Interview With Sonia Cruz Oro

Hi, guys. My name is Donnie Roust, and you are listening to the podcast One Life. I'm here with Sonia Cruz Oro. Sonia is a psychologist, author of how to Create the Life youe Desire, and founder of SoniaCruzoro.com where her mission is to get people out in the world and to live their best life. Sonia, why don't you say hello?

Hello, Donnie. How are you?

I am doing very well, thank you. My pleasure. So Sonia and I, we met through a coaching group we were in together. And it's funny because both of us have the overlapping desire to get people out in the world and living their best life. Because if you don't do it now, what are you gonna do, Sonia?

Exactly. We only live once.

Yeah, exactly. So I know what got you into the path, so this whole desire to travel, desire to live your life now because this time is all you have. Usually there's a backstory behind that because you don't just come to this epiphany like, oh, I need to live now. Something usually happens that triggers people to go into this mindset of, I need to live life now because time is precious. What was it for you?

Yeah, so it's. Exactly. It's my story. It's my own story. So I'm in the background of it. I've been working since I was very young. And I don't know, I've always been educated, I suppose. It's a society. Our parents, the school, everybody's educating. Like, we have to work, work, work, work, right. To achieve things, to become better and push and push. And I was doing that just out of, you know, routine and growing. I'm originally from Spain, and even. I even moved countries. I moved to Ireland to look for better opportunities at work, to grow professionally.

How old were you when you did that? How old were you when you moved?

Just five years ago. So I was already in my 30s. Yeah.

And that's a big change. I mean, that's a big shift. So I applaud you for doing that because that is a. If you don't mind me asking, how old you.

I just turned 40, so.

40. So even. Even a bigger applause because doing that kind of transition at 30, you know, like, especially at 35, we're so set in our ways. So I applaud that. I mean, that's. We'll ask that follow up, but keep going.

Yeah, yeah. I thought, well, I had the perfect job. You know, I was very happy with my job, actually. I was a manager. I've been managing people. My background is in Psychologist. I also mastered in leadership and management. I like people, and I like helping people to achieve their goals and overcome these barriers, you know, and become better. So it's my life. What is my passion? So I had the perfect job that many people would just love. And in a place I was very economical, very good level, you know, and have my own house, everything. But I felt like I wanted to grow because I always impartial development. I want to grow. I felt I could do more, but was not just this, you know, I could do more. So also this moved me to Ireland, and I grow in the hierarchy of the corporate and, you know, learning more. And I'm very happy I did that because it was also out of my comfort zone in a different language, totally different future. I was moved along. So, yeah, it was a good adventure, but when I was there, it was in the same dynamic, you know, working, working, working, working. What's the next level? What's next? What's next? Until one day I just. It was in a conversation actually with a friend of mine that what's your passion? Yeah, well, I like personal development. I like leadership. But I was really passionate about was traveling as well. And when he asked me, how many countries have you visited or how often do you travel? I felt a bit of a shame, A bit ashamed, like, okay, actually, I'm not traveling so much. Why? It's your fashion. It's like, it's not aligned, but with your passion. And actually we said, yeah, why I'm not traveling more? And it's about this. It's always thinking about the future, always thinking about doing and achieving and improving and not relaxing in the moment, enjoying the present moment. So I realized in that moment that I had to find a balance because this next level, next level. What's next? What's next will never finish. And if you like to grow and you like personal development, you know, it's gonna be always like this, which is good. I love that. I love. I'm quite ambitious, you know, I want to also push myself to see what I'm able to do. But also, you don't need to forget that life is happening. So one day you wake up, you are 40, and what you have done, you know, what countries have you visited? You want to see the world, you want to travel. What. How many. How many flips do you do per year? So this was some reflection that I did, and I realized that I had to travel more.

So what I like what I heard you say. If I. If I let me repeat it back to. If I'M correct was that you were constantly in this, this kind of the state of having to push, having to do more that you said, you know what? I. This is what I need to do. Traveling is going to come second.

Yeah, it was not a priority at all. But just because it was not a priority, I was not doing it, you know, was always in second term. But actually it's in zero because it was not happening. I just want. I was traveling to Spain to visit my family, my friends, maybe we can in Europe and you know, but that's all. So I was not actually, if I have a long bucket list that I think everybody has, I was thinking how many life I need to make it happen, to make it a reality. And we only have one. So it was something I need to change. It's when I realized I need to change something to find this balance and actually enjoy the life because we are.

