This Monday, the rain in Medellín finally arrived, and with it came a sense of renewal that seemed to wash over the city, much like how the pieces of my experience here are slowly coming together. The rain, a rare occurrence during my stay, immediately brought me back to the summer showers in Hong Kong, evoking a connection between my past and present. Walking through the drizzle, with R&B tunes playing in my ears, I realised how each moment here has contributed to the larger puzzle of my journey. The rain felt symbolic as if it was cleansing the city and me, preparing us both for what lies ahead. Our upcycling project is nearing its completion, with the final step being to fill the children’s handcrafted pots with succulents—a fitting metaphor for nurturing the seeds we have planted during our time here. These plants, like our efforts, will continue to grow and thrive, embodying the culmination of our work and the care we have invested in this community.

Tuesday brought a change in pace as we gathered at UPB. There was a sense of calm anticipation in the air, as we were joined by Amy from the Laidlaw Foundation. Even though most scholars had spent the weekend together, we still eagerly shared our experiences, each story adding another piece to the collective puzzle of our time in Medellín. The day felt like the final stages of assembling a jigsaw puzzle, where each piece falls into place as the picture becomes clearer. When we were unexpectedly asked to pitch our project’s progress, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words. Despite my experience with pitches, summarising the entirety of our efforts at Picacho con Futuro in just a few words felt daunting. The difficulty in articulating our journey highlighted how complex and multifaceted our work has been—each task, conversation, and challenge contributing to a broader, evolving narrative. But then, Oliver and Otilia stepped in with a perfect analogy: our project is like a jigsaw puzzle, where each piece represents a different part of the process that, when brought together, forms a cohesive whole. This metaphor perfectly captured the essence of our work—how each small action, whether successful or flawed, is integral to the overall outcome. It was a reminder that the work we are doing is part of a larger picture, one that is slowly but surely coming into focus, revealing the true impact of our collective efforts.

Our afternoon at Picacho con Futuro reinforced this idea of bringing pieces together. A nearby cultural centre invited the children to a clay workshop to celebrate Colombia’s Independence Day, leading us to adjust our plans. The children, full of energy and enthusiasm, eagerly participated in the workshop, their laughter and creativity filling the room. Watching them work with the clay, shaping it into various forms, I could not help but see it as another piece of the puzzle—one that highlighted the importance of creativity and adaptability in our project. The spontaneity of this invitation and the children’s quick shift from our planned activity to the workshop highlighted the flexibility that has been crucial to our success. After the workshop, the children returned to Picacho con Futuro, where they eagerly filled their handcrafted pots with soil and succulents. This moment, chaotic yet fulfilling, encapsulated how far we have come as a team. What once might have felt overwhelming now felt manageable, as we seamlessly integrated the day’s events into our broader mission. Filling the pots was more than just a final step—it was a physical representation of our journey, where each task, each adjustment, and each learning moment had come together to create something tangible and lasting.

The evening took us to El Poblado for Tacos Tuesday, where the theme of bringing pieces together continued in a more personal way. As we shared a meal and stories, the connections between us strengthened, each conversation adding depth to our understanding of one another. I tried a unique spicy passion fruit soda, a drink that, much like our experiences here, was a blend of the familiar and the new. The menu offered familiar dishes like Thai beef noodles and Banh Mi, and though I was tempted to find comfort in the tastes of home, I chose to share a plate of steak with Raven instead. This decision to step out of my culinary comfort zone mirrored our broader experience in Medellín—embracing the unfamiliar, sharing it with others, and finding new connections in the process. The act of sharing—whether it is food, stories, or experiences—has been a constant thread throughout our time here, helping us piece together the different aspects of our journey into a cohesive whole. Each meal, each shared experience, has added another layer to the relationships we are building, turning a group of individuals into a true team.

