I've always been the friend who wants to know a place, not just visit it. The kind of traveler who'd rather find the neighborhood spot with no sign out front than the top result on a list.

I grew up in a multicultural household with a mom who worked for American Airlines and a dad who supported all of our crazy adventures, which meant I was traveling often from a young age. In college I studied International Studies and went on to earn a dual MBA in International Business, living and working in Spain, Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Ireland along the way, some of it for school, some of it because I felt like chasing a new adventure.

A few years ago I found salsa dancing, and it cracked open a whole new relationship with Latin culture. There's something about a dance floor that pulls you into the heart of a place faster than almost anything else. It's become one of the most meaningful ways I connect with wherever I am in the world, and it's a huge part of why Medellín, where my family is from, has always felt like more than just a place I visit.

When I travel, I want to eat what locals eat, find the hidden gems, dance, make real connections, and leave a place feeling like I actually understood it, not just like I passed through it. That belief is the whole reason Avispada exists.

Here's what we do: at Avispada, we work directly with people on the ground, local guides, small businesses, and solo entrepreneurs, to build experiences and insights you simply can't get as a tourist on your own. It's how we get you past the surface and into the real culture, the real food, the real rhythm of a place. It also keeps you safer, especially as a solo traveler, because the people showing you around actually live there and know exactly where to go, and where not to. And it means your trip supports the local economy directly, without overwhelming the communities that make these places special.

For now we're starting in Medellín, the city I fall more and more in love with every time I visit. But this is just the beginning. More adventures are coming, in and outside of Colombia. Stay tuned!