EP 10 — Navigating Life Abroad — 3 Lessons from Ines

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Happy Friday. Almost locals and a warm welcome to another episode of Almost Local. I'm Maria, your host, and today I'm podcasting from Rainy Auckland, New Zealand. If you're new here, this is a space for those of us navigating life abroad. It's about the apps, the downs, and everything in between. You can also follow us on Instagram at almost local and read more unfiltered stories online@almostlocal.com. And today I'm so excited to introduce you to Ines. From sunny Peru to snowy Utah. Her story is one of resilience, connection and finding home in more than one place. Along the way, she shares lessons about opening up to new friendships, keeping the connection strong across borders, and embracing the unexpected twists that life abroad throws our way. Thank you for joining me today for this new episode about navigating life abroad. I'm really excited to have you on board Ines is, currently living in the United States, so she's been there for the last 13 years. so Ines, welcome and tell me where is home for you. Right now. Thank you, Maria. and it's all about the right now, right? yes. right now my home is Utah. It's been for the last 13 years. I'm originally from Peru. That's my home, home. It's funny when you're back home and you say, oh yes, I'm home right now. I'll be going back home in a week, so your heart is split in at least two places. for people like us. hearts can grow. Right. we might say that we are lucky that we can call two places home actually, right? Yes, Some people might even call three places. Who knows. it's all about perspective. Especially when, in my case, I have two little ones that have been born here, so nothing like, sharing that with them, but also sharing my home with them, which they feel like it's also a part of them. and how long have you navigating life abroad? Inas? Did you leave Peru to go to US or. I did, my closest family immigrated to the US in the 1980s. My favorite person and about the same age. they immigrated to the US when we were little, and that was my first. broken hearted, moment. we would write letters to each other then I was lucky enough that they hosted me for a summer so I could learn English. at age of 10 I went, and spent a summer in Florida with them. that was the first of many trips to the us. later in life during uni years in Peru, I would spend my summers working up in the ski resort in Colorado. I did that for a few summers and then later. After joining Corporate Lima, I, decided to take a break and come back just for one more season, and did that and did a ski winter, and then a summer in Lake Tahoe, which I fell in love with. and then went back to Peru. even though I went to business school and had, been working in marketing for, almost 10 years, I always had that travel bug and, wanted to get into travel and so I wiggled my way into it and I got, a job that I've had for 15 years. after, Working there, in Lima, I decided to move here after a few years, and so I've kept my job and I've been practicing this home office thing for a few years now. before the rest of the world. Join us during COVID. So, yeah, it's been, it's been a, a quite a journey. Quite a journey. Quite a journey. Lots of back and forth, lots of visits. that got me the, the exposure to it that made me say yes to the dress and to the husband because I moved here for love. yeah, I was going to ask you that. what do you consider it's the reason why you moved? So you say love. Yeah, I did. I did. it's funny how, those first puppy love moments, you make this life changing decisions that are gonna have an impact for the rest of your life. And here you are. so yeah, I knew how it was to. Sort of live in the us from all my years of exposure. And so I decided to just, take the leap and took it for the team, and I was the one that moved, instead of him. So Here we are. And, Ines, do you think this is your final destination? So Lake City or the us? Never say never. Right? Never say never. I don't know. I often. Envision or dream retiring back home. but it'll depend, right. Will I have grandkids? will my kids still be around in Utah. So will they be around here or will they, exploit that travel bug I gave them and also be other places. So I guess only time will tell. Yeah. and what is your favorite part of. Of this life, of living abroad. Of living Peru. Yeah. for me, I have a very particular situation where, because of the job I kept in Peru mm-hmm. it keeps me very linked. I like to say I haven't cut the on built cord. and so I do go back home a few times a year, home, home, a few times a year, and I get to travel around the world and go to all these. Fascinating, places and all. so it's a big challenging for me, I have to say, to be that, rooted here, to you to a hundred percent. Because I'm not here a hundred percent. I still have a foot. at the airport. and I love that. I love that I get to, still be connected to my family and friends and my culture and that it has become my kids' culture as well. And they love it. And they're always asking, when are we going to Peru back again? Come back from one trip and it's like, okay, when, when is the next one? and you are keeping this connection with Peru, so that's, that's also, how it helps to call these two places home, right? Because if you were away for a long time, it's difficult to keep those roots. And even more difficult for your kids, I suppose. when I meet people here that are from other countries and they're like, yeah, I haven't been home in like five years, or, my kids haven't been yet, or I took them as a baby, but they haven't been back. It's like, Ooh, like I'm not, you don't say anything, but I feel for them. Right. it