Third Time in Medellín: A Soft Reset in Colombia’s City of Eternal Spring

We had a confirmed flight from Miami to Medellín.

What we did not have was a plan to drive from Atlanta to Miami at the last minute.

Valentine’s Day turned into a mad dash down I-75. Two hours to spare before boarding. A solid playlist (Thank you Spotify mix). My co-pilot asleep for most of it. And me thinking, yeah… this feels very on brand to be on an adventure for Vday*.*

This is my third time visiting Medellín, Colombia, and somehow it never feels the same. Even the same neighborhoods , El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado, the historic center, they all shift depending on who you are when you arrive.

This year feels different as a whole. I needed a reset. A change of environment. A time escape.

Is this what turning 33 feels like? Shout out to the Pisces.

From my balcony, the Andes mountains wrap around the valley and I want to spend every second outside. Medellín isn’t called the City of Eternal Spring for nothing, the weather sits at a perfect low to mid 70s daily.

But let’s be clear: I was still working.

If you’ve ever worked in an agency, you know everything is “urgent” and everything is on fire. Most of my weekdays were packed with deliverables and Teams notifications. Still, something about working remotely from Medellín, grocery runs between meetings, Spanish echoing through the streets, felt grounding.

We stocked the house. Found oxtails for $6/lb (IYKYK, that’s not happening in the U.S). Most nights we were curled up watching Defying Destiny, the story of María Roa and her fight to pass the Domestic Workers Bill in Colombia. I cried more than once. Seeing her advocacy and then glancing outside at the same skyline? Perfecto.

Even in a work week, you have to touch the city.

We wandered through the Museo de Antioquia in Plaza Botero, as a longtime Botero fan, seeing his work in Medellín never gets old. The exaggerated forms, the political undertones, the pride in Colombian artistry. Experiencing it with my partner made it feel new again.

Arepas and fresh sugarcane juice are non-negotiable every visit.

And no first week in Colombia is complete without a walking tour.

We booked an exotic fruit tasting experience with Julián, and it ended up being part history lesson, part political breakdown, part cultural immersion. We learned how Medellín got its name, how neighborhoods evolved, and the deeper layers behind the headlines the city once carried. Even after the third visit I learned something new.

I learned there are over ten types of passionfruit. Ten thousand types of tomatoes. Most guavas have worms inside? Wasn’t a fan of that fact.

The stories behind each fruit were as rich as the flavors.

If you’re planning a trip to Medellín and want to book this tour, message me, I can share the link and get you 10% off. (It deserves its own blog post, honestly.)

The best part? We met Canadian travelers on that tour and ended up grabbing drinks that same night at MadRadio.

Three visits in, and Medellín still surprises me.

It feels good to be back. Three more weeks to go.