I was 19 when I set off on my first real adventure, with a backpack full of dreams and a one-way ticket to Havana. Fresh out of high school, driven by curiosity and without a real plan—just one goal: to see the world. What I didn’t know back then was that this journey would become the beginning of everything.
Luck was on my side. My father’s best friend—a photographer with a soul like a camera, always searching for the authentic moment to capture—had been living in Havana since the late ‘80s. He wasn’t a tourist or a visitor; he was part of Cuban everyday life.
His photographs told stories of sugar cane fields, of people dancing through narrow alleyways, of political murals and smiles shining through hardship. He captured the world for renowned outlets like The New York Times, but his true masterpieces were born where there was trust.
From him, I learned that it’s not enough to take beautiful pictures. It’s about capturing authentic moments—honest, raw, emotional encounters. And that only happens when you truly meet people. When you listen, ask questions, and give them your time. That lesson rooted itself deeply in me.
From Havana, I kept moving—through Costa Rica, Central and South America. For the past seven years, I traveled the world. Sometimes by bus, sometimes hitchhiking, sometimes on foot—almost always with a notebook in my pocket and an open heart.
In the depths of the Amazon, I took part in an Ayahuasca ceremony that opened doors within me I never knew existed—guided by chants, silence, and the ancient wisdom of the forest. I danced at festivals, sat around campfires, and discussed life with people I’d never meet again—but would never forget.
In between: university. First in Utrecht, then in Barcelona. I actually made it through—earned my bachelor’s degree so my parents could sleep at night.
But what I truly learned was out there: on the streets, in the mountains, at markets, and in tiny kitchens filled with unfamiliar spices.
Along this long journey through cultures, landscapes, languages, and stories, one truth became clearer and clearer:
It’s not the places that are magical—it’s the connections we create in them.
From the get-go, I thought it was about seeing as many famous sights as possible. I even joined one or two group tours in those years—trips that were efficient, well-organized, and packed with highlights, but something always felt missing. It was less about feeling a place and more about photographing it; less about meeting locals and more about following a flag through crowds.
Over time, I realized that the true magic of travel lies not in ticking boxes, but in those raw, unscripted moments shared with people who call a place home.
This realization was the birth of LocalXperience.
I wanted to create a form of travel that wasn’t driven by checklists, but by real encounters. Not ticking off sights but diving deep. Not standing next to locals but walking alongside them. Listening to stories instead of just taking photos. Experiencing, not consuming.
Today, LocalXperience is exactly that: a platform that builds bridges—between travelers and those who can truly tell the story of a place.
And it all began with an old photographer, a cigar on a balcony in Havana—and the realization that the world is full of stories.
You just have to be ready to experience them.
