I planned to stay two weeks in Pasto, Colombia. I stayed a month. When I casually mentioned I was looking for my next volunteer opportunity, my host Jairo looked like he was going to cry. We were washing dishes together, and he stopped, looked at me, and said: "We don't care about Workaway or volunteers. You're not here to work. You're our friend. You're family. You're welcome here anytime." This is a Feelgood Friday story about what happens when hospitality isn't transactional - when strangers decide you belong and treat you like family from day one. WHAT HAPPENED: On my very first night in Pasto, Jairo and Deysi took me to a sacred yagé ceremony - the inaugural celebration of their community's Casa de Pensamientos (House of Thought). That's the level of trust they extended to a stranger who'd arrived hours earlier. Over the next month: They included me in every Sunday family dinner (traditional Andean cuisine cooked on a wood stove) Took me to Carnaval de Negros y Blancos THREE times (Colombia's 2nd biggest celebration) with packed picnic lunches Celebrated my birthday with me (I haven't celebrated in years, maybe decades) Did plant bath ceremonies together Let me be present for deep family conversations despite language barriers Made me feel like I belonged, not like I was passing through This isn't a story about what I built or fixed or accomplished as a volunteer. This is about being received. About what it feels like when people open their hearts and homes and say "you're one of us now." THE HOSTS: Jairo and Deysi run La Tribu, a cultural center just outside Pasto on what I think was his parents' farm. It's a blended family - Deysi is indigenous (with two daughters), Jairo has two daughters from a previous relationship. And here's what's beautiful: his ex-girlfriend would show up for family dinners with his current girlfriend Deysi. Zero drama. Just family. That's the kind of people they are. Open. Genuine. No pretense. THE DILEMMA: Here's one of the dangers of traveling like this: you make real connections. Deep ones. And then you have to leave. I'm continuing my volunteer journey through Colombia - I've been to the jungle in Mocoa, San Agustín, and other places since leaving Pasto. But before I cross back into Ecuador, I'm returning to spend more time with Jairo and Deysi. They're only two hours from the border, and when people make you family, you show up for family. WHY THIS MATTERS: If you watch the news, it's always negative. But out here, in a cultural center outside Pasto, people are genuinely good. They're open, honest, and they show you who they are without reservation. This is what restores faith in humanity. Not algorithms or headlines. But real people opening their hearts and saying "you belong here." This is the part of travel you can't plan or optimize. You earn it by showing up human. 📍 WHERE: Pasto, Colombia (near the Ecuador border) 🏡 CULTURAL CENTER: La Tribu ⏱️ TIME THERE: 1 month (planned 2 weeks) 🎒 MY TRAVEL APPROACH: I use work exchange platforms like Workaway - contributing time and skills in exchange for accommodation (and sometimes meals). It's sustainable, meaningful, and allows me to connect with communities instead of just passing through as a tourist. I've been traveling in Ecuador and Colombia for 3+ years, volunteering for most of that time, living on an absurdly low budget. This allows me to travel slowly, build real relationships, and experience cultures authentically. CHAPTERS/TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro/Day One: The Yagé Ceremony 3:54 - Meeting my Hosts 4:06 - My Childhood Dream Comes True 5:20 - Sunday Family Gatherings & FOOD 5:55 - Farm Life 7:00 - "We Don't Care About Workaway - You're Family" 7:30 - My Birthday Celebration (First One in Years) 7:54 - REAL Connections 9:30 - The Dilemma of Making Real Connections 10:40 - What You Can't Plan or Optimize 12:35 - When Strangers Make You Family 13:22 -Reflections & Lessons