How Colombia Ruined Me

By Tamara Banjevic

Balkan grit. Russian soul. Colombian heart.

Imagine learning to live life a certain way for more than thirty years, only to realize you had it wrong all along.

Hardened by the winters of Moscow and a guarded youth, the author relied on logic, efficiency, and keeping her distance, believing that survival was strictly a solo mission. But when life brought her to the vibrant, unpredictable heat of Barranquilla, Colombia, that protective armor finally began to crack.

How Colombia Ruined Me is a candid, witty memoir about moving from a defensive "survival mode" into a life of genuine peace. Traveling across three continents, it explores what happens when you finally stop trying to control every outcome and learn to lean into the unexpected.

It is a story about retiring the shield, choosing your true tribe, and discovering that a new beginning often starts exactly where you least expect it.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H6XYVYV1
• ISBN13: 9798184439839
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"