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In Her Words <span></span><br>

Aletta Brandle inherited her wanderlust from her parents, who took her along on trips when she was a child.

Aletta Brandle was nervous about travelling to Colombia alone, but her fears dissipated when she met a friendly local

In this summer series, we ask female Instagrammers to share their most exciting travel destinations.

As a child, Aletta Brandle ( @aletta_in_da_mail on Instagram) was used to hopping on a plane with her parents in search of adventure. It was no surprise then that as an adult, Brandle worked as a flight attendant for Air Canada Rouge. Her parents, who met in Zambia, passed down a thirst for travel and discovery.

"The time I spent with Air Canada Rouge was rewarding – I was a nurse, a firefighter, a therapist and a cocktail waitress – all at once," the 25-year-old says. Working as a flight attendant was a way for Brandle to see the world. "Rouge let me have a little fun, while still getting valuable work experience."

"My trip took me to Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia – one of the most friendly and beautiful countries I have been to."

Local crafts for sale in Cartagena.

She was nervous to travel alone to a country she considered unsafe and where she didn't speak the language. However, her fears vanished as soon as she hopped in an Uber at the airport and met her driver, Gilma.

"Gilma was my first glance into the country – an energetic local woman who tried to tell me everything I needed to know about Bogota, suggesting great restaurants, forewarning me about certain areas and telling me to call her if I ever needed anything. Beginning with that Uber ride, I knew I was in for something special."

Bogota attracts some of the best graffiti artists in the world.

In Bogota, Brandle took in its abundant culture. The liberal arts scene brings some of the world's top graffiti artists to the city, she says. She viewed powerful paintings on a free walking tour that told deep political and social stories.

In Isla del Rosario – an hour-and-a-half bumpy boat ride from Cartagena – a place where locals go to escape the heat of the city, she experienced fabulous beaches. "The island barely has anything on it other than nature, lounge chairs, umbrellas and beer!" Brandle says. "There are no buildings – the closest you get to a building is a palm-leaf umbrella covering a bar.

"I often got asked: 'Why Colombia?' My answer was always, 'Why not?'"