Talking to a hostel owner in Medellin changed how I think about 'slow travel'

Avery Roberts · 2026-08-25T01:55:33.327963+00:00

I was hanging out at this hostel in El Poblado two weeks ago, just killing time before my next gig. The owner, this guy named Diego who's been running the place for 8 years, sat down and we got to chatting. He said something like 'most guests treat the city like a layover, they're already planning their exit before they arrive.' That stuck with me because I've done like 14 countries in 3 years and I barely remember some of them. He said he stays in one place for at least 5 months now, just to see the same coffee shop workers, learn the bus routes, get annoyed by the same street noise. I used to think moving fast meant I was seeing more, but honestly I can't recall what I did in Lisbon for those 10 days. Has anyone else slowed down on purpose after a conversation like that, or is it just me?

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Talking to a hostel owner in Medellin changed how I think about 'slow travel' | Digital Nomad Life - Librear