*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.
Q and A with Marae, Cuba
“Impossible, after all, is only an opinion.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about travel and connections. I believe travel has the potential to make this world a better place by teaching us about acceptance, diversity, strength, and values. It also teaches us self discipline and self-worth. My life has been changed with every trip I’ve taken, and it is my biggest dream to help women discover the travelpreneur lifestyle so they, too, can reap the benefits of a life lived in their own terms while discovering the world. At first, I traveled for fun; vacations, adventures, etc. But then, I realized every place I went to had the possibility to gift me with unexpected lessons and surprises if I dug a little deeper. Unable to stay longer because of work or school restrictions, I started looking into ways I could stay in places longer, travel a bit slower, and develop deeper connections.
Now, I get to book travel for others and myself and make commissions on all of it. I also get to coach others on how to become digital nomads, and this has given a deeper purpose to my life than I ever could have imagined. Seeing others transition into this seemingly impossible lifestyle is my biggest joy. Every time I see someone making a living while traveling, my entire being smiles. I am currently working on a group coaching program that will allow more entrepreneurs to venture into this digital nomad lifestyle. I am also working on expanding my blog/social media channel and on learning how to be a mom for my first baby coming this June!
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I was born in Cuba. I was not able to travel, let alone so much as speak my mind until I left my island country at the age of 12. My father escaped the country by swimming the Guantanamo Bay to seek asylum at the US base, and I knew from a young age that fighting from your dreams demanded doing things that people thought impossible. At the age of 16, I earned a scholarship to go study in Germany for a year, and since I had never traveled much before, and I did not know when I was going to do it again, I used all my allowance money to travel around Europe on cheap airlines and buses and staying in the cheapest hostels. That year, I visited 17 different countries and cities, and my life forever changed. I remember being mesmerized at how a place so “small” could be so diverse. I fell in love with travel and I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing it.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: After I graduated from college, I got a grown-up job. I was making good money and had everything you’re supposed to wish for. I was selling commercials for ABC and Fox and I was living “the American dream” but life felt empty because I did not have more than 2 weeks a year to do what I loved most: travel. I quit everything and became a server at seasonal resorts and parks so I could live in different places every 6 months, and I would work vigorously for 5-6 months and then travel the rest of the year. When I found out people could make a living online, I tried many things. I looked into teaching online, started my own digital marketing agency, looked into drop shipping, worked as an online influencer, started a blog, and even worked for a couple of startups. None of it worked out perfectly, but it all gave me the skills necessary to be where I am at today.
Through all the jobs and businesses I started, there was only one constant: I was on my way to figuring out a way to make a living while I traveled the world. This was my goal, and I was determined to make it happen, no matter how long it took or how hard it was. After I became a full time “digital nomad” working solely from my computer, I had months where I did not know how I was going to eat, yet I kept going. Months where I did not see any progress in any of my endeavors, days where no money was coming in, and many times where I even applied to on-site jobs as a back up because I was so afraid to fail…. But every time I got the jobs, I kept reminding myself that if I took the job, I would go back to the thing I was trying to run away from…a life in one place that did not allow me to be fully mobile to do what I love doing the most, TRAVEL.
Today, I am so thankful I stuck by my dreams and did not give up on this dream because not only am I able to make a living online, and not only do I travel full time, but I get paid WHILE I travel, and TO travel. This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life and I only got here through perseverance and determination. Not everything works for everyone, but there is ALWAYS a solution if you don’t give up.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism to me means possibilities. It means bridging the gap, filling in the blank, and opening the doors to opportunities. For everyone. It means standing up for what you know is right, and never taking no for an answer; impossible, after all, is only an opinion.
I’d love to connect with you!
You can find me @bravefreetravel on Instagram or facebook.com/bravefreetravel and check out my site/blog here.
Thoughts, questions, or comments?
Comment below! 🙂