Wednesday was a national holiday, giving us the chance to explore more of the cultural pieces that make up Medellín. Kayla and I visited the Museo De Antioquia, where the works of Fernando Botero offered a unique perspective on Colombian life. As I walked through the galleries, I saw how Botero’s exaggerated figures captured the essence of the people and culture, adding another layer to the puzzle of understanding this city. The paintings, with their rounded forms and larger-than-life depictions, felt like a visual representation of the city itself—vibrant, full of life, yet marked by a history that is both complex and profound. The contrast between the idealised scenes inside the museum and the chaotic reality outside reminded me that each piece of our experience here, whether beautiful or challenging, is essential to completing the picture. The museum visit was more than just a cultural excursion; it was a moment of reflection, where the pieces of our understanding of Medellín—its history, its people, its struggles—began to come together in a more coherent narrative.

The museum visit was followed by a relaxing board game session at an Escape Room with our group. The game itself, involving the strategic placement of tiles in a 6x6 grid, felt like a microcosm of our broader experience—each move, each decision, contributing to the overall outcome. It was a moment of mental relaxation, yet it mirrored the larger theme of bringing together different elements to achieve a goal. The strategy required to succeed in the game was not unlike the strategy needed to navigate our project—balancing creativity with logic, and patience with action. This light-hearted activity was a reminder that every piece, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, plays a role in the larger picture. It was a moment where work and play intertwined, offering both a break from our routine and a deeper understanding of how we function as a team.

We ended the day with a meal at Chef Burger, where I indulged in a Korean burger and a decadent brownie with ice cream. The familiar flavours brought a sense of comfort, grounding me after a day of reflection and exploration. It was as if each bite was another piece of the puzzle, connecting me back to the comforts of home while I continued to build my experience here. The food, a blend of cultures, echoed the blend of experiences we are living through—each bite, each flavour, contributing to the rich tapestry of memories we are creating in Medellín.

Thursday was all about discovery, as we took the children from Picacho con Futuro to the Museo del Agua. The museum visit, an extension of our sustainability workshops, was another piece of the puzzle of environmental education. The exhibits provided a structured way to deepen the children’s understanding, but it was the open area with fountains that truly brought the pieces together. The children’s joy, as they splashed through the water, was infectious, and it reminded me that the most meaningful experiences often come from unexpected moments. At one point, the children pulled Oliver and Otilia into the fountains, while I narrowly escaped by sprinting away—an experience that felt like a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, with me as Captain Jack Sparrow being chased by the little cannibals. The humour and spontaneity of the moment were unforgettable, capturing the playful spirit that has defined much of our journey. By the end of the day, I was completely exhausted, my energy drained but my spirit full, as each experience added another layer to the mosaic of our time here.

Friday arrived with a sense of finality, as we entered the last full week of our time in Medellín. The day began with my usual Rumba class, followed by our regular make_sense catch-up session. We started with a discussion on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, using a set of tarot cards to link our experiences to the global context. This activity felt like the final step in bringing the pieces together, connecting our efforts to the larger goals of sustainability and social impact. The conversation allowed us to see how the work we have been doing in this small corner of Medellín ties into larger, global efforts. Our debrief on the visit to the Museo del Agua provided a moment to reflect on how far we have come and how each piece of the week’s activities has contributed to our overall mission. It was a reminder that even the smallest actions can have a ripple effect, contributing to a greater purpose.

With the afternoon free, Oliver, Sebastian, and I visited the Museo Casa de la Memoria. This museum, dedicated to Medellín’s history of violence and its path to peace, offered a sobering contrast to the lighter moments of the week. The exhibits, filled with personal narratives and collective memories, were a stark reminder of the city’s resilience. It was as if this visit added the final, crucial piece to the puzzle—one that acknowledged the city’s past while looking toward its future. The stories of loss, survival, and hope resonated deeply, reminding us that every city, like every person, is made up of countless pieces—some beautiful, some painful, but all necessary to the whole.

We ended the day, and the week, with a quiet evening of cheese platters and a game of UNO, surrounded by the warmth of our fellow scholars. It was a simple yet fitting conclusion to a week that had been all about bringing the pieces together—each experience, each interaction, contributing to a greater understanding of Medellín and ourselves.