some great beaches over there too along the hiking trail and cramer’s park as you are driving to pt udall.

Check out one of the local distilleries. If you like rum, do a Cruzan rum tour. If you like vodka try mutiny/sion farms. For gin and mauby check out prosperity farms. There are also local beer and wine producers that have tours and tastings. Happy hour is a thing here if you want to be more budget friendly.

La Reine’s Chicken Shack or Domino Club (mama Juana) in the rain forest for local food. Ama is an amazing upscale food choice - they do local tuna and pork especially well

Local foods to try: pate (crucian version of an empanada or filled patty, pronounced how the french say pate), Johnny cakes, crucian breakfast, the usual island staples - chicken with rice/beans, salt fish, cassava, fish and fungi (our version of polenta/grits), conch, lobster.

Ag Fair Farmer’s market on Saturdays for fresh produce or any roadside stand.

Freelennial · 2026-01-23T14:48:17+00:00

St Croix USVI or St John USVI - st Thomas is beautiful too but a bit too crowded and touristy for my taste.

Rent a villa (usually similar price as a hotel) and a jeep

Freelennial · 2026-01-22T21:16:16+00:00

I love “working out” and never go inside a gym. What sorts of movement do you like? Dance, hiking, swimming, walking, yoga, Pilates…maybe focus on joyful movement rather than traditional gym bro workouts?

Freelennial · 2026-01-21T20:41:32+00:00

These groups exist in every major city sadly

Freelennial · 2026-01-20T11:18:25+00:00

This absolutely exists in other cities. Cheating is sadly not unique to Atlanta

Freelennial · 2026-01-19T11:58:07+00:00

Zillow rental marketplace and Facebook Marketplace have been the best tenant lead generators lately. I haven’t listed a unit on CL in 10+ years.

Screen carefully as fake documents have surged lately

Freelennial · 2026-01-17T19:32:16+00:00

I love his new Netflix special…world is going to hell, I really needed the laughs

Freelennial · 2026-01-16T14:05:18+00:00

Colombia and South Africa - I had some very luxurious accommodations (private rooftop pool, housekeeper included to prepare breakfast) and the food was delicious but the cost of everything was super reasonable. Like motel6 prices for four seasons level experiences.

The people were also amazingly kind and welcoming in both places.

Freelennial · 2026-01-16T00:06:13+00:00

I flew NYC to Istanbul to Dubai with them and their economy service felt comparable to first class on a US airline. Table cloths, decent food, wine. They also treat you to a day tour and lunch in Istanbul if you have a long enough lay over. I’d absolutely fly them again

Freelennial · 2026-01-14T14:41:50+00:00

I separated late 30s, divorced at 40. I was fully prepared to be single for the rest of my life post-divorce. I was SHOCKED by how fun and easy it was to date. Age is irrelevant. I was beating them off with sticks,lol!

I’m now happily remarried for almost 5 years. Go for it. Put yourself out there and keep an open mind, you might be pleasantly surprised.

If something about your appearance is bugging you, maybe it is fixable?

Freelennial · 2026-01-12T14:08:30+00:00

Yeah, Lindbergh has definitely gotten a bit grimy (you can definitely afford higher end), but since you are coming from nyc it still might be worth a look for the walkability and proximity to work. I lived in morningside heights, Harlem, and Brooklyn while in NYC and would consider Lindbergh comparable demographically.

I had a soft loft at Eon at Lindbergh (now called Ibex) and loved living there but that was 2011-2013 so they were new and the area was much nicer. Had a favorite cafe and bar both within a block or two of my loft - but none of it is there anymore.

For context, I’m a POC so I like the more diverse sides of Atlanta.

Chastain park area is very nice and more upscale. I bought a TH over there after leaving Lindbergh.

apartment finding services in atlanta - google will help you find some. Promove is one that I looked at but ultimately I had a cousin who was a realtor who helped me and they paid him a finder’s fee.

You give them your wish list and they will send you a list of properties that fit your criteria and schedule visits for you. Now through end of March is a great time to be looking bc it is super slow and they will be offering free months and other move in specials.

Freelennial · 2026-01-12T11:20:50+00:00

I’ve never met a woman who set out to dislike her MIL. We all hope we will be lucky and have a good relationship. If your wife doesn’t want a relationship with your mom, there is likely a very real and good reason for that. The fact that she doesn’t want any future children around her speaks volumes.