Here to live and that's where. And I think that's so important because it doesn't just have to do with travel, but it has to do with every aspect of someone's life. Because people, why the message rings so true is that someone might not, you know, they might be going full force in their business, sacrificing. Maybe it's their emotional health, maybe it's, you know, the excitement of just being in the moment, traveling, seeing the world, but maybe it's their health, maybe it's at the cost of their, their intimate relationships, the relationship with their family and their kids. So it really is like an analogy for, for all of life when you're so fixated on this one. That means if you're, you might not be fixed, you know, you might be focused on other aspects of your life that are so important to you.

Yeah. So unfortunately, sometimes must happen something negative, as you said, a health problem or relationship problem for us to wake up and realize, okay, what I'm doing, you know, so, yeah, it's true. So it must happen. Something that make us say, come on, maybe you are. Tomorrow is not something that you can give for granted. And we tend to give for granted. Right. And of course, it's not always just leaving the present, but it's the balance, eventually the balance to find the balance.

So what did you. So you, you made the decision like, wow, this is, this is. You saw the trajectory of your life. You go, wow, this is where I'm going. I want to do all these things. I have to make the time now. So what were the reactions of your family and friends when you told them that you were Going to, you know, not just again, move to Ireland and. But then doing all these travels, what did they have to say?

Yeah, well, actually, the opinions were very different. So we had people who said, you are crazy. What are you doing? That you have everything here. You start from scratch there. And other people were like, oh, my God, I just invite you. I would like to have this courage to do that. So you have people who always. You will find more supportive people who will just transfer their fears, but in a good way. They care about you. You know, they want you to avoid pain.

So who are those people, though? Who were the. Who were the fear. Who are the fearcasters? Well, this is important for everyone to know.

Yeah. It can be. Maybe your parents, can be some work colleagues, maybe some friends, you know, people close to you, close to you, that they have, you know, you have enough trust for them to say what they feel that they believe. But this will always happen with everything, with traveling, when you follow your passion, when you have to follow eventually what you feel, what your heart is telling you, because otherwise you will realize that you are living the life that other people expect or people, you know, that other people want instead of the one you want.

Yeah.

So you have to be very determined there and say, I understand, I appreciate, but I want to blow my heart and what I want to do.

And that's a power. That's a very, very powerful point. What you're saying is that you have to go your own path because people. I mean, everyone has their own expectations of where you go, where you're coming from, but also family. Like, I've done extensive travel myself, and the. My siblings and my parents, they always will, you know, try to rain on my parade to the point where now when I travel, I don't mention a single trip, a single detail until I'm in the plane and I'm traveling somewhere overseas, because I know the feedback that I give. So then. All right, so your parents and your family, your people close to you, they were putting doubts in your mind. What. When they started putting their doubts in. Go back. I want you to kind of step back into that moment, and I want you to describe to me this psychological state. Like, what were the emotions you had set out to say? This is what I want. And now you have just to. Just to drive home the power of environment, the power of the people who you surround yourself with and how they are able to influence what happened when these people who are closest to you, people who you love and love you back, started saying these things.

Yeah, sorry. So the people when they saying that eventually. Well, I have very clear, you know, so I have very clear in my mind this is what I wanted to do. Of course you listen people, you understand their point. But in the moment. Well, actually, yes, maybe there is a few amount of doubt in that moment. What if, you know, because it's. What if this happens? What if this happens? So it's unavoidable. But we are human, you know, you have this fear. But I think my desire was stronger, my motivation was bigger. So I could not really care because it's like, what's the worst case scenario? What's the worst thing can happen to me? You know, so come back here. I always. I already know what it is. So just putting that right. What's the best thing can happen? What the worst thing can happen if I go and what's the best thing I can. And the worst thing I happen if I stay. And when you do this, then the decision was super clear.

Beautifully, beautifully said. So I want to. What you just said was like, it was very powerful. Was that your motivation was. Your motivation was stronger. Your motivation was bigger than any doubt in your mind. And if you want to make any kind of change in your life, the vision has to be there. If you don't have that vision there, you're going to get kind of pulled back on. Anything that's going to. Anything that's. That comes up, especially like the people, your loved ones. And what was your first. So you did Ireland and I applaud you for that. That's something that I've wanted to do. And I'm like, you know what this is. I'm creating the business so this way I could do those things. But dropping, I mean that does take a tremendous amount of courage and it is. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. But what was your. So tell me what you're outside of Ireland. So you went from Spain to Ireland. Outside that. What was your first. What was the first trip you took?

