A trip to Colombia in my 20s turned into 8 years freelancing in South America. Here's what I'd do differently.

A trip to Colombia inspired Sinead Mulhern to go freelance.

Jake VDVF

• Sinead Mulhern has lived in South America and worked as a freelance writer for 8 years.
• Before the move, she saved enough to cover the cost of living for a year.
• Looking back, she wishes she'd spent more time studying Spanish and made better use of the flexibility of freelancing.

In 2016, I spent two weeks in Medellín, Colombia — and it changed the course of my life.

I explored the...