GRIP, Internships Abroad Learning on the Road

OPENLAB - Medellín, Colombia

Just before coming to Medellín, I was in Rwanda for 18 days as part of a Penn Engineering service learning trip. And just before this, I was a freshman at Penn.

The one common thread between all three of these experience is continuous learning. In Rwanda, I was learning about the issues facing citizens in the Gashora region and working with partners to develop sustainable solutions. Here in Medellín, I am both learning how to perform well in my internship role as well as how to live as a Medellín native. As a student at Penn, there are many opportunities to engage with the diverse community both on campus and within Philadelphia, however, it is certainly not an obligation and it is, in fact, very possible to restrict yourself to what you are most familiar with.  

When you’re in a foreign country, this becomes a little tricky.

As an intern abroad, I am essentially a guest in the country. Perhaps with a weekend trip to Medellín, you could get away with sticking to the ‘touristy’ parts and not fully immersing yourself in the local culture. On an eight-week internship program, however, you definitely need to learn. And that is what I have begun to do in my first two weeks here.

I ride the bus to work every day and this in itself is a whole learning experience. Here they use a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ system where there aren’t necessarily set bus stops. Instead, it’s a race to the back of the bus (where the stop button is located) to signal the driver to stop when you need to get off.

Did I realize this immediately? No. Did I miss my stop and go way past my workplace? Maybe.

 But getting off the bus is only half the battle. Crossing the street? That’s a whole other experience! At orientation, we were warned that the crosswalks don’t really work in Medellín. I didn’t quite understand this until I was politely waiting at the crosswalk for a car to allow me to cross, and the first car drove straight past (they may have even accelerated a little). Medellín is an interesting place to be because although many would describe the people as having a more relaxed way of life, it seems this way of life is definitely abandoned as soon as one sits behind the steering wheel. But now, two weeks into my internship, I understand the bustling roads of Medellín a bit better. My daily experience of getting to work has become more fun than a burden. It’s just one of the ways I have immersed myself in the culture of Medellín.