Anytime you travel, especially internationally and especially to places that are considered “less developed” than the US, there are going to be some unexpected differences from what you expect. Or maybe just what you hoped for.

Before I get into that topic, can we talk a little bit about that “less developed” term? Having been to lots of places that carry that label, I’m really uncomfortable using it because of the judgment that I think usually goes with it. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely places where that term applies. Tengeru, Tanzania comes to mind. At least when I was there in 2005, it was little more than a wide spot in the road filled with 20-30 dusty shacks.

Tengeru was (and I’m sure still is) objectively less developed than nearby Arusha, but applying that term to a place like Medellín, Colombia, just feels wrong. From what I’ve seen, Medellín is a modern city by any definition I can think of. The tiny area I’ve explored so far is bustling with nice restaurants, night clubs, art galleries, cars, motorcycles, high and low fashion, and an internationally connected population.

Is it also a little rougher around the edges than a place that gets the “developed” label? Yeah, maybe. You have to watch every step you take because the sidewalks are in shambles, and I can’t flush toilet paper like I can in Anywhere, U.S.A.

OK, I admit it. I hate that even though it’s far from the first time I’ve dealt with the little poop paper trashcan next to the toilet.

But regardless, labeling the whole place as “less developed” feels like a dig at the people who live here. “Less pampered” feels like a term heading in the right direction.

Anyway… things don’t always go as you hope they will when you travel to places where less pampered people live. Case in point – Internet access.

Having decided to pay a premium on typical rent in Medellín to stay at Selina, a co-live/co-work space that caters to digital nomads, I had hoped that fast wi-fi would be available over the entire property. In fairness, since they charge separately for access to their co-working area, I knew there was a risk that service would be sub-par in the rooms.

Morning 1 of Zoom meetings from Colombia made it clear that my plan to work from my room wasn’t going to work without a different Internet solution. Fortunately, because Medellín is sufficiently developed to have a whole mall full of tech stores about a mile straight downhill from Selina, I was able to buy a 4G-based mobile hotspot from Alcatel (about US$60) plus a pre-paid SIM card (about US$10 for 12 GB of data) with local wireless company Claro that has me back in action.

Something tells me that purchase is going to come in handy more than once on my nomadic adventures.

By the way, I don’t get paid for any of those links. They’re just there for your convenience.