…about a little girl from Germany, that didn’t knew anything else than travelling. She was half-Mexican, and used to visiting her family in this beautiful country almost each year for a month or two. But since her parents loved exploring the Latin American culture (and partially writing travel books about it ✨), there might have been some escapes to Costa Rica, Guatemala or Nicaragua for her as well. And during the holidays in Germany, they visited the busy cities and wild forests of Europe!
Jep, that girl was me!
Hey, I’m Latika. Big dreamer, free spirit, bookworm and an absolute fan of exploring different cultures and getting lost in the feeling of freedom and being small in this big, big world 🌍✨.
So, in my young years?
…
(…Realising that I’m only 16 years old 🤣! Ok, back to the story, ahem…)
Well, I was living my dream! Almost addicted to the road, the wild, colourful streets of Oaxaca, and the feeling of eating Mexican food- chilli for breakfast! It became almost normal to me, this free lifestyle…
But besides that, I had a pretty normal student life.
And when 9th and 10th grade came around, my wild dreams ended abruptly. I had to focus on my academic studies to finish middle school. No more escapes into the world, that had, since then, often happened during school time. 😅 Probably I’ve been a little pampered, but…
It was dreading
Sometimes, I wanted to just get out of my house and run away, far away, until I could feel the freedom again, that had always come with travelling. You know this feeling too, right? The excitement of discovering a new corner of this endless world. Getting lost in sunny dreams and adventures full of adrenaline. Yeah!
After finishing 10th grade, it was clear to me that I couldn’t sit in school a day longer. And so, I decided to start my own adventure.
Without my family, without friends or any other hold. I wanted to start an exchange year! That would mean school too, yeah, but at the same time it meant discovering a completely new country, and not just the surface, but digging deep into a culture, connecting with people and trying a lot of new things 🤩.
Which country I had in mind?
It was the one with desert and snow, forests, mountains, beaches, known for Empanadas and Completos. Chile 🇨🇱! I had never been to South America before, and was so exited to explore a new country AND continent! 😆 Of course, It was still a difficult decision. Leaving everything behind and not knowing what you’ll come back to is pretty scary, you know? (I don’t even know how I’m gonna hit high school after this…) And yes, there were days where I wanted to cuddle my siblings I left at home, or just chat with someone in German, but not over Video call…
But then I look out the window and remember where I am, who I’ve met and what I’ve experienced. And in the end, that’s just priceless.
Now, I’m already here for 4 months. And I learned more about independence, Chilean culture, boundaries, communication and so much more than I could’ve ever imagined! My bucket list is still endless, my dreams high, and the list grows longer each day!
I can’t wait to see what’s coming next, and I hope you will join me on that journey!
Sending you chilli and wanderlust
