Cartagena: A Journey Beyond the City Walls

By: Areen Syed (CAS ’28)

GRIP: FinTech in Medellín, Colombia

When I first decided to plan a trip to Cartagena with my cohort, I thought it would just be a quick getaway; a chance to see the coast, do some sightseeing, and then come back to Medellín refreshed. What I didn’t expect was how much it would change the way I felt about my peers, or how much it would teach me about the everyday side of traveling abroad.

Cartagena was beautiful, with its colorful buildings, strong sea breeze, and history that spills out of every cobblestone street—an unlikely setting for a randomly assigned group of college students. Fifteen of us were thrown together in a new city, trying to figure out who cooked, cleaned, who had the best playlist, and which activities were actually worth our time. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about the beaches or the city walls, it was about building a tiny community, even if just for a few days.

Budgeting became an adventure of its own. We pooled pesos for groceries, spent way too much time researching the best restaurants, and took turns cleaning up all of the floods caused by the pool. We exchanged stories into the night and laughed until we realized it was so late that the next day was soon approaching.

The days were packed but never felt rushed. We walked through Cartagena’s old town together, weaving through the narrow streets and stopping at every museum or jewelry store. Someone always spotted a new snack to try, (like mango slices with lime and salt or warm arepas with cheese) and someone else was already negotiating our next group activity. There were moments of disagreement, of course, but even those turned into inside jokes by the end.

The real highlight, though, was how the trip changed the way we saw each other. Before, we were just classmates or coworkers, pleasant but not yet real friends. After Cartagena, we had a shared story. We’d cooked together, gotten lost together, navigated islands together, and kept each other going when the heat felt unbearable.

When I think about the trip, what stands out isn’t just Cartagena itself, it’s how being out of our routines and away from Medellín gave us the chance to see each other differently. To laugh at ourselves, to lean on each other, and to realize that friendship sometimes forms fastest when you’re trying to agree on dinner options in a language you don’t quite speak.

Looking back, Cartagena wasn’t just about maximizing our time in a new city, it was about maximizing our time together.