Guest: Marielisa Figuera Saggese Background: Originally from Venezuela, now residing in Buenos Aires, with a continued passion for global solo travel. Key Points: Near-Death Experience and Navigating COVID-19 Lockdown: : Marielisa shares her profound story, surviving a pulmonary embolism just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Living in Buenos Aires without her family during the global pandemic, Marielisa faced the challenge of dealing with a new medical condition amid the collective fear and uncertainty PTSD, Grief, and Resilience: Coping with PTSD from her near-death experience and the grief associated with losing a part of herself during this time. Despite being immunocompromised with delicate health, Marielisa refuses to let her medical condition hinder her life. She emphasizes the importance of understanding her body's limitations. Balancing Health and Adventure: Marielisa discusses the fine balance between health and safety, sharing insights into her preparation, including discussions with her doctor, wearing compression socks during travel, and carefully choosing activities. Living Sober Curious: Being "sober curious" due to her medical condition, Marielisa inspires others to build meaningful connections beyond traditional social norms and challenges the notion that alcohol is necessary for such connections. Backpacking Journey: Marielisa provides a glimpse into her backpacking trip across Europe, spanning 18 countries, and discovering a new love for the Balkans. She shares how she uses platforms like Host a Sister to connect with people while traveling. Connect with Marielisa Figuera Saggese: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marielisa-figuera-saggese/ Email: [email protected] Join the Travel Not to Escape community to share your own stories of resilience and connect with like-minded individuals. Let's inspire each other to embrace life's challenges and travel not to escape but to discover and thrive. https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelnottoescape/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/travelnottoescape/message