Journiosity

Ann Thomson

Blending unapologetic curiosity with easy conversation, I interview ordinary people—just like you and me—to discover their extra~ordinary. journiosity.substack.com

  1. Sep 8

    Alberto's learnings from personal collapse to embracing life's vibrations

    Finding Yourself in Mexico City: Loss, Solitude and Vibration I meet Alberto in Mexico City by chance after chatting at a street stall. Alberto, 53, recounts losing his father on his 33rd birthday, divorcing the same week, losing his job and contact with his young son, and nearly becoming homeless, leading to years of depression and alcoholism without professional help. He says time alone is essential to heal, forgive yourself, accept impermanence and stop seeking perfection in others. He emphasises personal responsibility, empathy and human equality, valuing simple, free things over wealth. Alberto describes reality as energy and vibration, shaping who we meet, and urges honesty with oneself, going through pain fully, respecting boundaries, learning and “going with the flow”. 00:00 Introduction 01:37 Why Alone Time Matters 04:50 Learning Self Love 05:54 Simple Living and Gratitude 06:38 Vibration and Inner Mirror 09:48 Depression 12:10 Giving Back and Humanity 16:46 Empathy and Untold Stories 19:56 Rebuilding Through Learning 21:30 Go With the Flow 22:33 Energy Is Vibration 25:28 Creation and No Vibration 26:14 Learning Over Years 26:48 Enjoy Life Without Extremes 28:35 Strength to Be Alone 29:26 Victim Aggressor Pattern 31:12 Passing the Same Tests 33:12 Honesty and Self Respect 35:05 Every Mind Is Unique 35:51 Final Message of Respect This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit journiosity.substack.com

    Alberto's learnings from personal collapse to embracing life's vibrations
  2. Sep 1

    How Sergio has been living his own movie hitchhiking South America

    [ENG] This interview is in Spanish. Visit the Journiosity Substack for subtitles in English and an English-language blog post covering Sergio's fascinating life experiences. [ESP] Esta entrevista está en español. Visita el Substack de Journiosity para ver subtítulos en inglés y una publicación en inglés que cubre las fascinantes experiencias de vida de Sergio. ENG Living the Journey: Sergio’s Hitchhiking Life, Three Years and Counting In Puerto Iguazú, near Iguazú Falls, I interview Sergio, a 42-year-old Argentine backpacker from the province of Córdoba who has been travelling for nearly three years through much of Argentina plus surrounds, often hitchhiking, walking and camping. He highlights the marvels of El Chaltén and Patagonia, and says his tent is his best “room”, sometimes sleeping at gas stations for added safety, amenities and spontaneous social moments. Sergio contrasts slow, immersive travel with buses and planes, values nature and solitude, but also enjoys travelling with others for connection. He describes emotional highs and lows, fear, boredom and learning to release feelings, crediting a pivotal self-question—“How many hours do you have left to live?”—with pushing him forward. He discusses resistance from family, inspiration from strangers, living with less and his guiding ideas, including getting out and trying the “impossible”. 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Three years backpacking 02:55 Hitchhiking and camping 04:07 Slow travel and nature 06:23 Gas stations and spontaneous moments 08:03 Travelling alone or with company 10:17 Emotions and fears 13:44 Why Sergio started travelling 15:38 Family on the road 18:08 Fear and the comfort zone 24:20 How travelling changed Sergio 28:48 Health, stress and money 31:46 Phrases and inspiration 33:48 Freedom has no price 35:21 The road as freedom 37:10 Venting without fear 42:40 Everything depends on you 44:58 Hunger and valuing food 47:06 Recognition and online work 49:48 The impossible doesn’t exist 52:09 Trying things to know them 58:55 Live your movie 01:02:29 Turtle vs hare 01:04:07 Letting go of the mental backpack **** ESP Viviendo el viaje: La vida de Sergio haciendo dedo, tres años y contando En Puerto Iguazú, cerca de las Cataratas del Iguazú, entrevisto a Sergio, un mochilero argentino de 42 años, oriundo de la provincia de Córdoba, que lleva casi tres años viajando por gran parte de Argentina y alrededores, a menudo haciendo dedo, caminando y acampando. Destaca las maravillas de El Chaltén y la Patagonia, y dice que su carpa es su mejor “habitación”, durmiendo a veces en estaciones de servicio por mayor seguridad, comodidades y momentos sociales espontáneos. Sergio contrasta el viaje lento e inmersivo con los buses y aviones, valora la naturaleza y la soledad, pero también disfruta viajar acompañado para conectar. Describe altibajos emocionales, miedo, aburrimiento y el aprendizaje de soltar sentimientos, atribuyendo a una pregunta clave —“¿Cuántas horas te quedan de vida?”— el impulso para seguir adelante. Habla de la resistencia de su familia, la inspiración de desconocidos, vivir con menos y sus ideas guía, incluyendo salir y probar lo “imposible”. 00:00 Introducción 01:02 Tres años mochileando 02:55 Haciendo dedo y acampando 04:07 Viaje lento y naturaleza 06:23 Estaciones de servicio y momentos espontáneos 08:03 Viajar solo o acompañado 10:17 Emociones y miedos 13:44 Por qué Sergio empezó a viajar 15:38 La familia en el camino 18:08 Miedo y zona de confort 24:20 Cómo viajar cambió a Sergio 28:48 Salud, estrés y dinero 31:46 Frases e inspiración 33:48 La libertad no tiene precio 35:21 La ruta como libertad 37:10 Descargar sin miedo 42:40 Todo depende de vos 44:58 Hambre y valorar la comida 47:06 Reconocimiento y trabajo online 49:48 Lo imposible no existe 52:09 Probar cosas para conocerlas 58:55 Viví tu película 01:02:29 Tortuga vs liebre 01:04:07 Soltar la mochila mental This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit journiosity.substack.com

