I am originally from Monteria, a city located on the North Coast of Colombia; but Medellin has been my home for three years now. People who visit this place know that there is some magic here that makes people want to stay, and I am not the exception. This city and its people gave me opportunities for growing professionally, spiritually, and in other areas of my life. Here I got my first big job, I was introduced to the church I am currently part of, and I met the love of my life here too! There are different reasons why I am grateful for all that I have lived here, but I also recognize that to keep growing, it is necessary to close some seasons in our lives and sometimes that means to move to new places and start living new experiences.
Steve and I got married in November of 2018, he left the USA and came to live here with me since January 2019; while we wait for the spouse visa that is going to allow me to move to America. The visa process has taken a long time, but everything has flown very well with it, and we hope to be able to settle down there during the first semester of 2020. The USA is a country that we both love, and we plan to build our dreams there together. However, there are certain things in Colombia, and specifically of Medellin that I am going to miss a lot.
1.The People: The people of Medellin have the power to make you feel at home. No matter where you are from, whether you speak the language or not, they are always going to find a way of communicating with you, and help you in any way you. Family is the most important thing here, and you will feel like you have one here. Paisas (that is how Colombians call people from Medellin and the state of Antioquia) are incredibly polite and like to serve others, that is something they feel proud of.
2.The mountains and nature: Medellin is like a cup of tea. The city is on the bottom, and there are mountains around it. Wherever you look you see them, they are very green and are the home of beautiful birds. Sometimes from my balcony, I have seen colorful, wild guacamayas (macaws) flying with their vast wings. It feels like a gift of God for my eyes. One of our favorite activities is to go hiking in a place called El Santo Del Angel; it has a beautiful natural pool and a waterfall in the middle of the forest.
At night the view is terrific as well. Especially in an area close to where we live called Mirador de Las Palmas. From there, you can see the city lighting up in the darkness.
3. The weather: Medellin is close enough to the equator, so it is never cold, and it is high enough in altitude, so it is never hot. During some months it rains a lot, but usually just for some minutes and then it gets sunny again. The temperature year-round is 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. The pace of life: Around 2.500 million people live in Medellin. However, the pace of life is way calmer here than in other big cities of the world. One time while we were walking in a popular neighborhood, my husband told me that it seemed like people did not have jobs here, I asked him why and he answered that everybody looked way too calm down as if they were not thinking about things they need to do. I told him that Colombians are hard-working people; it is just that the pace of life compared to Chicago (where he is from) is entirely different. Even though the majority of the population does not have access to luxuries, people enjoy the lifestyle that they have. I think that adversity and the violence the country has had for decades, have taught people to have resilience, and find ways to live happily despite their problems.
Once we start our new life in the United States, I will be very grateful for sharing my life with my husband in such a diverse country, full of cultures and opportunities for growing and challenging ourselves to build the future that we want. However, there is always going to be a special place inside me for Medellin. I can not take the city with me, but I can take all the memories and experiences I lived here.