WYACADEMY: IN LESS THAN 7 WORDS, HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE WHAT YOU DO (YOUR COMPANY/YOUR ORGANIZATION/YOUR JOB)
Lorena: Build bridges between different people & worlds through travel.
WYACADEMY: TELL US A BRIEF STORY OF HOW YOU ENDED UP DOING WHAT YOUR ARE CURRENTLY DOING?
Meanwhile, I did an internship in the Amazon forest working with indigenous people The comparison of those 2 worlds was both shocking and interesting; it made me realize we all have so much to learn from each other. I wished to be able to organize trips that’d go around Colombia in a completely different way, bearing in mind the importance of fair-trade and cross-cultural values. That is what Biotácora is now. My partner and I are now creating unprecedented travels (in very special regions of the country) that not only strengthen the local identity of each destination but also help us all, travelers, locals and everyone who is involved, to break common prejudices or stereotypes we have about each other. I love to inspire people to take the challenge of living an ‘out of the box’ experience that may connect them to the planet in a different way, just as it happened to me.
WYACADEMY: WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU STAND UP EVERY MORNING TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO?
Lorena: The fact of feeling part of something: of a country, of a cross-cultural community, and part of a group of people that devote their lives to peace-building in Colombia) 2. Thinking about how privileged I am and how can I give back or even multiply what I’ve learned. To me, that’s actually a responsibility. 3. Knowing that helping people to understand each other is the best way I’ve found to share my skills.
WYAcademy: What are the three things that make you feel proud of you?
Lorena: Feeling as a woman who’s brave and friendly at the same time. 2. Counting on a loving support network (family, friends and colleagues) 3. Seeing positive results of something I did or helped with.
WYAcademy: If you could give thanks to two persons or events, who/which would they be?
Lorena: My mom, she has always, always been there! Shajitha Esther (from India), my coach and friend who inspired me in spiritual and professional ways. So many people deserve to be mentioned here, like my dad and my boyfriend Joaquín…thank you all!
WYAcademy: Two things that you would like to tell youngsters.
- Travel as much as you can where you are, start moving! 2. If you start feeling too confortable where you are, start moving! 3. In many cases, ‘age’ and ‘maturity’ aren’t the same. You can surprise many adults, but don’t forget that you’ can also be surprised by anyone… try to listen to everyone! 4. Be selective with the people around you because they influence our choices, even if we don’t notice it.
WYAcademy: What’s the biggest impact the WYAcademy had in your personal life?
Lorena: It helped me see the world in a different scale. I met people who were in the search of something. These are friends that I feel proud of today because now I can see how much they persevered, how they made their projects grow and how unstoppable they are. They’re a great example.
WYACADEMY: WHAT WERE YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLES YOU FOUND TO GET WHERE YOU ARE?
Lorena: Cope with old-fashioned social paradigms such as: working with ethnic groups doesn’t make you rich/successful, for example. 2. Not being taken seriously enough, in professional terms, by the fact of being a woman 3. Lack of some family members’ support 4. The complexity of Colombia’s political situation.
WYACADEMY: WHAT IS THE MOST LIVELY/NOTABLE MEMORY YOU HAVE FROM THE WYACADEMY? WHY?
Lorena: Meeting Nataly González and Jayr Blandón back in Colombia knowing it was WYA who introduced us. We have ideas in common that we’re looking forward to developing. It is amazing to stop a while and think that even though we live in the same country, our backgrounds are so different that we possibly wouldn’t have met otherwise. But now that we know each other new things have already started to happen!