Hi there! My name is Susan, and I’m the founder of Brooklyn Tropicali - a travel blog focused on creative travels for creative people. The emphasis is on the region of Latin America, encouraging creative professionals to seek out and learn from master artisans such as weavers, ceramicists, painters, chefs, and more. I’m also a social media manager and consultant for small businesses and startups.
I last lived in NYC, traveled full-time for 3 years, and am now based in colorful, vibrant Oaxaca, Mexico
A few years ago, I was a fashion designer in NYC, but was burned out, fed up, and desperate to travel.
With my strict corporate vacation policies, I did everything I could to be creative about my trip planning - scheduling them around holidays, bookending them with weekends on either side - but I was always eager for more time to dig into the rich culture that I found.
So I left it all behind at the end of 2015 - the apartment, most of my belongings, my job - and started an open-ended trip in South America and Mexico. I had no idea that it would turn into 3 years of full-time travel, followed by 1+ years of life abroad.
I've been lucky enough to travel to 20 countries, many of them in Latin America. But I'm not a country counter, it's much more important to me to have a meaningful and in-depth experience. So I've often traveled very slowly, spent long chunks of time in a place, and returned to places over and over again. In fact, I'm a huge believer that returning to places that you love can teach you the most about the world and yourself.
I've spent tons of time all over Mexico, with the largest chunks being in Oaxaca and Mexico City. I've spent time in all of Central America, with large chunks in Nicaragua and Panama, and many return trips to Guatemala. I slow traveled through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru for months at a time and am still eager to return.
My passion is to help others create their own life-changing adventures.
The rich culture, beautiful artisan work, traditional cuisine, and stunning geography in this part of the world have opened my world-view again and again. I want others to be able to experience this and have the opportunity to learn from other cultures.
Whether you are looking for a cultural destination, a beach escape, a hiking adventure, or something totally off-the-beaten path - you can find it in Latin America.
I have a complete Resources tab above with tips for specific types of travel like housesitting, budget travel, or travel planning resources.
You can also find my best packing tips posts here where I've broken down everything I travel with after 4+ years of constant travel.