    How Sergio has been living his own movie hitchhiking South America
  3. Aug 25

    Gaby's leap of faith from married life to the fulfilment of purpose

    Solo Travel, Starting Over and Building Olive: Gaby’s Journey from Ecuador to Buenos Aires I’m interviewing Gaby, an Ecuadorian living in Buenos Aires, about starting over after a 13-year marriage ended. Gaby’s first solo trip to Argentina—originally for a Coldplay concert—led her to fall in love with the city’s walkability, friendliness, and opportunities, and to pursue an MBA at the University of Palermo, which she is finishing soon. She describes how solo travel helps her meet people and feel at home, including examples like attending a Dua Lipa concert alone. Gaby shares her business story: creating Olive, a healthy-food cafeteria in Ecuador (now with two locations), rooted in her culinary and hospitality training, feeding 200+ people daily and employing 14 people. She reflects on divorce, purpose, therapy and mentoring, and advises caring for body and mind through gym, healthy eating, meditation, and getting out even on hard days. 00:00 Introduction 00:58 Divorce and First Solo Trip 02:35 Chasing an MBA Dream 04:15 Building a New Life 05:10 Friendly City Culture Shock 05:53 Solo Travel Safety and Confidence 06:57 Meeting People While Traveling 09:19 Her Healthy Cafe Business 10:09 Chef School and Early Career 13:47 Scholarship and Business Degree 16:37 First Restaurants and Hard Lessons 19:19 Bootcamp Diets Inspired Olive 21:28 Winning Over Locals 23:20 Finding Purpose in Life 25:44 Love Life And Divorce 30:00 Reflections on Marriage 32:24 Life Dreams 33:44 Therapy And Mind Care 35:16 Look After Yourself 37:40 Final Reflections This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit journiosity.substack.com

