On one side, there was a bustling street market, and on the other, a contingent of families gathered with mate and empanadas as their children chased one another around the playground. Max and I found refuge on the grass under the shade of a gum tree to recuperate from our 15-kilometer escapade. 

Buenos Aires, January 2024

Why?

Why would I leap from my successful sales career to a 6-month long bohemian expedition?

"Why not?" is too simple of an answer. It’s not a secret that travel has a way of changing people in unexpected ways. But I find that our modern culture has commodified the idea of travel and culture and turned it into an Instagram-friendly version of itself. While traveling can change you, it isn’t seeing the seven wonders of the world or trekking through Patagonia, Machu Picchu, or whatever trail you’ve added to your list that ultimately transforms you. It’s about the people and the subtle moments of humanity that you experience along the way—moments you can only experience while traveling and sharing a living space in a different country amongst people from diverse cultures.

The glistening evening light warmed my face as I perched on the quiet balcony in the center of Palermo, a bright district in Buenos Aires known for its museums, high end dining, and active nightlife. A poem I had read glowed in my mind like the embers.

Late at night, when the dining room was empty, I’d stare at the sugar shakers that needed refilling and ponder what life would have been like if I weren’t there, behind a counter waiting for my next customer to walk through the door. In most normal circumstances a young girl of sixteen wouldn’t be here at two in the morning – but what was normal after all?

As a child, I spent many a Sunday afternoon singing atrociously into my father’s black handheld tape recorder:

As I sat in front of the bustling nature and contemplated how I got here, for the first time, I was filled with peace and serenity. It was not the past that ultimately dictated who I was; it was the journey that brought me to where I am today.