Welcome to another episode of the Leap in Life podcast. Today we’ll be catching up with Valerie Russel, who has 20 of travel experience and over 30 countries visited. A native of Nyack, New York, she was educated in Washington, DC, and Bournemouth, England and settled down in the New York metro area, prepared for a career in law enforcement. After a decade of working to travel, Val decided to finally live the life she had been dreaming about and quit her job as a Narcotic Investigator to start Due South Travels. She arrived in Guatemala in July 2017 and now lives in Antigua with her two expat felines. For Val, giving in to the wanderlust was the easy part. The challenge of changing careers and learning a new industry has been nothing short of an adventure all its own, just the thing Val thrives on!
In this episode, Valerie shares with us how her love for travel began and how speaking to someone from her day job inspired to actually take action and pursue her dream to travel and live abroad. Val talks about taking the leap and moving to Guatemala, starting her own business in a foreign country, and why people should not be scared of giving their dreams a shot. All this and more in this episode, so make sure to tune in until the end!
[00:01 - 15:19] Talking About Valerie’s Leap in Life
[15:20 - 29:47] Serving Travelers and Living Abroad
[29:48 - 33:37] Wrapping up!
Key Quotes
“Why are you letting your career define who you are? That's not what life is about.” - Valerie Russel
“Success for me is not measured on the financial gains. It's really how many people have found me and left with a smile on their face?” - Valerie Russel
Connect with Valerie through her Facebook, Instagram, or through her website!
Let’s Get Connected!
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LEAVE A REVIEW + and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to make that leap. For weekly inspiration listen to previous episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!