Well, before Ireland. My first trip, you mean? Yeah, yeah. So I, when I was young, well with my parents, you know, we live in Spain and maybe some south of France nearby. But I think the moment I realized that traveling was something I wanted to do, that was my passion, that was something I wanted really to have in my life was in the trip I did in London, I went to London and I was already there 26. I was already in the adult age. So it was 26 years old. And I remember that I was working was with my family, with my parents and My brother, we did this trip. It was a family gift we had together. And I remember walking in the streets of London and feeling just. It came just to me, like, one day I will live here. Eventually was not London, it was Ireland. But, you know, was like, yeah, I want. It's something. It happened something that I felt. I felt like, you know, I felt like in the past, I was like watching movies of people having their life and traveling, and suddenly I was the. I was in the movie myself. So I was leaving the movie. You know what I mean? I was out of seeing different things. It opens in front of me world of possibilities. And the world was so big and there was so many things to do. I was in my small there watching movies when all the people were living. And then I kind of step and say, yeah, I also can do that, you know, so was in London.

So you had mentioned, if I remember, you said, like, when you were in London, you saw the world felt more expansive, you felt. It felt bigger. And your view on what was in the world changed, right? Because you saw something different. You got out of this. This kind of, like, cocoon that we live in just from habit, going over and over. And think of when you think of, like, a period of time before a trip, was there a period of time where maybe there was a gap between your trips and you started to get complacent and like, you know, you did a trip, and all of a sudden you kind of pull back. You're like, oh, well, I don't know if I could travel now. This is not the right time. But then you break through again and you remember those reasons why you want to do it in the first place. You go again and then explain me, like, the mentality, the thought process before and then the thought process after doing it. Because I think it's important. Everyone thinks that. I think people believe that this motivation to travel is kind of like it's always in you, which is true, but it's also something that needs to be fed.

Yeah, Actually, it's like I compare it with any other goal. I mean, if you want to lose weight or you want to get fit or whatever it is, right? So you need to do some initiative. You enroll to the gym or you go to run, you know, so you have to put the action. Otherwise the life gets in the way and you will not get your results the goal you want. So if you want to travel more, you also have to be, you know, disciplined in this way. Okay. Because otherwise you procrastinate. It's something very Human. We are busy. And it's what I was saying before. If you don't travel, nothing happens. Short term. Yeah. Until you wake up one day and you see and how many years has passed and you have nothing and see all the things you want to see. So it's that. So you have to be disciplined like any other call that you have in life. Because it feels like, well, it's just having fun, it's just traveling, it's just relaxing. It feels like it should be easier, but actually it's not. So you have to make the decision look as quicker as you can and don't buy your own excuses because otherwise you get comfortable. You get. Yeah. Because you don't know what you are missing. Sometimes it's like you think that you are fine but because you don't know what you're missing. So once you are there, it's like coming back from running or coming back from the gym, you will never feel bad, you know, oh my God, what's working? Yeah. So it's the same. Maybe you feel lazy. Oh, I have to. But then you do it and it's like, oh, fortunately I did it because I feel much better. And you get your results eventually, which also gives you more confidence. So your self esteem also increases. So it's everything related.

So true. So many times I remember I would book a trip and then as the trip would come up, it seems like clockwork. I would start to get busy again. I'm like, oh my gosh, how the heck am I supposed to sneak away at this time? Because maybe I should. Well, I never, I never. I always purchase my tickets non refundable so there's never a choice. I never, there's no, there is no cancellation. But then never regretting a single moment doing it and be like, oh my gosh, that was the best trip of my life. And yeah, it was.

It was amazing memories and the friends you make is forever. So it's something that is just enriching you in a way that any other things, at least for me.

