Hear about living in Escobar-Era Medellin, Surviving Cancer & Leaving an Abusive Relationship to Solo-Travel the World. Mari Monsalve starts off talking about her involvement with two empowering travel events: The WITS Travel Creator Summit and Latino Travel Fest. She then reflects on her grandparents experience immigrating to Florida in the 1960s during Jim Crow segregation.  Mari tells the story of growing up in Miami and then moving back to Medellin during the Pablo Escobar era and what it was like to live there during that time. She then talks about moving back to the U.S. as an adult, developing her interest in world travel, and organizing a transformative trip to Iceland. Next, Mari opens up about leaving an abusive relationship to travel the world solo, being diagnosed with cancer, and choosing to use travel as a tool to recover from cancer. She shares stories at different points in her cancer journey from Paris, Morocco and Thailand. Finally, Mari reflects on her last trip to the Pacific coast of Colombia, shares some ethical considerations for visiting Colombia, and makes specific recommendations for how to respectfully immerse in her beautiful country.
348: Colombia from the Pablo Escobar Era to Today & Using Travel as a Tool to Recover from Cancer with Mari Monsalve
Episode Summary
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About the Guest

Mari Monsalve
Mari Monsalve is a Colombian-American travel content creator and the founder of The Queen of Trips, a platform dedicated to empowering Latinas to confidently explore the world through solo travel. As a cancer survivor and first-generation immigrant who grew up between Miami and Medellin, she shares honest travel tips, cultural insights, and personal stories rooted in her resilience with the mission of showing Latinas that they deserve adventure too, no matter their background.
What You'll Learn
- Stories from Colombia – From the Pablo Escobar Era to the Present Day
- Inspiring Stories of Using World Travel to Recover from Cancer
- Recommendations + Social, Political and Ethical Considerations when Visiting Colombia
Links From the Episode
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- Personal LinkedIn
- The Queen of Trips Facebook
- The Queen of Trips Instagram
- The Queen of Trips Website
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LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
- Matt: Asheville, North Carolina
- Mari: Acworth, Georgia
WINE CONSUMED IN THIS EPISODE
PLACES IN COLOMBIA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
INDIGENOUS GROUPS IN COLOMBIA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
EVENTS IN COLOMBIA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
AFRO-COLOMBIAN-CENTERED TOUR GROUPS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
PLACES IN FLORIDA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
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Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[1:16] Introducing Mari Monsalve
[3:05] The WITS Travel Creator Summit in New York City
[5:38] The Latino Travel Fest in Chicago
[6:53] Her Grandparents Immigrating from Colombia to the American South during Jim Crow
[9:18] Growing up in South Florida until age 10
[12:10] Living in Medellin During the Pablo Escobar Era
[17:17] Moving Back to Miami at Age 18
[18:39] How Her Interest in Travel Started to Develop
[21:07] Iceland
[28:11] Italy
[30:21] London and Paris after being Diagnosed with Cancer
[34:49] Spain, Portugal and Morocco after finishing Chemo Therapy
[37:22] Visiting Thailand on Her Cancer Victory Tour
[40:27] The Pacific Coast of Colombia
[45:28] Ethical Considerations for Visiting Colombia
[48:22] Recommendations for visiting Colombia