    Gaby's leap of faith from married life to the fulfilment of purpose
  4. Aug 18

    How faith, silence and joy helped Ivna chase her dreams

    From Brazil to Bariloche: Ivna on Faith, Healing and Making Dreams Happen I’m in a hostel in Bariloche, Argentina, interviewing Ivna, a 32-year-old Brazilian on her first trip outside Brazil. Ivna shares a lifelong dream of seeing the world sparked by a childhood movie, her belief that strangers become familiar through conversation, and her mother’s advice that speaking can take you anywhere. She describes saving money, adjusting travel plans while getting her driver’s license, and trusting God and intuition rather than coincidences. After multiple hardships including a breakup and depression, she chose life and her dreams, rebuilding faith through prayer, journaling, and a 10-day silent Vipassana retreat that helped her manage overthinking by returning to breath and the present. Ivna works remotely in content creation, supports hostel communications and hopes to teach video creation, travel more, and eventually marry and have a family. 00:00 Introduction 01:22 First Trip Abroad 03:33 Talking to Strangers 04:31 Saving and Trusting Timing 06:32 No Coincidences and Heartbreak 07:47 Choosing Dreams Over Darkness 11:34 Overthinking and Breathwork 12:25 Vipassana Retreat 16:05 Rebuilding Through Art 18:53 Remote Work and Content Creation 21:28 Future Goals and Family 22:12 Closing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit journiosity.substack.com

    How faith, silence and joy helped Ivna chase her dreams
  5. Aug 11

    How Facundo's path has taken him from Engineering studies to solo travel and aerial heights

    From La Plata to aerial heights: on solo travel, changing tracks and flying high I interview Facundo at a hostel in San Martín de los Andes, Argentina, where he is vacationing alone from La Plata near Buenos Aires. Facundo says solo travel is easier for meeting people if you are sociable and brave. He describes switching from an engineering degree (after two stressful years with only 2–3 hours of sleep) to a tourism degree, supported by his mother despite family doubts, and later starting physical education to better understand the body and teach aerial circus. He explains how the pandemic and lack of a computer disrupted his tourism studies, while he now works five days a week and studies on the other two with only two weeks off annually. Facundo trains in aerial silks despite fear of heights, has injured fingers, performed shows, worked a month in a Jujuy hostel that improved his English, hopes to visit Chile and Brazil, and explains the communal tradition of drinking mate. 00:00 Introduction 01:05 Solo Travel Confidence 01:54 From Engineering to Tourism 03:16 Family Doubts and Choosing Yourself 04:16 Tourism and Physical Education Studies 05:50 Pandemic Pause and Stress 09:05 Aerial Circus Passion 11:28 First Solo Trip 12:46 Learning English on the Job 14:04 Dream Trips and Chilean Spanish 15:20 The Importance of Mate 17:00 Wrap Up This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit journiosity.substack.com

    How Facundo's path has taken him from Engineering studies to solo travel and aerial heights
  6. May 11

    Young professional perspective on the economic challenges and cultural resilience of Argentinians at a historic crossroad

    Young Argentinians on Milei’s Reforms: Inflation, Taxes, Hope and Daily Life in Mendoza In Mendoza, Argentina, October 2025, I interviewed Juli, a lawyer, and Tomi, a small business owner/engineer, about changes under President Milei after recent elections that ostensibly strengthened his position in Congress. They describe life before Milei as marked by extreme inflation, product shortages, import restrictions and high taxes, with people using instalments to cope and some abusing government benefits due to weak oversight. They discuss “ventajeros” as taking advantage of situations, including with tourists, and explain how heavy taxation and instability made professional salaries feel insufficient. Under Milei, they report greater price stability, more predictable salaries and hope that young professionals may return from abroad, though they note the transition has been exhausting and that pensioners and public services still struggle. They also share views on Trump, corruption in past governments, and Argentina’s welcoming culture and natural beauty. 00:00 Introduction to Mendoza and Guests 00:53 Election Win and Hopes 02:03 Life Under Inflation 03:13 Import Controls and Shortages 04:57 Welfare State and Abuse 07:07 The Ventajeros Culture 09:29 Taxes, Travel and Chile Runs 10:59 Installments and Beating Inflation 12:18 Young Professionals' Frustration 14:36 Stability Under Milei 16:45 Dollar Pricing Logic 17:20 Peso Swings and Brazil Trips 18:03 Hopeful Economic Outlook 19:22 Work, Wages and Brain Drain 21:24 Fairness and Public Services 23:13 Milei Crazy or Genius 24:31 Trump and Immigration Views 26:22 Corruption and Voting Change 29:36 Why Argentina Is Special 31:35 Farewell and Invite to Mendoza This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit journiosity.substack.com

    Young professional perspective on the economic challenges and cultural resilience of Argentinians at a historic crossroad

About

Blending unapologetic curiosity with easy conversation, I interview ordinary people—just like you and me—to discover their extra~ordinary. journiosity.substack.com