The glowing amber train glides towards me before coming to a gentle stop. A chime, a hiss, and the doors slide open. My uncle waves goodbye, and I return a smile that betrays my nervousness. I step aboard, still learning where I fit in this city.
The carriage pulses with the drum of a city beginning to wake. A student yawns over crumpled notes, FloyyMenor drifting through their AirPods as they tap a Bip! card. An office worker hammers out emails with one hand, gripping the rail above him with the other. Below them, a teenager is lost in a TikTok scroll. For them, this is just routine.
I grip onto my handbag and reusable water bottle, hit by a sudden, sharp wave of doubt. How can I claim to be half Chilean when my memories of Chile are just scattered, dusty fragments?
The last time I was here, I was six years old. My memories are mere snapshots: my grandparents’ cluttered, cosy house, thick slices of avocado on toast and laughing with pure terror as a llama licked my face. Chile existed only as childhood curiosity, shaped by wonder rather than understanding.
As the carriage sways away, the anxiety begins to settle. For a moment, Santiago and London feel strangely familiar. But here, the Metro feels like more than just transit. It is a vital act of cooperation. By choosing to share this journey, I am actively contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: creating sustainable cities and communities, where accessible public transport allows people and places to thrive together.
In Santiago, where transport choices directly affect air quality and city life within the city’s mountain-bound basin, I make these choices deliberately. I use the Red Metropolitana de Movilidad app and Moovit to map my routes, keeping my carbon footprint as low as I can. My commitment to reducing the environmental impact of urban life extends far beyond the commute. I carry my own reusable water bottle. I prioritise walking to support local barrios and actively choose local businesses.
Sustainability is not about avoiding the world; it is about reflecting on how we move. Travel intrinsically connects people, but it always leaves traces behind.
As the train dives into the dark of the tunnel, I realise that belonging isn’t something inherited- not my dark hair, my almond eyes, or the stories my family passed down- but something formed only in motion, in shared spaces like this Metro, one stop at a time.
When the train doors finally open at Campus San Joaquín station, my journey has only just begun. This isn’t just a commute; it’s my life here. Sustainability will follow me in the cafes I choose, the communities I connect with, and the conversations in Chilean Spanish that help me understand Santiago rather than pass through it.
Perhaps this Metro trip has allowed me to realise both sustainability and belonging start the same way. One considered, intentional step at a time.
