How I do Grand Canyon!
Hello! My name is Natasha and I have a terrible case of wanderlust. I’ve always loved all things travel and am forever looking for ways to get out to see something new. I developed this blog to document the places I’ve been and things I’ve seen, as well as share some tips that I’ve picked up along the way. It’s my way of sharing how an average young professional can incorporate travel in his or her life and not go completely broke. Much of my tips and tricks are shared here, but of course there is always something new to learn.
In early 2015, I was able to ramp up my traveling to a new level (by my standards). I spent about two and a half months hopping between home and some new place. My Great Western Adventure was the most concentrated traveling I’ve ever done and it was awesome. My summer of traveling ended with my move to Chile. With a little gusto and a lot of planning, anyone can travel!
Travel is the best way to truly learn about other people and other cultures. It is the way we connect and build community across boundaries/seas/lands without screens and keyboards. My professional background is in public health and I am very interested in developing healthy communities. Traveling helps me connect with people I wouldn’t normally meet while helping me remain humble, the most important piece. I am constantly reminded how small I am when seeing how large the rest of the world is. I am currently taking a trip to South America for a year to get some international experience and see what it is like to work and live in another country.
This page is a small snippet of my experiences so far. I hope you enjoy it!
Can't Stop the Tash 
Natasha, are you still living in Santiago? I found you while searching for information about black people (we’re African American) in Chile. My daughter will be studying in Santiago and while I’m excited for her, I’m also a little nervous. Any additional tips that I can pass on to her about living/studying in Santiago? If you still live in Santiago is it possible for her to meet you when she’s there between late July and early December?
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Hi Danai, my apologies for the late response. I no longer live in Santiago but happy to pass along any tips I picked up. I don’t think you need to be particularly nervous – Santiago is generally safe. It is just a dense city, so you have to watch out for pit pockets and things of the like. Being black in Santiago is an experience, I would say. There really aren’t very many black people in Chile at all and so there is a curiosity and a lot of staring. I never ran into any serious issues, just the awkward staring contest and people trying to touch my hair. Your daughter should definitely check out the “Discover Chile” Facebook group. It is geared toward expats and is all English.
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