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About me

So, who is behind Gringa Journeys?

My name is Leah, a 31-year-old from Atlanta, GA. After pursuing a B.A. in Spanish and an M.A. in Interpreting and Translation, I moved to Santiago, Chile to chase the life I had always dreamed of in 2014.

I spent two years building a location independent life in Santiago while working as an academic translator and galavanting around South America. In 2016, my father suffered a severe post-surgical infection following the removal of a malignant brain tumor, leading me to return to Atlanta.

Although I chose to move home to be present for family, I knew I couldn’t give up frequent travel. So, I decided to pivot once again and make full-time travel content creation and writing my goal. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to work with various tourism boards and brands such as Visa, Airbnb, Toyota, Hertz, Delta, and Hilton.

I’m passionate about three things in life: travel, foreign language, and location independence. However, you could probably say that my overhanging focus in life is “learning”. I speak English and Spanish fluently and am always looking to expand my language skills.

I also believe that travel is essential to learning openness and that everyone should travel for this reason. Therefore, I hope to inspire you not only to see the world but also to expand your knowledge and to keep an open mind about other cultures, religions, and even politics.

To me, traveling is all about consistently learning, growing, and making connections with people. What do you think? 

What does “gringa” mean? 

Since starting my travel website, many people have asked me about the term “gringa”. In Spanish, “gringo” is a word that describes someone who is foreign and can be used both affectionately and derogatorily.

Personally, I love when Spanish speakers use this term with me in an endearing way. Moreover, I think it accurately represents the fact that I tend to be foreign in the places that I visit while also connecting in my love for the Spanish language.

Spanish was my first love and in many ways will always be the apple of my eye.

Where am I hoping to go next? 

My number one dream destination at the moment is probably Mexico City or San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Nonetheless, I have many bucket list items that I hope to check off sometime soon, including seeing the Red Square in Moscow, visiting colorful Cinque Terre, exploring the desert in Morocco, and taking a cruise through Alaska. I would also like to slow travel through Colombia!

Please feel free to contact me anytime with other questions via the contact page. You can also reach me directly by email at [email protected]. Happy travels!

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