Anouk van Wendel de Joode

In 2010, I started my second year at NHTV in Breda and took my first Spanish lessons. A year later, I went on a study trip to Cuba, and it was on this beautiful and fascinating island that my love for Latin America was born. I was so enthusiastic about this destination that I went back again with friends not long afterwards. And that was the beginning of the end – in a positive sense, of course. With every visit to Latin America, my love for this region grew.

In 2018, I started working as a Product Manager for Latin America at another company, where I gained a great deal of knowledge about the region. I frequently travelled to Central and South America, both for work and in my spare time, and have therefore visited a great many destinations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru.

When I decided to take a sabbatical in early 2025, I didn’t have to think long about where I wanted to go, of course. I chose Central America, where I spent three months travelling from Mexico to Costa Rica with a rucksack on my back. This has been by far my most unique trip! It was full of highlights, but what has stayed with me most is the climb up the Acatenango volcano in Guatemala, the three-day sailing trip on the Belize Barrier Reef and the hot-air balloon ride over Teotihuacán in Mexico. Unforgettable moments!