After two weeks of living at the eco hostel, I was ready to start my life as an expat and coming back to Medellin felt like coming home and I couldn’t wait to stay here long term. When you’re looking at moving to a city with just your backpack for your belongings, the only thing you really have to worry about is looking for somewhere to live.

Picking the right housemates to live with can be a bit of lottery and for me, sharing a room with people coming and going just wasn’t an option. I needed to limit my urge to get back on the road and was ready to settle down but I needed somewhere nice and homely that would make me want to stay put for a while.

You can rent apartments in Medellin for a really cheap price but as well as not wanting to live with several random ever-changing strangers, I also didn’t want to limit myself to just one house mate either (and there was the matter of paperwork too).

Then I stumbled upon the solution…

The outside of my new home

International House Medellin – the only one that I’ve ever really come across during my travels. With four floors and people staying anywhere from short-term to long-term, I was guaranteed to meet like-minded souls and possibly even digital nomads just like me.

Advertised as ‘the house world travellers call home,’ it certainly looked as though it had all the mod cons and without even seeing the place I booked in for a month, certain that this was the place for me.

Communal dinner on the roof

Located in Belen Malibu, just a twenty minute walk into the city, the International House certainly lives up to its name and I was greeted by Americans, Argentineans and Brazilians, as well as some fellow brits. Each of the three floors has an American-style kitchen complete with a lounge area, comfy sofa, television and three to five rooms with guests staying anything from short to long term.

My gorgeous lounge

Each floor also has a balcony which overlooks the sports complex across the road with free use of the football pitches, basketball courts, outdoor gym, and running track (perfect for shifting the extra calories), along with a pool (for a small charge), to help me top up the tan when I need a break from work.

Fitness regime, here I come…View from the rooftop.

On the upper floor is a large airy dorm room, perfect for those wanting to stay short-term for as little $20,000 pesos a night but with private rooms on offer, having my own space was well needed and ideal for wanting to work (the internet connection is pretty fast too and is currently the only hostel in Colombia with a dedicated fibre optic line which covers the whole four floors). Plus the longer you stay, the cheaper it becomes.

Home sweet home

But the crème de la crème has to be the rooftop terrace, my absolute favourite place in the building. With 360 degree panoramic views of Medellin in all its glory, comfy seats, and a giant screen to watch the World Cup on, I can’t think of anywhere else I would choose to spend my hours writing away.

My favourite place

International House Medellin has been open for five years and the owner Joel Goleburn has done an amazing job in transforming this place into a house travellers call home.

Can this place feel any more homely? With a resident Labradoodle called Basco as a welcome addition, I really don’t think it can…

Basco!

My verdict – if you’re a solo female coming to Medellin, this place is perfect. You have as much privacy or social interaction as you need, and it’s just a five minute walk from Fatima metro bus.

Disclaimer – my stay here was discounted due to my work but like always each opinion is my own and I loved it!