The Conscious Gringo: A Mindful Travel Podcast

07 - From Durango to Chicago to Chilangolandia: Life, Culture, and Politics in Mexico and the USA - Rocio Lucero

Rocio Lucero, founder of the CDMX IYKYK newsletter, is a writer and native-born Mexican who grew up in a small town in Durango before moving to Chicago at the age of 12 and spending most of her teenage/young adult years in the USA. Later, she traveled the world (including a long stint in Korea) before settling down in the beautiful, hectic metropolis of Mexico City. A dual citizen with a US-based job who now lives in the country her family left when she was young, Rocio has a unique perspective on the phenomenon some call ni de aquí, ni de allá: that tension of culture and identity that defines the lives of so many immigrants. Donnel and Rocio sit down to discuss her small-town roots in Durango, the opportunities, challenges, and pressures of living the American Dream (especially as an immigrant), the digital nomad lifestyle, gentrification, US-Mexico relations and cultural differences, the shock and impact of ICE on immigrant communities in the US, and the sprawling, spectacular, flawed but fascinating Mexico City, which in addition to its 9 million residents has become a major host to nomads, expats, and immigrants seeking a new way of life. Through her newsletter, Rocio explores culture, politics, history, and current events in CDMX, offering her unique perspective as one who is a native Mexican but has lived the nomad lifestyle and has ties to both Mexico and the USA.

06 - A Refugee's Experience: Leaving El Salvador, Growing Up in Australia, and Finding Mission-Driven Work - Bec Ortiz

When the Salvadoran Civil War pushed her family to seek asylum in Australia, Bec Ortiz was quickly confronted with a radically different way of life. She was safer, but she would also be forever changed. In this episode, Bec and Donnel discuss the ways a bilingual, multicultural upbringing shapes your identity—especially when you grow up in a place with so little that is familiar to you—and reflect on how Bec's immigrant experiences impacted her worldview and her passion for storytelling and mission-driven work. You can learn more about Bec's work at studioquill.ink.

05 - An Artist’s Journey through Mexico, USA, and Japan - Maureen Eggleton

Maureen Eggleton is a photographer and therapeutic art and mindfulness guide with a diverse creative background. She has lived and worked in Mexico, the United States, and Japan. We talk about the ways her identity and creativity were shaped by these countries, indelible characteristics of each (Mexican surrealism, US ambition, Japanese loneliness) that have influenced her perspective on life, and the bittersweet nature of never staying in one place.

04 - Balancing Technology and Humanity in Costa Rica - Miles Rote

Miles Rote is many things—entrepreneur, writer, former private investigator and yoga instructor—but above all, he's an insightful and grounded spirit. After several formative years in Costa Rica, including helping others travel through his work with Under30experiences.com, Miles has now set down roots in Nosara, a place that helps him find an equilibrium between the highly technological lives we lead and the natural world we still inhabit. In this conversation, Miles and Donnel discuss what it's like integrating in Costa Rica, adapting to local customs, balancing modernity with natural human experiences, and how travel opens our minds to what else is possible.

03 - Building a Brand in Mexico - Chloe Pan

Chloe Pan, a software engineer turned jewelry designer, joins to talk about her multicultural, trilingual experience of living in China, Australia, the US, and Mexico. In these varied cultures, she found some striking differences and surprising similarities, especially between China and Mexico. Creativity and entrepreneurship are also at the heart of her journey, so Chloe and Donnel discuss what it’s like to build a brand with a physical presence in another country. You can check out Chloe’s jewelry at amemori.design [http://amemori.design] on Instagram and amemori.shop [http://amemori.shop] online.