And so I want to go back. You had mentioned the discipline of it. Because anytime you, anytime we're not disciplined, anytime we don't have the structure around, whether it be our body and like our health or travel, which is the biggest one. If you don't lack the structure, if you don't have the, the framework that keeps you kind of plugged into that life does get in the way. You go around your habits and all of a sudden the world, it's like your world shrinks with my own example, like, I would, I booked two months a year. I travel, I travel. That's probably. The time is probably going to change this time around. But I would travel in November and then I would travel again in March. And I always noticed there was a theme when I traveled in March. I was always excited. I was always really gung ho, really excited to get out there and start traveling again because I just done the trip in November. But when it came time to book the trip for November, having just, you know, finished the one in March, there was a longer period of time in between the two trips. And as a result, there's almost like this, this tension that, like I wasn't, you know, it felt uncomfortable for me to book that trip. Luckily I've been doing it. I know that this is when I had the time off, the freedom to do it. I'd always book it. But there was always that, that, that almost that fear. So it's not something that goes away. You just have to have the strategy in place to, you know, to move forward and make it commit.

Because eventually it's out of your comfort zone. Especially if you go. It's not the same a trip, for example, when I booked for coming back home to visit my parents, you don't feel this excitement, you know, it's like, you know, what if we are too specific? But it is a new trip, a new country, you always have that. It's like because you go out of the comfort zone, it's like before doing a public speech, you know, so even if you are professional and you talk a lot, you always have this thing in the stomach, you know, but this is good. This is something that motivates you as well. It's excitement eventually. So you take this to book the trip and make the decision.

So in your experience, what gets in the way then? What are the biggest reasons that people give? I mean, that people give for not doing the things that their bucket list items, whether it be travel, whether it be whatever. But we're going to stick with travel because that's the wavelength we're on. What are the biggest reasons that people put off these things for some later point in time and never commit?

Yeah, that's interesting because I just did a full webinar about this to talk because there are different reasons, of course, it's very personal, but the main reason is because people don't have a strategy. So they need a strategy, you know, so they need, as I said, like any other goal they want to achieve because otherwise life gets in the way. So most times it's because they don't prioritize travel. Okay. They don't have a plan or they don't have a way to keep accountable. And then the thing that, you know, say, for example, they save money every month to go on a trip and then something, the car breaks down or something happens that they don't expect. They take this money because nothing happens if I don't travel but the car, I need it. So they put other priorities in front, you know, so they don't keep accountable to this goal, to this dream to follow the passion to travel more. But usually the reasons people, this is the reasons that are behind, but not everybody's aware. Right. So usually the reasons that they say, look, I don't travel more because it's very expensive, usually it's money. Or because I have no time because I'm traveling too much or because I don't know who to travel with, I don't have companions, I don't want to travel alone. Or you know, it's another reason that is very typical as well. So I find these are the three reasons that most people is using for not traveling, for barriers that they find.

If I'm going to repeat. So you said the biggest three reasons were time.

Mm.

The money and I'm sorry, I have the third one and companions, someone to travel with.

Yeah.

And of those, I mean in your own personal experiences. I'll share what mine are of your own experiences. Have, so have you had those same fears when you were traveling?

It is the same fears when you travel.

Have you had those fears when you first started?

Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. But again it's like, yeah, so time, you know, so everybody has 24 hours, you know, so it's something that. How you manage this time. Yeah. So again it's a priority how you prioritize. I have no time for what you know, so time is the most hard thing. Everybody has the same. Yeah, so it's how you prioritize, how important is for you and how you make time for it. Of course there are, you know, other techniques. There are professionals that help you and there are systems that help you especially for these specific problems. But sometimes you don't know how these things can help you because also things change very quick in Internet. There are different new things happening and the low cost companies and all these that maybe you think you cannot afford it and maybe you can, but you don't know how you can do it. So sometimes it's also the unknown that people don't know. Things that are available out there.

Well, you always get, you always get what you're committed to. Right. So the time people give the time as an example, they might say time, but they're ready to devote hours of a day to watching a Netflix series.

Which is eventually priorities behind the time reason.

Yeah, yeah. And so those are the. And then your experience, I mean once you do it, I know from my personal experience the easiest way to like what would you. So, so how would you dress if you had to give, give someone like something they could do to work through each of those or at least show them the truth. Like alright, well these are your. The three biggest reasons that the majority of people cite Tell them why are. Why is each one of these false? Why, why are each one of the three reasons that you gave completely false?

