I've been a frequent flyer since long before I can clearly remember. My father, himself an avid traveler, worked in the airline industry, so our family of five traveled for free and quite often, crisscrossing the country to visit our massive extended family, or venturing abroad in search of adventure. I blame him for my lifelong wanderlust, which compels me to seek out landscapes that shake me from the bubble of my day-to-day, find inspiration in cultures different from my own, enjoy the disorienting thrill of hearing a language unfamiliar to my ears, and exult in the small triumphs of navigating a labyrinthine city. Travel moves me in a way I don't fully comprehend, but it has became an essential part of my life, and something I feel extremely fortunate to get to experience.

When it comes to plotting adventures, I have distinct preferences, which invariably involve pleasures of the sensory sort. These include but are certainly not limited to: taking in otherworldly vistas, admiring marvels of modernist architecture, perusing outdoor markets teeming with traditional handcrafts, sinking my teeth into a warm pão de queijo or sipping an expertly brewed mint tea, encountering an unexpectedly familiar scent while roaming some remote wilderness, and humming along to the distinctive vocal stylings of a street vendor whose catchy tune plays on loop in my head.

Between travels, I spend my days studying User Experience Design, hanging out with my husband, chasing after an active toddler, and dreaming about home renovation projects. You can find me on Instagram as @challomallo.