Inner voice & Travel Terrors
They say to “listen to your gut”, but what does that even mean?
Other travelers had warned me to be cautious while traversing the streets of Colombia. Phone zipped away, no flashy clothing or jewelry, eyes up; focusing on the surroundings. Colombia is one of my favorite countries, and even so, there is a shadow of great poverty. The cost of your phone alone could feed an entire family for a month; even longer in some parts.
Streets in Provenza, Medellín - a more affluent area of the city
I hopped in a cab heading toward Centro from Provenza. My cousin was in the back seat, she had just arrived from Colorado to join the escapades. I often practice Spanish with the cab drivers on rides, who are typically eager to engage in conversation. This is a symbiotic relationship of language exchange; I practice what Spanish I know and they might practice English. However, it had not been not the case with this particular ride. The driver was reluctant to engage in conversation or humor me at all, he wouldn’t look me in the eyes, and though this felt odd, I ignored the signs and assumed he just wasn’t a chatty guy. Dismissing the oddity, I began scrolling on my phone.
More views of the Provenza streets
Busy scrolling, I hadn’t really noticed that the driver had rolled my window down about halfway at some point on the car ride. It is not uncommon for drivers to do this on occasion to avoid using the AC. I looked up to notice the 5 lanes of standstill traffic we were sitting in as we neared the center of Medellín. My purse was tucked underneath the seat, and I felt the urge to check to affirm for myself that it was safely tucked there. As I looked down at my purse, I felt a hand grip tightly over mine. I looked up to see a man next to me outside of the car window in tattered clothing, his left hand over both of my hands, his right hand waving a metal shank in my sight just inside of the car.
It took me a few moments to process what was happening and when I finally did, I let out a few screams and ripped the phone out of his hands, throwing it in the backseat where my cousin was sitting.
A sense of fear flooded over me; the driver wasn’t moving the car or even attempting to roll up the window. I remember the thought sweeping through my mind that I may have just taken away the one thing that the attacker wanted, and he might just stab that shank right into my neck as collateral.
This is what the city looks like closer to Centro, where we were heading in the car that day.
As quickly as that thought surfaced, I felt an impact near my collar bone and rapid pinching pain at the base of my neck. I looked up to see the man had gone, as did the silver necklaces I was wearing. I looked around but couldn’t see where the man had run to.
I glanced at the back seat and met eyes with my cousin, both of us in shock. We started to laugh uncomfortably and I asked the driver if he was okay. He didn’t give much response and I politely asked him to roll up the window. He rolled it up initially, but proceeded to roll it back down just moments later, which seemed a bit odd given the circumstances. To be sure, my cousin and I were counting down the seconds for the car to drop us off at the hotel. With great relief, we did eventually make it to the destination safely.
The entryway to the hotel we stayed in near El Centro, our sigh of relief that day
I believe nuance to be the most difficult part about tuning in.
To this day, I don’t know if the driver and the man on the street were together in the act, but I did know that the driver didn’t “have my back”, as one might say. My ability to listen and tune into gut instinct greatly increased after that incident.
I couldn’t put a finger on WHY the vibes seemed off from that driver, only that they did. That sense of knowing is how I would define “listening to your gut”, or our intuition.
I frequently operate under the pretense that “everything works out”, and “if it’s meant for me, it will be”. Though I believe both of these things in spirit, there is a certain level of realism required when taking on the world alone. There are some stories I’ve thought better to keep private because I don't want to discourage others from embracing travel. Until now, this has been one of them.
I found this photo via stock images but thought it illustrated the more local Medellín scene beautifully
My concern is that sharing unsettling experiences might dissuade others from venturing out. While I strive not to discourage anyone, I believe that integrity and honesty are more valuable than presenting an overly simplistic view of the world.
The world is large and daunting, but navigable, and skills are needed to navigate; including the skill or habit of listening to one’s intuition.
The “issue” with my experience isn’t the country, or even the situation, but my inability to invoke awareness in a setting that required attending to it. If I had tuned in to that driver, been a bit more conscious of when and why the window was rolling down, or even looked up to observe my surroundings rather than head down on the screen, the situation may have been averted.
More of the hotel we stayed in near El Centro
I could spend an eternity belaboring over how the situation could have been avoided. I am grateful for learning this lesson the semi-hard way, without too much loss on my part, and having the opportunity to share, in the hope that others can glean the lesson without having to live the experience.
The lesson: Listen to your gut and trust your inner voice, it is there to protect you.
Captured in Medellín. This has nothing to do with the story but it's epic and I needed to end on a high note.
Thank you so much for reading. This was a difficult story to share, and one I have been keeping close to home over the past year. I wan’t people to see the beauty of these places I love so dearly, and don’t aim to invoke fear. I hope to empower others to explore and take on challenges, being aware while doing so. I wish you well.