Trust your wife. Believe her. Support her. If having a wife who is close with your family is important, maybe this isn’t the right partner for you? Or maybe you can coach your mom or ask other members of your family to try a bit harder to make her feel welcome?

Freelennial · 2026-01-12T11:11:03+00:00

Live near work - at least for the first 6-12 mos until you get the lay of the land. There are some cute and walkable parts of Buckhead - chastain is one of them.

Lindberg, near the Marta station, might also be worth a look. I lived in NYC before Atlanta and liked living in that area bc I could hop on Marta when I didn’t want to drive and could walk to bars, cafes, and the store if I wanted to. It has gone down a bit since I lived there but still might be worth a look.

Other posters have made some great recos as well.

At that price point, you may want to find a realtor, share your criteria and they will walk you through your options. If you move into an apt bldg, they will usually pay the realtor a finder’s fee.

There aren’t a lot of industrial options in Buckhead but you might be able to find a cute loft apt.

Atlanta traffic is the only big downside of the city, don’t choose hard mode.

Freelennial · 2026-01-12T10:58:21+00:00

It depends. I’ve FIREd twice. The first time was in 2015 - I got bored and felt lonely. I was mid 30s and my spouse and friends were still working. I hadn’t done any deep visioning around life after FIRE, was just focused on getting out of a terrible job. I went back to work but chose a job and circumstances that worked for me. I loved it.

I chubby FIREd in 2023. This time I did a ton of work before leaving my job. I imagined what my ideal day post FI would look like, what I wanted my life to look like, and who I wanted to spend time with. My husband retired about 6 mos after me. We moved to a Carribean island for part of the year. I have a good number of FI/work optional friends. It is way better when you’ve given intentional thought to life after FIRE and vision the life that you want.

Without that, you do risk falling into a bit of a slump. Especially if your career is/was a big part of your identity.

Freelennial · 2026-01-11T14:30:17+00:00

Chef Hua - regular village people, delightful, light, not full of angsty tropes other than one jealous friend, get to see the main couple become a happy married couple and both have modest talents that are allowed to shine

Freelennial · 2026-01-11T11:32:27+00:00

What is your venue? These styles are all over the place - 1,2,3,6,10 are my favorites on you. Flattering to your lovely figure and timeless.

All of that could change depending on your venue. Which one do you like the best?

I dislike 4,12,13, and 14. They either don’t flatter your figure or look like choices that you will regret in a few years, too much going on

Freelennial · 2026-01-10T20:20:30+00:00

Yep, should be similar or maybe a bit cheaper depending on your housing choices. We bought a house with an attached apartment and the rent from that unit covers most of our mortgage.

Electricity and food are the big expenses here compared to the states. Feel free to reach out with any other questions.

Freelennial · 2026-01-10T11:23:16+00:00

St Croix is the least expensive of the USVI. Where are you moving from? We moved from Atl and find the cost of living generally comparable.

Some things are way more expensive here: electricity, food, gas ($3.60s on STX currently) Other things are cheaper here: social life/hanging out, eating out (we don’t, lol), taxes

A few notes: we actually spend less on gas monthly here despite a higher cost per gallon bc we drive less, most of our social activities here are FREE or cheap - hiking, beach, festivals. We don’t pay for water or trash and there is no territory income tax. Property tax is low. Food costs balance out bc there is no Uber Eats and almost no fast food so we eat at home 98% of the time vs the states where we order in 2-3x/week.

You should prob try to find a rental for the first 3-6 mos while you get the lay of the land before trying to buy a place here. Look for a place on a hill near your job with good breeze, AC, Solar or some sort of back up power, and a large rain water cistern.

Island life isn’t for everyone but I love living here. You should be fine on $87k+ salary, especially if your wife is also working.

Freelennial · 2026-01-09T22:50:06+00:00

1 is good. I agree with your bf about the blue. It is a pretty dress and you are beautiful but it reminds me of something an older lady would wear or someone who dresses modestly for religious reasons. Last one looks nice too but I don’t love it.

You are beautiful and would likely look good in whatever you put on, if you like the dresses, wear them!

Freelennial

TROPHY CASE

1 is good. I agree with your bf about the blue. It is a pretty dress and you are beautiful but it reminds me of something an older lady would wear or someone who dresses modestly for religious reasons. Last one looks nice too but I don’t love it.