Why We Wander

The story before the journey begins.

Some journeys begin when we buy a ticket.

Ours started long before that.

It started with a casual conversation, in a meeting that lasted 48 hours, in a "what if?" scenario.

Then came the research, the spreadsheets, the calculations, the savings, and the endless lists of places we dreamed of visiting. Without realizing it, we spent almost two years planning a life that didn't even exist yet.

But perhaps this story began earlier.

During the four years I lived in the United States, I met incredible people, had experiences I never imagined, visited unforgettable places, and grew in ways I never could have by staying in my comfort zone.

This is where I met Leticia.

We met during San Francisco Pride, and what seemed like just a one-night stand ended up completely changing the course of my life.

The next day, I embarked on a solo trip to Hawaii. My, or rather, our favorite place in the world, and one I will always cherish. But, even before returning home, I realized something.

While looking at thousands of photos and recounting every detail of the trip to Leticia, all I could think was:

"You should have experienced this with me."

And it was at that moment that I understood I didn't want to experience future adventures alone. Something changed.

That's how the dream of seeing the world together was born. My dream. Her dream. Which became our lives.

Since then, we've started turning that dream into a project. We saved money, researched destinations, studied visas, planned routes, learned about budgeting, thought about ways to work during the trip, and made countless adjustments to the plan until it finally became possible.

And now we come to a moment that also deserves to be recorded.

I am writing this text while preparing to return to Brazil.

After almost four years living in the United States, it's time to close this chapter, spend a few months with family, organize the last details, and start the countdown to the greatest adventure of our lives.

In January, we'll embark on a year-long backpacking trip through Asia.

I thought about waiting until the first shipment to create this blog.

But then I realized I would be leaving out one of the most important parts of this entire journey.

Because a long journey doesn't begin when you board the plane.

It begins with goodbyes.

When in doubt.

At night, researching destinations.

Spreadsheets that were open late into the night.

Our fears.

In the decision to leave a comfortable life to experience something completely new.

That's precisely why the Wander Journal is being launched now.

I want to document not only the places we visit, but the entire journey to get there.

Here you'll find behind-the-scenes glimpses that almost never appear on social media: the trip planning, how much we actually spent, the mistakes, the successes, the hardships, the changes of plans, the unexpected discoveries, and everything else I wish someone had told me before we started.

I hope this space will be useful for those who dream of taking a similar trip, for those who enjoy learning about new cultures, or simply for those who believe that there is always time to start a new chapter.

Thank you for being here from the beginning.

The trip hasn't officially started yet.

But in a way, it started a long time ago.

And now you're part of that story too.

Welcome to Wander Journal.