must be hard. Maybe it's not. Maybe it's not. But it be for me, it'd be for me. I think we all got a glimpse of that during COVID, depending on where you were. for me it was very challenging. It was a difficult time for all of us living abroad, right? It was, like if you're used to going back so often, suddenly you don't have that. How were those years like. it was, very, very hard emotionally. I got pregnant in April of 2020, and so that meant that I really had to protect this baby, from the unknown. and to do that, I locked myself in. because of being so connected, to the news in Peru and to family in Peru, the lockdown was. Beyond strict. it was a bit ridiculous how strict it was. people were not allowed to walk in the park, or just go out for months and then years, kids didn't go back to school for years. so I didn't leave the house if it wasn't to go camping into this beautiful area, and that's why I love Utah because we have this canyon five minutes away from my house and I live in the suburbs, it's beautiful. up north, we have the lakes and the forest and the deer and the snow and all the four seasons. Stunning and beautiful down south. We have all the deserts, and the canyons and the national parks, so it's very dramatic as well. I embrace nature and we got a pop-up camper. it was just going out and being out in nature. That was it. my two neighbors were my, pod And that was it. so I didn't leave home other than that for like almost two years. First year, growing a belly and then the second year, keeping that baby healthy until vaccines kicked in. Missing home, missing family. giving birth without my family to grieve. My mom, my sister would've flown over, So yeah, It was hard. It was a difficult time. and in this all, throughout this 13 years, obviously the pandemic was a huge challenge for all of us who live abroad. what would you say were those other challenges that you faced during this? Well, I'm Peruvian, so the food is something very important for us. yes, I feel like people in Miami, they're blessed. I like to say you can't eat better in Miami Peruvian food than in Lima even, or in California, like access to the ocean, right? in Lima, I live. Five blocks away from the Pacific. So for me, the ocean's always calling. and so between family. Food and the ocean. food is part of the culture, right? It's how you grow up. it's memories from childhood. So I totally, agree with you. And they ask me, oh, but aren't there Peruvian restaurants in Utah? You can go. I'm like, no. I'd rather miss it than be disappointed. Pretty high standards. so yeah, it's all about the ingredients. When you don't get the ingredients fresh, It makes a difference once you find the, those ingredients or that place that where you can find that specific thing, like for us is, you know, in Argentina, the mat. Food in, in Peru is a big thing, so I bet you miss that. Yes. Quite, quite a lot. So always excited. I don't do itineraries for when I go back home. I do restaurant lists of where I'm going. Well, please make sure to share that list anytime. what, piece of advice would you give to anyone Who were to start a journey abroad? Let's say, if you were talking to, to Ines 13 years ago, what would be the advice or, open up. Open up. Just break your mindset. In Lima, being a big city, you know, over 10 million people, you walk like, you're, you don't know anyone. You avoid eye contact with a purpose. It's walk fast, don't engage, la da da. or here's the complete opposite. It's like, hi, good morning. How are you? I'm like, isn't today beautiful? Yes. I was just listening to birds, like all that, type of small talk. It's so pleasant and I've really embraced it. I, I, I really, for years, before even moving here, I had already embraced it, being exposed to this culture. and that's something that I liked and that I wish we had more, in the big city, right? In Lima, Here I could just go to a park and engage with someone and like I've met different women just by chitchatting. And Hey, do you wanna connect? Yeah. Your kid is same age as mine. Yeah. Do you wanna let me know next time you're at a park? Okay, great. And then we become friends. so just be open to those friends. Yes. And just be open and connecting and, and. Putting walls down, I guess. Yeah. Do you feel like at the beginning, you didn't know about this, like you were more. I knew already because of the years I had spent in Colorado that really'cause growing up I spent time in Florida, which is completely different from Colorado, from Utah. this side of the US is so big that it has, different cultures within the country. so I already knew what I was, getting into. Sort of, so yeah, when it came to that, I was already a little bit accustomed to it, Yeah. So building those initial friendships and this community is that something that, Helped making this process, this starting journey easier for you? yes. I mean, it was always hard for me because of working from home before having kids. It's like, okay, I should get into a class. To get to know people, but then because I'm traveling, I wouldn't have the consistency, so I didn't really do it. I would take like online courses and stuff I did make friends through his female friends, pretty much. but then having kids, I feel like it's what really opened up. Open it up for me and gave me more opportunities, To connect. how so? Through the school, through the parents? Yeah, through the school, through preschool, through just being at the park and, oh, your kid is not. Kicking my kid. Okay, great. Let's be friends like you live nearby. I don't know. And then neighbors, I adore my neighbors from my previous neighborhood. We were still so close. I moved three years ago and we're still so close. Also our kids are friends, and so