Well, hello there.
So, who is Mayra, and why are you reading this?
Like most of you, I followed all the rules growing up. I graduated college and joined the bustling world of corporate america. Ten years later, I realized everything I had worked so hard for – the home, the car – meant nothing, because I wasn’t fulfilled personally (read The Answer for the story on that). So I took a year off and taught English in South Korea (initial observations here). The problem was, when the time came to go back home, I was overcome with a deep feeling of gloom at the thought of going back to my former life. And I couldn’t fight the nagging feeling that my trip wasn’t over.
So what did I do? I took yet another year off and went off, exploring the world, living the life I had always dreamed of. I walked The Camino de Santiago; I plucked grapes volunteering at a vineyard in Tuscany; I jumped off cliffs in Croatia and Santorini; I floated in the sky on a hot air balloon in Cappadocia; I volunteered at a jungle house in Florianopolis; I rappelled down a 16 story building in a spiderman costume in La Paz; I stayed in a convent in Piura, consulting for my non-profit; I surfed the Mancora waves; I sand boarded down the dunes of Huacachina; I explored the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu…and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
So join me and relive the adventures I’ve had around the globe, so I can give you a taste of life outside of the mundane. Let me share my experiences with you as I hope to inspire you enough to follow in similar footsteps, get out into the world and have some life-changing experiences of your own.
In addition to the posts you’ll read on this site, I am proud and have been fortunate enough to have a number of them actually published. The first, found on PassionPassport.com, is a short narrative on learning how to appreciate moments – a valuable lesson I learned while on the road. View that article here. The second, as seen on Busanhaps.com, is an awareness piece on Cambodia’s turbulent political past and the resulting need for education. I wrote this piece in anticipation of an upcoming fundraiser for my charity held in Busan, South Korea. View that article here.
Feel free to rummage through my pages and posts for anything of particular interest. I have been on many adventures; I have seen, heard, and done many things, all of which I want to share with you. So, without further ado…
Keep exploring.
And remember, “You don’t choose a life. You live one.”
Love,
Mayra
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