My love for travel has been always with me.
Since childhood, I have been alwayscurious aboutother countries, other places, other faces. I remember sitting for hours looking at a book about countries, learning every flag, capital and characteristics of the most distant countries and its people.
This was my first solo trip, from Chile to Peru and Ecuador in 1998.
I remember dreaming about traveling to these places before I remember thinkingwhat I wanted to be in life (Something I started to realize just a few years ago).
There must be something in my genes, coming from a family of immigrants who crossed the ocean from France, Ex-Yugoslavia, Palestine, and Lebanon to try their luck in other lands –I have always felt the need to see what’s beyond the Andes.
I remember being in school and admiringfriends traveling on our holidays to distant destinations. Even thoughat that age thefarthest place they were goingwas probablyDisneyworld, these placesalways seemed to beso far awayfor me, and so exciting at the same time!
With my family I traveledwithin our country since I was born…always going to the South of Chile, which is very close to my heart.
Every summer(andsome winters)since I wasone year old, we traveledtogether for long hours on a day trip inorderto reach theplace we had been wanting to go all year: my Grandparent’s house: that house full of love, friendship,joy, andfood…lots of food (yes, also barbeques and Arabian food!).
Our family was not rich to fund my extra needs and so Istarted working in small jobswhen I was 14, and all of my earnings werespent onwhatI liked the most: Travel.Ibegantotravelwithin the countrywithfriends,camping,hitchhikingon main roads and small pathsmany timesover the nextyears, walking forhours under the rainor suncarrying a huge backpack with food for days(whichIno longer feelso niceto do).
It was probably after my first trip to Europe with my family right before turning 18that I realized it was possible to travel the world, that it was not an impossible idea, and after that magnificent experience, I began to travel through South America. Whilethere,I also realized that a woman can travel alone in South America…and also in the world!
I also travel to inspire other women to travel their own countries and the whole world! It is possible, safe and funny too!
Despite what everyone saidto me, “the world is dangerous” “traveling alone is not good for you” “people are mean” and a long list of etceteras,
I kept wanting traveling to destinations that I keepdreamingdeep in my heart, I wanted to find the goodness and kindness of the human being andsharing with people.
Along with that, when I was 17I met the exchange accommodation networks (Hospitalityclub and Couchsurfing) with whom I traveled and received travelers in my home countless times.
You wanna know How is it to travel as a Chilean and Latina? Check here
This has undoubtedly been one of the most valuable experiences of my life when at times I lose faith in humans goodness,some beautifulthingsappearedin life that brightenmy days and leave behind the idea that humans are bad and unable to share lovethatround my mind sometimes. Being hosted by strangers,opening my home to them,and getting help in the most unlikely places has taught me the world is a better place than I was always thinking.
Some people think when you have this need to constantly moving and traveling to new places that you are running away from something.
I don’t travel to escape anything, I love my family, my friends, my country.
Maybe I travel to confirm that people are fine, they are not all selfish and individualistic, which nevertheless I can still trust some people and not all lie constantly, leaving behind a pessimistic idea I have at times on humans.
Now I know I travel also to find myself. It is on the road when youareforced to face yourself, your reality, your fears, your tastes, your values, your mistakes, what you really are.
It’s when I’mabsolutely out of my comfort zone that I feel more alive.It’s on the road that I reconnect with myself and keep contact with my dreams, those I have left out when trying to have a “normal life”.
I’m a very flexible traveler today and I like both: to sleep in a tent under the stars or in a five-star hotel (But I’m definitely not a backpacker anymore!).
I like as much to eat pasta in the most elegant restaurant in a city as eating street food or at the local market. I like the adventure. I like the thrill of living life in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar language, to walk in the streets where you’re totally a stranger for everybody.
I am myself when I move, when I travel, when I sleep in different places in the same month, when I try different foods. I feel alive and I feel myself.
