We only know how it will be, being
Who has never dreamed of traveling around the world? Discover so many places, foods, cultures, the six continents? This was always Lígia's dream.
Lígia was born and raised in Taubaté, in the interior of São Paulo, and from a young age she loved traveling. Each trip to Ubatuba was like an adventure, and the sunny days (or rainy days, most of the time 'laughs') became unforgettable stories in his memory. What would be beyond Praia do Félix, there behind the rocks where the waves break and the transparent green turns into foam?
For years this question was hammering in the back of her head and, as she grew up, she became more certain that the surroundings of Vale do Paraíba were too little for her.
As an adult and a journalism graduate, her first big trip became a reality. Alongside her boyfriend Ulisses, now a worthy husband, they planned a backpacking trip through South America. They went to different places carrying a few changes of clothes, a still very low-tech camera and a strong desire to record every minute of that experience. Every tour, restaurant and accommodation was carefully documented and became the first texts written by Lígia and published on the social network of the moment.
From her love of writing and her desire to share with friends and family all the incredible things she was discovering, the blog Vamos Fugir was born unpretentiously.
Every new trip was a delight. Thinking about the itinerary, organizing tickets, studying the destination, visiting different places and then filling the blog pages with fresh and interesting tips became a hobby that she pursued with all her commitment and enthusiasm.
Life went on, other trips appeared, and that little voice continued to whisper “what about the trip around the world, Li?”
Amidst the daily routine, formal jobs, financing the recently purchased apartment and responsibilities of adult life, giving up everything to travel seemed like insanity, but she could no longer stay. The solution then was to dress in exchange clothes and leave for Australia... little did the couple know that this would be just the beginning of the adventure.
The eight months of exchange became 5 years, formal jobs became temporary jobs, the hobby became a profession.
At that time, Instagram was already booming and Lígia loved sharing her new life with her followers who were gradually growing. Every day new people arrived, fascinated by the beach paradise on the other side of the world, wanting to do the same as our traveling couple. There were questions like “how to immigrate?”, “what is the cost of living?”, is it possible to work and study at the same time?”, and Lígia saw these questions as an opportunity to further increase her online presence.
Feeling like Glória Maria herself, the next step was to create a YouTube channel to create deeper and more informative content where she answered all those questions. It was then that his passion for traveling began to earn his first dollars. It closed partnerships with immigration offices, hotel chains and tourism companies. And with that, guess what little voice came back screaming at full volume?
If there was a right time to travel around the world, the time was now. With the couple working remotely and Vamos Fugir taking off, everything was perfectly aligned to throw themselves out into the world.
Despite the excitement of seeing his dream so close to becoming a reality, there was a lot of fear and butterflies in his stomach. Everything they had achieved so far was completely related to life in Australia. Would they lose all their followers and with that the chance of partnership and new contracts? They had a lot to lose, but losing their great opportunity to explore the globe seemed even scarier.
The great project around the world began in January 2021 when they returned to Brazil. The nomadic life began with nine months of slow travel across the country and it was everything she ever dreamed of. The fears that existed were dissipating as the work bore fruit, at the same time, new challenges appeared.
Work became life and life became work. A delicious restaurant on the sand in Bahia tasted like shrimp with palm oil and also posted, photos, recorded, video edited, and a question box. An avalanche of tasks that prepared them for the new stage of the trip, a long stay in Asia. She couldn't wait.
The first months were perfect. Each temple, each white sand beach, each “look at the color of this water”, each new seasoning, reinforced the right decision to enter the world. Each new language, each exchange rate change, each change of hotel, threw into her face the enormous challenges of the life she had dreamed of so much.
Traveling full time and working at the same time was taking a toll. It was eight months without a free day. The tours, which were still wonderful, had to be so well studied and recorded that there was barely any time left to enjoy them. Editing, scripting and planning work was done in hotel rooms without any structure or in noisy cafes, often late at night. Each new destination had incessant searches for partnerships and sponsorships, more negotiations. Lígia was exhausted and it was very difficult for her to admit that perhaps she was no longer so happy. How was it possible to finally be fulfilling your life's dream and not feel happy?
The truth is that we only know how it will be by being. These years as a digital nomad confirmed many truths for her. It confirmed his passion for traveling and sharing his adventures, reinforced his entrepreneurial streak of making things happen, proved that it is always possible to start over and also that everything we need really fits inside a backpack. On the other hand, he showed that the routine he fought so hard to break was greatly missed, that Pilão coffee may not be the best but it is the most comforting, and that traveling with something to return to makes everything make more sense. Lígia had to explore the world to rediscover her home.
Today back in their hometown, the couple's plan is to continue traveling and working with content creation, but in a slower way, with a fixed base to call home. A routine that includes homemade food, a reality show of dubious quality at night and a pillow that doesn't give you neck pain... until a little voice honks in your head again, who knows?