This summer, I spent 10 weeks abroad in the City of Eternal Spring, Medellín, Colombia. During this time, my days varied greatly, but one thing remained consistent: nearly every day began and ended on the metro. The metro took me everywhere I needed to go and everywhere I wanted to be. On lucky days, I found a seat; on others, I was packed tightly among fellow commuters. Some mornings, I boarded yawning and weary, longing to still be in bed. Other mornings, I could hardly contain my excitement about the day ahead. In the evenings, I frequently boarded feeling exhausted, struggling to keep my eyes open. From time to time, I was drenched from the unpredictable rain that no weather app could forewarn. Sometimes, I boarded with a smile on my face; other times, with tears in my eyes. I often think that if anyone could tell the story of my time abroad better than I could, it would be the metro—if only it could speak.
Medellín Metro Rail
The Medellín Metro has been the gateway to many great adventures in the city, while also reliably ensuring my safe arrival to my Loewenstern Placement on workdays. My commute this summer was quite extensive. It began with a Metro bus ride to the rail station, followed by a 10-stop journey on Line A through the heart of the city. After disembarking, a short walk took me to the office. Of course, I always made sure to stop by the nearby bakery for breakfast before heading into work. I had a fantastic experience working with my placement at Pygmalion Tech. My primary responsibilities involved developing two Python courses: one designed to introduce students to programming and another aimed at teaching adults the basics of data science. These projects were a great opportunity for me to refine my skills and improve my ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, which was both challenging and deeply rewarding. I found that my lengthy commute provided the perfect time to brainstorm and revise my course content. On several occasions, I rushed from the metro to work to jot down the plethora of ideas that I feared I would forget.
Bakery Near My Placement
Beyond facilitating my daily commutes, the Medellín Metro also marked the start and end of many adventures. One of the most memorable was the long and winding bus ride to the trailhead of a popular hike in the Medellín countryside. I vividly recall struggling to keep my balance while standing on the moving bus, gripping the support bars with all my might, and doing my best to avoid falling onto the strangers who would soon become friends. Thanks to social media, I was able to connect with a group of locals who organized weekly excursions and joined them for my first hike on the outskirts of Medellín. We met at one of the Metro rail stops and traveled together to the trailhead. During our hike to El Chorro de las Campanas, the breathtaking waterfall that was our ultimate destination, I enjoyed wonderful conversations with my new companions. This experience was one of the first that made me feel less isolated in Medellín, the warmth of the people was quite different from the chill of the waterfall. Swimming in the refreshing waters was a soul-cleansing experience, and that evening, I boarded the metro rail, covered in mud, exhausted, but so incredibly happy.
El Chorro de las Campanas
Another adventure the metro facilitated was my journey to Comuna 13, a neighborhood in Medellín with a complex yet inspiring history. Once considered the most dangerous part of the city due to paramilitary, guerrilla, and gang violence, it has now become one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, celebrated for its powerful and historical street art. I was fortunate to take a tour with a local resident who had lived in Comuna 13 his entire life. He shared his personal experiences of living through the area’s tumultuous past and narrated the remarkable transformation of the community through creativity. Visiting this historically rich area and hearing from a local so proud of his neighborhood’s evolution was an incredibly eye-opening experience.
Comuna 13
A unique experience the Medellín Metro offers is the metro cable system. Two of these cables serve as the main transportation to another one of Medellín’s top attractions, Parque Arví. The views from the metro cables are breathtaking, offering a stunning panorama of Medellín as you ascend higher and higher. However, they are not for the faint of heart—the cables go so high that your ears start to pop. Parque Arví itself is a stunning escape from the city, though in a city as vibrant as Medellín, it’s hard to imagine wanting to escape. I spent hours sitting in silence by the running water and dipping my feet in the streams of Parque Arví. I loved it so much that I brought a few Loewenstern fellows back with me.
Parque Arví
Of my countless experiences on the metro, my greatest memory is one of simply standing in the metro rail car on the night of July 10th. There was nothing extraordinary about this night, yet everything was special. When I hopped onto the train that evening, I was immediately brought to tears. I looked around, and almost everyone on that train was wearing the same color—a bright yellow that was hard to look at for too long, but even harder to look away from. The shirts had touches of blue and red, all jerseys for the Colombian national soccer team who were playing that night in the Copa America games, with their fate of reaching the final on the line.
The sight made me emotional in ways I couldn’t fully explain. To put it simply, I was wearing the same colors, the same jersey, and in that moment, I felt a profound connection to this community, sharing their excitement, pride, and joy for the national team. I was on my way to watch the game, hoping for a victory for Colombia. Although I had never been a huge soccer fan, I found myself deeply invested in this team’s success. I am Mexican to the core, but that night I was all in for Colombia.
Being surrounded by such a passionate community made it impossible not to cry. I would not trade my time on the metro for anything in the world, and I am profoundly grateful to have spent a summer in Medellín where these unforgettable moments were made possible for me.
Copa America Watch Party