Oh yeah, yeah. Because you know, there is a believing system behind there is something that is stopping you. As I said, maybe can be a fear eventually fear of getting out the comfort zone. And just because they have this fear, they are not aware and they think it's because, I don't know, they have no companions. You know what I mean? So they, so the apparent reason is not the real reason behind. There is a belief system, there is fear, there is a knowing other options that may be solutions. Yeah. And knowing that there are solutions for this problem. So you think it's impossible for your current situation when actually there is options. So sometimes when you find these options that you didn't know that exist, then it is not a problem anymore and can be also the complacency, you know, so it's like, am I ready? Okay, I'm okay. You know, I travel every two years, I'm okay. But at the end of your life, you want to look back and see I had an okay life or you want to say I lived the best life I could, you know, so it's something that we, we need sometimes people to remind us that. Because it's very easy to just get trapped in the routine and as I said, go to just work, work, work to the minimum thing I'm okay and then realize what I've done.

I think some people. So I think the greatest risk to having a passion, living a passion full life is that need for certainty. But there's something ironic and what I found in my own experience that there's something ironic about diving into the uncertainty. Travel, for example, I know you know, with those three money people think that you have to travel. You know, it has to be expensive to travel when that is couldn't be further off from the truth if you want to live it. You know, if you want to stay in a five star hotel, yes, it could get very expensive. But in doing that, you also miss out on some of the great experiences that you'll have in life. So I mean, you can find cheap tickets anywhere, you can find cheap accommodations everywhere. And if you're eating local food outside the United States and maybe a few other big cities, food is relatively cheap.

Looking at also you can find types that sells cheaper. So the thing is knowing how. So it's this beliefs that people think assume that it's like this, but it's because they don't know other ways and.

Prevent them from even seeking out the answers.

Yeah, they assume they already know and they don't look for answers. Exactly.

Yeah. So the uncertainty, the certainty, I think, I think is that need for certainty to feel like, oh well, everything's going to be okay is probably the greatest risk. And there's something ironic that happens as a result of going through all the experiences because the more you travel, the more comfortable you get and the more certain you feel about that experience. I could go anywhere in the world and I feel more certain that I can not only go to the place and be safe, but thrive and have a good time. And there's. So there's something that happens. It's like a paradox where what is uncertain all of a sudden now starts to become certain. And it's the same thing with light and with everything in life. As long as you start to put that focus and you do it enough, you start to build that muscle and that happens.

Everything like everything. Exactly. When you get used to the first time you, I don't know, you like riding horses. The first time you did it, I'm sure you were not brilliant, you know, so. But you learn and you fall down and you go again. So it's every skill, every skill. So when you get used to get out of the comfort zone a bit more. So what I recommend is here in this situation is get out of the comfort zone a little bit so that it doesn't feel too scary. But also it's a bit of a stretch. Not this little step and a step by step, step by step.

And what do you suggest to someone who wants to get out? They want to slowly start creeping out, they want to travel, they slowly want to start creeping and getting out of that comfort zone and see the world and open their eyes. What do you suggest? What would you tell them?

Well, it depends on what's the reason that they stop them yeah. So the first thing is looking for, you know, somebody. Because sometimes we think that, as I said that we already know the options. So asking or let you let somebody that knows advice, you know, accept help to achieve your goals like in any other goal in life. But for instance, I don't know a good thing that works very well. People who is scared to get out and go and travel can be, for example to travel in a plan a trip that is already arranged. So they don't know how to start. So the people who are not used to travel, they don't know how to start. They get, you know, overwhelmed with all these options around also many booking engines options. And I don't know what the destination, what's safe, what's not safe, what's dangerous, what's allowed now in this situation we are living now. I don't want to travel alone. How I can have a person who is waiting for me in the airport to pick me. These kind of things can feel travel in a group that I can meet also other people. I can make friends. I'm not feeling alone. Depends on what the problem. So every situation have solutions, everything has solutions. So it's just being able to open up and accept this help to really achieve the kind of life that you want to have the lifestyle that you want to enjoy.

And how do you think so now I mean, Covid brings about a different way of traveling. A lot of people are afraid to even getting on a plane because they. They don't want to wear a mask for however many hours. From your professional opinion, from your what would you. What kind of. What is the outlook that you see in the travel industry as a whole? And how might this everything that's going on with COVID impact how people travel going forward?

