With an accumulation of days where the only thing I could think about was my flight to Bogota where I was about to experience the flower world and farms to its maximum, I finally landed in one of the countries that behold some of the most stunning flowers in the world. My experience was nothing short of incredibly enriching and spectacular in every way. From the arrival to every farm, through the entire visits, typical food I tried, all the way to the exceptionally talented and some of the nicest people I've met.
Here is where I like to say, 'From Colombia to the World!' because I had one goal in mind: to make the Latin American industry (this time the Colombian one) shine at its fullest and communicate this to all the flower businesses and flower lovers out there. Let's get to it!
Colombia Welcomed Me With Abundant Flowers and a Complete Flourishing Experience
When you travel, life opens up spaces for other areas in your life you maybe didn't even know you needed so much. This was my case. As a Senior Content Editor of Thursd, this experience was exactly what my mind and body needed altogether. Sometimes it's necessary to get out of the zone in which you feel most comfortable working in every day. Sometimes seeing and hearing others talk about things you didn't previously understand or weren't 100% aware of is essential for the growth of the creative mind. And once again, this trip did this and much more for me. You may be wondering why I went to Colombia and the answer must be pretty obvious but there's much more to it...
Empowering, growing, and communicating what is happening in the Latin American floral industry is what Shallima Turizo and I have in mind and this trip was just the beginning of the grand adventure that awaits both of us. But let me get to the point of the masterly experience I had during an entire week of visiting farms in Bogota and Medellin which I had only talked about or imagined I would visit someday.
What I can reassure you before I start telling you more details about my visits is that flowers are love. Flowers are well-being. Flowers are necessary to have good days and to fix the bad ones. Flowers unite and connect teams and employees every single day from the early shifts at 6:00 AM to dedicated workers who stay until late afternoon to ensure the world will see and get a physical glance of what Colombian flowers are made of. And most importantly, flowers make you meet people that can change your days for good.
Flower Farm Visits That Widened and Opened My Mind as a Writer
Writing is not just about being behind a computer. To become a great writer one must also count on experiences. While visiting farms in Bogota such as Alexandra Farms, Continental Breeding, and Plazoleta Flowers (who all welcomed us with great pleasure, and great food!) along with Asocolflores, and farms in Medellin such as Deliflor Americas, Flores el Capiro, and Flower Colors of Cultivos Manzanares, the number of things I learned is unmatched because a curious mind is the one that learns the most.
I wanted to learn about everything, quite literally. Starting from the initial process of cultivating varieties when being a tiny seedling to seeing the immense power of flourished roses, chrysanthemums, dahlias, alstroemerias, and many more varieties was something I hadn't learned completely before.
I guess I had the basic knowledge but when you listen to experts in their fields and experts in the industry guide you through an entire process of cultivation and harvest is when you realize the extremely arduous teamwork there is behind every single flower exported worldwide. I hadn't thought about it until I saw all of it.
Teamwork is a word that deserves to be highlighted when it comes to the flower world, if not the most important word. Everyone in the industry has to be connected and aware of every step of the chain to achieve a final product that is stupendous. I think many people underestimate the power of what LATAM has to offer when it comes to flowers and the processes behind each one. I want to communicate this to the world along with my Thursd teammate Shallima and most importantly, we want to give this industry a voice. Share important events, happenings, new launches, inspirational figures that have helped shape the industry, and much, much more!
Stay Tuned For Thursd LATAM Content Coming Soon
As the trip came to an end, both Shallima and I were extremely happy with the results of how everything went down and all the amazing people we met during the week. If you ever have the opportunity to visit a farm and learn more about all the processes that make up a flower business while meeting its people and culture I would recommend not to skip it!
Stay tuned for what is coming in Thursd LATAM because we have loads of adventures to share!
