By January 18, I had written to my manager to officially give my two weeks notice.
I have had the pleasure of working at a fantastic company filled with smart people and learning opportunities for the last three years. The leadership was transparent and encouraged us to try new things – I loved it! My peer and colleague relationships were very strong at the company and I feel very fortunate to have worked there.
Eventually, some new priorities took over for me. Since high school, I’ve studied Spanish intermittently, but I wanted to immerse myself in an environment where I could truly learn. I wanted to explore the outdoors more and trek through jungles and mountains. I wanted to expand the types of people I interacted with. I craved adventure and new experiences that I didn’t have exposure to in Toronto. That’s when I knew I needed a change.
In my mind, South America was right around the corner!
My five-month trip will begin in Costa Rica, take me to Panama, then across to Columbia by boat, before going through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia! I will stay in hostels, homestays, hammocks, and boats. I’ll stumble over Spanish phrases and crash into waves as I learn to surf. I’ll bandage my feet from days of hiking the Andes. I’ll meet locals who will teach me how to salsa and speak the slang. I can only anticipate some of the stories I’ll have to tell but I can’t wait to record them in this blog to share with you.
