Volume 2

A N D R E A M U N O Z
Like many, I grew up with the notion that
traveling the world was something only the
wealthy or retired could do. My parent’s typical
idea of a family trip was packing up the minivan
for a road trip which was rarely an out-of-state
one. I knew this way of life was not a reflection
of their bravery or boldness. They moved to
America from Guatemala with three young
children to care for; those two knew about
adventure and taking risks. Yet, it was because
of this fierce life-altering decision that they
prioritized providing a comfortable life for my
siblings and me; any spare change would go
toward their savings as opposed to vacation
funds. It was the responsible thing to do, and
I’m thankful for it, as it instilled positive
financial habits I practice to this day.
TRAVEL

A N D R E A M U N O Z
Fast-forward to the year following my college graduation when my sister and I
decided to put our #adulting to the test as we embarked on international travel
for the first time since our move from Guatemala. We took off to London on
Christmas Day and spent five magical days learning about British lifestyle and
traditions – to start with, landing on Boxing Day left us puzzled as to why
everything was closed on day one of our trip. We also quickly learned London
cold was drastically different than California cold and immediately took to
Harrods to buy jackets much more weather appropriate. The following five days
were spent in the most romantic city in the world: Paris. My sister and I were
both single at the time and, as cliché as it sounds, it gave us the opportunity to
grow closer to one another. There was something about being in your early
twenties, a bustling city you’ve never been to before, and surrounded by people
whom you can barely communicate with. It made us feel alive. And closer than
ever.
EXPLORE

A N D R E A M U N O Z
Fast-forward another five years and I’ve now been to 23 countries across 5
continents with countless more on my list. I’ve been fortunate to have had the
opportunity to fly stand-by for a few years while my dad was employed by one
of the top US airline companies. However, the majority of the trips I’ve taken
without my family have been with confirmed tickets in hand and now that my
dad works elsewhere (aka no more flying perks), I’m as determined as ever to
keep traveling.
EXPERIENCE
The past year has been hard to say the least. Not only in regard to COVID, but
also my health has taken an unexpected turn for someone my age. The past
twelve months or so have given me new perspective and, strangely, a sense of
validation. It has confirmed something I’ve known all along and has guided big
decisions in my adult life: That which is life is unpredictable and, more
importantly, not guaranteed. We all to some extent know this to be true, but are
we actively living with it in mind? Looking back to 2019, the year I decided to
pause my comfortable and stable life for a summer of adventure, I can
confidently say I was. The decision to move out of my apartment, quit my job and
put my relationships on hold for 2 months of travel was not an easy one.
Especially for someone who is rarely far from loved ones, and whose limited
savings weren’t necessarily screaming “spend me!”. Yet, the choice was clear,
and it led me to some of my favorite travel stories:

A N D R E A
M U N O Z
London, UK – when a couple of friends and I bought
tickets to see the Spice Girls in London, we had no idea
we would end up close to the front row, making our
childhood dreams come true. It
was an open stadium which meant getting rained on for
the majority of the night, yet it was the best night. We
sang at the top of our lungs and talked about how much
fun it was the next day over afternoon tea at the Covent
Garden Hotel, where we saw Josh Gad (love ya, Olaf!).
We felt so
posh sipping our tea and taking bites of our delicious
mini sandwiches and scones. That night, we headed to
Cahoots, which is a 1940s-themed bar set inside of an
abandoned train station. The drinks were great, but the
live swinging music and cool ambiance was the best
part.
MELBOURNE
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne, Australia – there’s a reason Melbourne is
considered one of the street art capitals of the world.
Streets upon streets of artistic pieces and colorful
murals, which made exploring by foot all that more
fun. A camera-roll full of selfies with the street art as
background. After hearing someone say penguins
can sometimes be seen at St. Kilda Pier, I rushed to
make it there before
sunset. Sure enough, a handful of penguins came up
from sea after catching fish and I was in awe of the
creatures in their natural habitat. We were asked to
not take photos due to the light flashes, which was a
rule I was grateful existed. Not only for the penguins
but also for the tourists. The idea of just living in the
moment was one I could get used to.

A N D R E A M U N O Z
Japan – Our first night in Japan, my friend and I found ourselves lost. Although
we had the mapped directions at our fingertips, we couldn’t manage to figure
out where to go. We saw a Japanese woman approaching and took a chance at
asking her, hoping she would understand English since we didn’t speak
Japanese. Not only did she understand us, but she was extremely kind and even
walked with us to better guide us to the correct street. This was our first
encounter with the wonderful people of Japan.
For two amazing weeks, we spent our days visiting key destinations in Tokyo,
staying at a Japanese traditional house in Kyoto, taking in breathtaking views of
Mt. Fuji and hanging out with deer in Nara. Seeing Mt. Fuji was a highlight as it
required climbing 400 stairs to get one of the classic views of it. Worth every
step. We were also able to witness its beauty from Lake Kawaguchi, which was
absolutely calming and divine. That night, we stopped for dinner at a local spot
in Fuji nomiya city, where we had delicious tempura and listened to a live band.
The band noticed how curious and entertained we were, so they kindly asked if
we wanted to join them. We jumped at the chance of learning how to play a
shamisen, a traditional three-stringed Japanese instrument. We left with full
bellies and big smiles.
The final story of this leg of my trip was close to the last day, after spending our
day with roaming deer at Nara Park, I was fed up with how my thick long hair
was responding to the humidity. The thought that I had more travel left in the
summer inspired me to look into getting a haircut in Nara, which is exactly what
I did. After reading reviews, I walked in to get a haircut at a place that did not
speak English and it was such a fun and unique experience. I felt like a local
doing things non-tourists do and everyone there was surprised to see me, but
like my previous experiences with locals, they were some of the friendliest
people I had ever met. Thank you to the woman who guided us, the band that
entertained and taught us and the man who cut my hair. You sure made me feel
at home despite being 5,000+ miles away.

A N D R E A M U N O Z
The more I travel, the more I also learn about myself. The
childhood road trips to The Grand Canyon
and Yosemite, although maybe less exotic than a trip to the
UK, Australia or Japan, they still gave me a
better sense of the world. And more importantly, they
planted a seed in me.
The seed of adventure that
grew bigger and bigger with each additional travel
adventure.
And the wonderful thing about adventure
is that you can embark on it no matter where you go or who
you are. As I learned, it isn’tnecessary to
have life figured out to travel. Not having a strong financial
backbone actually made my experiences
better because it made me appreciate the small things. I
stayed in affordable Airbnb’s and casual
hotels, giving me a more realistic glance into what life there
is like. It felt more real. I used to think the
notion that traveling the world was something only the
wealthy or retired could do, but boy was I
wrong.

WE LIVE IN A
WORLD
THAT IS FULL
OF BEAUTY,
CHARM, AND
ADVENTURE.
-JAWAHARLAL NEHRU-