Yeah. So it is fear now with COVID also, I suppose because it's very unpredictable and we don't know so much information. So what I would say here again is the same. So try to go out of your comfort zone not so much. So if you just panic attack, don't do it, but inform yourself. So information is important. So you will know that how the flight and the planes they have the system that clean the air. You wear your face mask and the health sanitizer and all the reasonable social distancing things. So all the reasonable. Of course you need to take personal responsibility here. But does not mean that you have to be all the COVID that we don't know how long is going to be at home. You know, they're close at home, afraid to Be somebody, send you the bills or you pass to another person. So you have to live as well. You have to live your life. So it's like this balance again. So do something that feels, feels comfortable, a bit of a stretch as well. And take always the precautions, take the inform yourself, breathe, make all the questions answered, get the questions answered and use all the government and the authorities recommend to protect yourself and protect others. So some people do more local trips in their countries or, you know, you can do road trip. There are many options as well. It's about finding a way, finding a kind of thing that you feel comfortable with. And get information for this year to differentiate what is real dangerous and what is just belief because you don't know how the real impact of it.

That's very well said. That's one of the things I actually talked about in my one life course is that we have this at least. I used to hold this belief that everything I needed to travel to have an experience, but really, really came down to was my belief system about being home, about being in the United States and the experience that I was going to have here. But if you know anything, like, the truth is that even happiness, for example, you could do absolutely nothing and find happiness. Happiness all comes from where we put the focus, where we put our emotions. So once you know that and you know what the belief system is behind traveling abroad versus traveling here in the United States or home, wherever you are, you could start to break down those legs, those legs that hold that belief table up. And as a result of that, then you also start to shift your world. You start to see the world that you're living in different light. But even with that said, I totally go broad because it gives you a different perspective. If you're traveling just in Spain, for example, you'll see a lot of Spain, but there is, it's the same culture. While that's, you know, you could say, you could make the argument like, America's very diverse or, you know, a lot of places have that diversity in it, but nevertheless, it's very different. What are your experiences around now? Traveling somewhere new, somewhere you've never been for, where their culture is completely different. I'm interested more in the mindset because there's something that happens when you travel to a place that you've never been before, where all sudden biases and everything kind of go away because your mind opens up and you start learning. Run me through. Think of a time where, like trip, where you had that, that major, like where there was a culture shock, where all sudden you opened your eyes, shifted beliefs about maybe the place of the origin itself, about the people that you encountered. I'll leave it there.

Before answering this question, what you said that made me remind me something, that sometimes we go to the same place, but because we go with different people, you see different. And I want to give you the example, because now that I'm in Spain, here with my partner, which is Irish, so seeing my small city where I live here in Spain, from his eyes made me wonder, you know, like that's true, I never saw that, or I never saw this, this way. So when you go. So the companions are very important as well. You can go to the same place with different people and see the totally different place. But coming to your question. So when you go to a place that is new, that is different, is culturally different. So first of all. Well, it happened, for example, the last one that I really enjoyed last year, I did in Dubai. So I'd never been before in the Arabic unit state. So I was there and I didn't know what to expect, right. So I was with already a package organized. So I had the local person there, the guide. I was with other people. So I had this relax. So the professionals help me and do what's the best in this trip. But because I had no expectations and I felt this relaxed, that I'm in good hands. So I really enjoy it in a way. And we did lots of activities, going to the desert, we went to the best restaurants to try the food. The highest tower in the world right there in Dubai. So we did so many things that we had so much fun. But I don't know, I just enjoyed. I didn't. Yeah, I was aware it was in a different country, it was in a different future, but it felt familiar. Well, exciting, familiar, fun and have good memory. So I chat with other people, maybe they went as well to Dubai and such, but nothing, you know, so we can go to the same place because we have different setup or different companions or different experience, totally different experience. But we can see the same place. And maybe I come back again another day with another people and I don't see the same, you know. So yeah, it's not only the place is all the setup around all the people who's with you always organized the excursions, activities, the feelings. If you. Yeah, the energy that is in the trip, it's more important.

