As I sit here at Gate 9 in the Medellin airport, tears streaming down my face, I am reflecting on the past 6 weeks. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, the culture I’ve gotten to know. Doing my LIA in Colombia was a life changing experience for me, which probably is why saying goodbye is so damn hard right now. I feel heart broken but bittersweet, as I am beyond grateful and honored to have gotten the opportunity to come here to Medellin and meet incredible people. 

When I landed in Medellin, I was apprehensive to meet the people, be in a brand new country, and to speak a different language. I remember shyly hanging around in my room after I arrived to Casa Mosaiko, too nervous to meet the 11 other scholars embarking on this journey with me. I  finally got out of bed after smelling Sandra’s cooking and realizing that it was time for lunch, ready to seize the day and open this next chapter in my life. Immediately upon meeting some of the other scholars, I was invited to a yoga class. I became excited and more open to the new possibilities that Medellin would offer. At the time, I had no clue how fulfilling it would be. 

Before coming to Colombia, as I have mentioned in some of my other posts, I was afraid. I was told that the country was a dangerous place full of criminals and drugs and that I, a white female, would have to be extremely careful. I was told not to wear any revealing clothes, not to bring any nice purses or jewelry. I was told the people would be disrespectful and rude. 

The preconceived notions that Americans have of Colombia is not okay, and I want to make it my mission to spread the word of how unique and incredible this place is to everyone I encounter. Colombia was not only beautiful physically, but it had an aura that made you feel at peace. Everyone was always smiling and greeting one another “Bienvenido”. 

Colombia taught me many things. It taught me to not judge others, especially based on their country of origin. It taught me to be selfless. In a neighborhood where people lived in tin huts, a man who could barely walk insisted I sit in the only chair he owned. It taught me to love others, it taught me to be patient. Most importantly it taught me to always check in. To listen after a “Como estas?” instead of just walking away as we do in America, asking the question but not waiting for the answer. It taught me to listen, and it helped me to grow. 

During our leadership camp in Guatape during the first couple of weeks of the program,, Evelyn and Dani asked us to write a note that would go into a time capsule, waiting for us until the end of our journey. We were told to write down 5 tasks that we hoped we would accomplish by the end of the trip. I remember having to ponder for awhile. Could I accomplish 5 things? I barely knew anything at that point, yet I yearned to learn so much. I wrote the list and I put it in the box, and didn’t open it until today. I had no recollection of the sentences I wrote down, and I didn’t know if I would be disappointed or not reading them. 

1. Make wonderful friends.                                                                                                                                             I truly made unforgettable friendships on this trip. My friends became a support system for me. People to laugh with and people to cry with. Special shout out to Marco, Lia and Ella for always having my back and being there whenever I needed it. I cannot wait to visit Evelyn in Mexico City, and pop overseas to visit. I am already looking forward to the North American Laidlaw Conference where we will all hopefully meet again. I want to write more but I have finally stopped sobbing and do not want to evoke the tears again. I will truly miss all of you guys so much. You became family. 

2. Get to know members of the community                                                                                                              At the time when I wrote this, I didn’t really know anybody from Medellin besides the people I had met in passing on Uber rides or tours. But right from the beginning, I had loved these people, and hoped to meet more. However, I didn’t realize how deep this “wish” would actually go. I got to become true friends with multiple students from UPB through our volunteer program. When we were first told that we would recruit student volunteers from the university, I thought it was cool but didn’t really care. I was excited for the extra help, knowing that they would make the job easier. However, as I got to know them and they were incredibly welcoming and warm, (just like the rest of the Colombian community), I became to form genuine friendships. Not only did we interact during volunteer hours, but we went out to dinner, to parks for picnics, to the gym together. This part is one of the things that hurts the most about leaving Medellin and the UPB community. I know that if I went to school with the girls I became close to, that they would be some of my bestest friends. Having to leave them so quickly was extremely painful and upsetting. I pinky promised everyone that I would return to Colombia some day, and I intent to stay true to my words. 

3. Explore to the fullest extent 

I really do believe that I saw most of the city, although of course there are places left unseen. Medellin is so vast with beauty that I think it is virtually impossible to visit all of it in only 6 weeks (see this is why I have to come back!). I went hiking, went to gardens and museums, saw touristic areas and non touristic areas and really felt like a local towards the end of my stay. We figured out the metro system and how to navigate around Laureles. I think I explored as much as I could have, but I hope to return one day to see not only more parts of Medellin, but other places in Colombia. 

4. Successfully complete a project that will have a long lasting impact

This one hits home the hardest. My project for Zippy Tour ended in a much better spot than I ever could have imagined it to. This past Wednesday, we held our final event to share the results from our pilot research investigation on the adverse effects of tourism on Comuna 13. We had over 50 attendees, a panel of experts on the subject, and cake! We collected incredible data that taught us and other members of the community alot, including that 51% of respondees want to move out of Comuna 13 due to the adverse effects of tourism. This definitely calls for some help! We did the presentation segment entirely in Spanish, and although it had a few minor difficulties such as our slides deleting halfway through the presentation, I think that it was perfect. I truly feel like I am leaving Colombia contributing something to the country that has given so much to me. Although I did not actually change anything, I have created a platform for those who need to be heard to speak, have raised awareness about a pressing issue, and showed others that you can be a “change maker” in many ways, even unconventional ones. I feel accomplished and so freaking proud of what my group has done. This is more of an impact that I ever thought I could create, and I intend to contribute more to the cause in the future. 

5. Reduce my preconceived stigma and other’s perspective on developing countries

I would say this definitely has been done. I have not been shy to say that I was scared for my trip to Medellin. However, this was only due to things I had heard from others who hadn’t even been there themselves. Medellin was filled with people who constantly greeted you with a smile on their face. It was filled with happiness, gratitude and unconditional love. I cannot wait to tell this to everyone I know. Thank you, Colombia. 

I could speak for hours and hours on how Colombia has changed me. The 11 other scholars, our two program coordinators, our professors, volunteers, chefs, cleaners, tour guides, Uber drivers, and more, were some of the best people I have ever gotten the chance to meet. I could rave about each and every one of them in this post. In Medellin on that first day, I thought I would see new places and encounter new people, but I had no idea that I would form a connection with every single person and place that I saw. Medellin takes up so much of my heart and although I am heartbroken to leave, I am so excited to share this gorgeous and wonderful country with everyone back home. Colombia, I will be back. Con mucho gusto :)