How I Turned a $1,300 Scam Into a Colombian Vacation
By: John Broadway
Tags: Travel, Life Lessons, Colombia, Optimism, Life

This story begins on March 27th, 2019. After a booze-induced blur of a night in Sin City, I returned to California without my wallet and my social security card(don’t ask why I kept it in there).

A few months later I kept getting calls about issues with my social security card. My first thought: “scam.” Repeated calls made me consider if this was something else. After all, I had no clue where the hell my card was.

The scammers told me there was suspicious activity happening with my social security number and I was being placed under investigation for drug sales, money laundering, and fraud.

There were multiple points between here and when I got scammed in which I should have realized this was an elaborate shakedown. I was blinded be two things. One, in 2019 I had just been lifted from probation after five years: I wanted to do absolutely everything I could to ensure I would never go back on. Two, I’ve always had a dogged fear that I would be framed or wrongly convicted of a crime: this was foremost on my mind during that scam call.

Fast forward to the point where I have zero dollars in my bank account and no way of retrieving the money I was duped for. Enveloped with regret, anger, and worry, I was sick to my stomach. Food and keeping a roof over my head were my most immediate concerns; a Colombian vacation could not have been further from my thoughts.

One month after having no money in my account I was on an island in South America chilling on a hammock with a monkey (he’s at the top)

That same day I had a scheduled visit to an apartment I planned to move into since my current lease was expiring and I couldn’t renew. Unfortunately, with only $3 in cash to my name, I had to cancel. Fortunately, I lived in a fraternity house with some open rooms and I was able to rent one from August 1st-August 15th for the low price of $150.

In the month following the scam, a job and an unexpected payment from what I had assumed was just volunteer work, allowed me to afford this, and stack some change. Still, the $1,300 theft stung.

Then I got the news that began turning my scam from a hindrance to a springboard.

After a somewhat lengthy application and interview process, I, along with three other people, was hired by Roadtrip Nation as a brand ambassador. For this job, we would be staying in an Airbnb for the first two weeks of September as we trained at their office. Afterward, we had six weeks on a big green RV while we traveled to college campuses around California.

Sporting my Roadtrip Nation gear as I enjoy the views of Bogota

This meant that by waiting until after my travels to sign a lease, I could recoup my losses by way of not paying the rent bills I would have had if I was not scammed.

The only problem — or should I say blessing — was I still needed a place to stay from August 15-September 1st. I began with the small-minded idea of seeking to couch surf with friends. The first guys I reached out to never actually responded; we’re not really friends now. I’m glad they didn’t offer me support because this actually sent me to Colombia.

Made some new friends during a bike tour of Bogota

I had a remote job, so I figured: “why not just rent an Airbnb in another city, work during the early morning and play for the rest of the day?” Boom. After I saw a $350 round trip flight to Bogota, Colombia, I was on my way to a great destination choice where the exchange rate lowered my expenses.

Today, If I were to meet the men who scammed me, I would direct no anger at them. I’ve forgiven them. This is going to sound weird, but considering I saved between $1,600-$2,000 on rent money that would have been wasted, ultimately, I’m glad I got scammed. I recouped my money and got a Colombian vacation out of it.

Following the scam, the series of events that led to my good fortune was a rare confluence of time and opportunity that many people reading this might not experience. However, I share this story to highlight these lessons that can apply to your life.

Handle Misfortune With Optimism

Not only was the ignored request for support a factor in my Colombian vacation, so too was my desire to create my own silver lining. I could have found another friend to crash with instead of going on vacation, but that wouldn’t be a silver lining. I was intent on gleaning a positive experience out of this so I could share my story with others and inspire them to handle misfortune with optimism. When we view our misfortune through an optimistic lens, our ability to forgive — and therefore our spiritual health — increases.

Foster Relationships Through Altruism.

That summer was my second year volunteering as a writing instructor for a non-profit organization called Business of Student Success (BOSS).

Everett Glenn, the founder and director, was someone I highly respected for his mission to give back to youth. I always sought to volunteer with him when I could. If it wasn’t for me fostering a relationship with him by supporting his organization, I would have never received the unexpected paycheck from him that allowed me have money to eat and eventually afford the Colombian vacation. Whether that paycheck was a result of good karma or divine blessing, I can’t ignore the way fostering a relationship through altruism played a role.

Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself

I was incensed at my stupidity for falling for the scam. I began questioning so many of the positive traits I attributed to myself. It took me a while to understand stupidity wasn’t the sole determining factor in my mistake. The factors that led to my Colombian vacation, my remote job, the unexpected paycheck from Mr. Glenn, and the brand ambassador job that allowed me to skip two months of rent, were all a result of positive traits about myself: my hustle, ambition, competency, and ability to foster relationships. When misfortune befalls us it’s easy to zero in our the negative aspects that brought the misfortune. Instead, we must focus on our positive traits that allow us to move forward into a better brighter future.

Everything Happens For a Reason.

The misfortune of the present can be blinding, but hindsight is 20/20. It’s important to utilize hindsight to understand the valuable effects misfortunes have; thereby, we can appreciate our lives by not being weighed down with regret. After this experience, I’ve trained myself to always look forward to and intentionally seek how misfortune will eventually provide something valuable for me. It may take a while to see, but there’s always something.