that helps. Finding some common ground With these, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. but yes, for the ones that are moving and starting fresh and no kids, I would say definitely take classes. Like for Yeah. Yeah. To painting to anything. Right. so keeping your job in Peru. Right. That you moved and, and you were still working for the, for the Yeah. Company in Peru, which you are still working and you can tell us a bit later. Mm-hmm. So at the beginning you said that that was the way that I could keep the connection with my country, right. With Peru. And, and it allowed you to go back and, and be connected with, because it does, it's a travel business. So with, because you are offering and promoting the country and at the same time you have the other side of the coin, this, job because you were working from home. That's, and you still do that, right? that also Isolated you a bit and, and I. can totally relate to that because for me, it was the same. I moved and I still work for my company, but, I got to find, ways to connect with people because if you are just working from home or, I would like to know more about this. You said classes like that, how? From a yoga class to a pottery class. Making jewelry, painting tap into your creative side, even if it's something you wouldn't normally do. Just isolating is not the best I mean, it all depends. There's gonna be people that really embrace it and thrive through it and feel great being in their own little bubble, but if you're a social person, right, which you are, of course. Yeah. can you share with us, any, item or any little thing that you've been carrying with you while you started this journey abroad? Do you have anything that is special for you that will always be with you even if you move? I have this teddy bear. I've had it. For almost 20 years now. I got it in Colorado. it was my first Christmas without my parents, and one of the girls gave it to me. I lived in Cousco for a little bit and took it there and then came back with me to Colorado, and then went back to Peru it's a great pillow. it's so old that now it works like a travel pillow. it would travel with me a lot within Peru. And then when I moved here, I brought it with, and then my kids started, Playing with it when they were little. So yeah. it's part of the family. It's being in the family. Yeah. Being the family. It's part of the, the story your, your journey. Yeah. how do you think your, your kids, you, you, we were talking before about this travel bag that you are, they, they will inherit from you? Do you see them as maybe, moving around, trying to be, in a similar journey who knows where they will end up, I could see them exploring the world. They're great little travelers. I they're amazing. and yeah, airports. connections, transfers, they're fine. It's part of their life, Of course. It was more challenging for Sophia to grow into that, since she was the pandemic one. But Nico, I really milked those, travel for free lap child up until they're two years old. I took him on 20, flying trips, by the time he was two. he has, he said, yeah. he's got the inspiration for sure. Ines, thanks so much for, being here with me at the podcast I would love, to share, Some, of what Ines does, she is, the sales director at, a lovely Amazon cruise, the Delphin cruise. I would, give you the, opportunity to share with the community. about your journey abroad and specifically of what you do? Yeah. Dophine Amazon Cruises. We're a family owned, Peruvian owned, small boutique company in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. We operate in the largest national park in the country where you get to see Pink River Dolphins sloths 15 species of monkeys of primate. over 400 species of birds. It's just so life changing. Seeing the Amazon and it's grandiosity makes you feel. So tiny and alive at the same time. that I'm so proud and that's why I've stayed with them. After all these years. It's just such an amazing company and what we get to do towards conservation and sustainability. It's something we're very proud of. so yeah, if you ever want to come explore, one of the natural wonders of the world, this is the place. Cherish. Well, I can say that, Ines is, explaining it perfectly because I was lucky to be there last year. the Amazon is beautiful in Peru, and it was, such a fun experience. the way that you talk about Peru with such passion, but you're lucky to be connected with the country, with your job. I think we are, keeping our culture alive. I really feel like an, an ambassador. I really do. I took that. Responsibility, when I moved away. so yeah. I'm always happy to share anything about Peru or the Amazon. Yeah. So from, Peru to, Utah, but with your heart in two homes. Yeah, absolutely. Heart can grow. Hi, RO. Yes, exactly. Ines, it's been a pleasure. I love chatting with you and thank you so much for being here and having this honest conversation about, not only your, work, but your personal life. So thanks so much. My pleasure. You take. Take care. Thank you so much for tuning into another episode of Almost Local and a huge thank you to Ines for sharing her story with us today. Reminding us that being almost local is messy, beautiful, and full of surprises. If today's episode resonated with you, please take a moment to follow, leave a review, or share it with someone who might need to hear it. You can also join the conversation on Instagram at almost local or head to our website for more stories and ways to connect. Remember, being almost local isn't about having it all figured out. It's about embracing the messy, the beautiful, and everything that makes us human wherever we are in the world. And now I'm off to my morning coffee here in rainy New Zealand. Until next time.