So what you said. No, no, you're actually. I'm segueing. It's something different because of something you just said. You said when you were with different people. They shifted the way you saw whatever it was like. And that is. And that goes back to the mindset, that goes back to the biases, the beliefs you have about a certain place, culture, experience that was in. And I'll give you an. I actually went to Dubai and I'll kind of. I'll. I'll finish with that Dubai story. I was talking with someone. I was in Italy for like a month doing an espresso sommelier course. And while I was there, I was talking to different people, trying to figure out where in Italy I was going to go. One of the places I was interested in was going to Geneva. When I was there, people were like, why do you want to go to Geneva? Genova said, dumb. Everyone saying it's dirty, yada, yada, yada. And I almost was questioning whether or not I should take that part of the trip, but I ended up doing it anyways. And I had the best experience going to Genova because, you know, there's your flank, you have Portofino, you have all these other little. I think it's Boca Dace, which, like these beaches near Portofino. And I think Cinque Terre was also there. It's just a beautiful city. I love the streets. But if I had listened to that opinion, that bias that someone else and let that control how I saw the city, it would have been a completely different experience. But choosing to experience it on my own, change that and then flip to Dubai. When I was in Dubai, like, I was in Dubai, I literally was there for a long layover. And on that long layover, I went to Burj Khalifa, I went to the mall and I was turning, oh, my God, what's that?

The bee was from the Burj Khalifa.

I didn't go to the top. The wait was too long.

You have to go back.

The wait was too long. You couldn't get to the top. It was like an. I only had like four hours in the. And then I was. You know what? I probably wouldn't go back, but I didn't see. See. Going back to the story you tell yourself, I didn't see anything in there. So for me to create this. For me to create this story, this narrative in my mind as to why all the reasons why I wouldn't go back there, it was just a complete bullshit, really. And so it's interesting. So you just helped me kind of see that aspect, that bias I was putting on top of it. But the eyes you bring to the trip. The eyes, the people that you Travel with are how you see the world, how you experience that, that, that travel.

That's why I use how you feel there. It's a feeling eventually what you will remember. Yeah, maybe you don't remember the name of the place or the name of the restaurant. You just know that you ate so well, that you felt, you know. So it's eventually how you feel. And how you feel is all the, everything around you, everything is set up, who you are with, even the weather. Everything is how you, how you, you feel eventually. And it's a memory you will have.

So I have two more questions for you. The first is, if you were given you had one year to live, what is the message that you'd want to. What is like that legacy that you would want to leave to the world?

Wow. The message I want to give to the world is to follow your passion eventually is, is like do what makes you feel happy. And you don't need to give any explanation. You don't need to justify yourself why and you don't need to convince or make other people understand. If this is what your heart is telling you to do, it's what you're passionate about it, let's go and do it.

I like that.

Enjoy the journey.

And lastly, I always like to end my interviews with some kind of strategy, something that someone could listen to. If they were to only get five minutes of my, of my, of the episode. They got these last five minutes, the last question, they'd be able to walk away and they would be able to implement something into their life and create a change in an instant as long as they stayed true and committed to that decision. So with that, so we're going to assume right now that the person who is listening to this, they have this dire need to and desire to travel. If you could give them a strategy, something to make them, if they were to never see us again on this, something they could implement into their life. So this way they could create that habit of travel, making sure that every year they're getting a step closer. What is one pattern, one habit that you would say that do this and this will lead you to the travels, trips, the experiences that you desire?

Well, I suppose the answer to this is ask yourself, how bad do you want it? Right. So how bad do you want to travel? And what I will say is also very important. So if you could do it alone, you could have already done it. This is the first thing, it's also clear because sometimes is what I said, we think, oh, this is not possible for me because I have kids, I have blah, blah, blah, the reasons they cannot do it. And it's because they don't know how you know. So reach out for help. Let your professionals help you. Because eventually it's like everything in life. So you want an objective. If you could have it, there was nothing in the middle, you could have already done it. So if you are not having it, you are not doing it. It's because something is a block and sometimes it's a limiting belief that is blocking you. You need somebody just to.

And then you go, yeah, I like that.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

I like that. Beautiful. Well, Sonia, thank you so, so much. People want to get in touch with you. If you want to say your website.

Yeah. You can go to www.soniacruthauro.com. also following me in Instagram@soniacrufauro.com.

Do you want to spell it out?

Yeah, There you go. S, O, N, I A spell Sonia. Then C, R, U, Z and O, R, O, O altogether oniacruzoro in Instagram. And also I'm Also in Facebook, SoniaCrusoro.com actually, if you go to my link in Instagram, you can download the book that you were telling the how to create the life you desire. You can download it for free. It's my gift.

Awesome. Well, again, Sonia, thank you so much for coming onto the my podcast. You're a beautiful person and we share the same mission, and I look forward to talking to you soon.

Thank you very much. Likewise, honey. Take care.

Thank you.