Travel and experiencing our world is one of the foundational pillars of this company, and each of you have incredible journeys to inspire us, and knowledge that we hope to learn from. Through this series, we hope to share insights from women like you as they travel our globe bolding pursuing their daring life adventures.

Today’s contributor is Zoe Corderio. She is a plant-based wellness coach based in Curitiba, Brazil. As an expat, Zoe has been on many adventures and is going to be sharing a glimpse of her life in Brazil, along with some travel tips and tricks for our Baggage Claim interview.

WELCOME ABOARD ZOE!

Tell us a little about yourself.

ZOE: I am originally from Huntsville, AL but currently live in Curitiba, Brazil with my Brazilian husband - Gabriel, and rescue pup, Gus! I am a plant-based wellness coach who helps women transition into the vegan lifestyle.My passion is helping women find their place in the world and I get the wonderful opportunity to do that through the community I create online!

You can usually find me at home (we’re still living lockdown life in Brazil) in my leggings, sipping on some iced coffee covered in dog hair. I’m obsessed with house plants, potatoes, and buying second-hand.

TAKING FLIGHT:

Where are you off to next and why?

ZOE: My husband and I absolutely love exploring Brazil. It’s such a big country so the culture, dialect, and way of life vary from state to state. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to visit all of our bucket list locations in Brazil due to COVID. We have dreams of one day making it to Foz de Iguazu, Buzios, the Amazon, and the Pantanal.

Though flying to further away places is still difficult, we’ve enjoyed exploring closer towns by car. While maybe not quite as exciting, these weekend trips allow us to have adventures while we maintain our social distancing orders here in Brazil. Our next trip will be to one of our favorite getaway spots, Bombinhas, which is a little beach town in the south of Brazil.

MILEAGE CLUB:

As an avid traveler, what are your go-to travel hacks?

ZOE: I would definitely not consider myself an avid traveler for pleasure but, as an expat who spent two years going back and forth between the US and Brazil, I have learned quite a bit.

One of my main tips: pack light.

While packing for my moves back and forth between the US & Brazil, I have always made it a point to sell, donate, and give away all my unneeded clothing and items. I do sometimes leave a few out-of-season staple pieces in each home country, however, my goal is always to keep my main wardrobe small enough that it can fit into one checked bag. I’ve learned that you don’t need 10 pairs of jeans or 20 dresses in order to keep things fashionable. Creating a traveling capsule wardrobe can be a great idea for those who fly frequently!

TRAVEL TRINKETS:

What’s your favorite travel souvenir?

ZOE: I would absolutely love to say I collected an item from the places I travel, but I am more of a food and photo kind of girl. As a vegan, my food options can be pretty limited but I always make it a point to try all the pastries, teas, and fruits.

I also make my Instagram-husband-in-training stop 100 times a day to snap a picture with me! In my opinion, pictures freeze the memory and that’s what we’re really trying to capture, right?

PERSONAL SPACE:

We’ve all had that neighbor who does THAT THING… What’s your biggest plane etiquette pet peeve?

ZOE: As an expat, the one thing that always makes me anxious on flights to and from Brazil is knowing which language to speak. This doesn’t seem like it would matter since on most international flights the attendants usually speak both languages. Yet, I seem to always speak the wrong one.

At the very beginning of the flight to Brazil, I am usually dying to polish up my Portuguese that I may have not used in months. However, my earnest “agua” request in Portuguese is always met with the flight attendants’ English “water” response. *cringe* I’ve learned it is safer to revert back to speaking in English until dinner is served and the lights are out. Once I wake up almost ready to land, I ask for “water” in English (remembering previous awkwardness only mere hours before) and am met by Portuguese. UGH!

It’s definitely not something everyone deals with, but if you are bilingual, you probably can understand why this is my pet peeve!

IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT:

On the airplane I tend to…

ZOE: I am someone who loves making friends while traveling! In the airports I can usually be found helping a non-English speaking Brazilian navigate through customs or a Starbucks order. I once met the Brazilian vice president’s grandmother on a tram and helped her get to the gate. We became such good friends, she bought me Starbucks and she even emailed me when I got home!

On the actual plane, I am usually rolling solo with a podcast. My go-to favorite is “Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher”

SECURITY CHECK:

Do you get to the airport 4 hours early or get there just in time to walk on the plane?

ZOE: I am the risk taker and Ms-Go-With-The-Flow for everything in my life other than flights. Once I am on the plane I’m usually fine, but in the airport I am a mess. I won’t even let the gate out of my sight!

TOURIST ATTRACTION:

Favorite thing you’ve done or seen in Brazil?

ZOE: My favorite place that I’ve ever been to in Brazil is a little beach town, Bombinhas. I fell in love with the beautiful, tropical scenery and island dogs! I have been dying to go back since we celebrated my husband’s birthday there last October.

If you are into hiking, and secret beaches this little town is for you! There are SO many hidden pools and trails that you would need at least a month to explore all of them.

LOCAL FLAVOR:

Food/snack/beverage we shouldn’t miss from your travel destination?

ZOE: If you ever come to Brazil you have to have acai, hands down! I have been obsessed with this sweet treat since my very first day in Brazil. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a favorite spot because every time I commit to a place it closes down - this is the sad reality of COVID.I am constantly on the search for the best acai spots so I can continue supporting local businesses here in our city.

TRAVEL ITINERARY:

Are you a planner or are you more of a “fly by the seat of your pants” traveler?

ZOE: I am TOTALLY the fly by the seat of your pants traveler. My husband on the other hand marks it down to the hour. In my opinion, the best travel memories I have were from restaurants, trails, and experiences I stumbled upon. Usually, I can pull my husband off the beaten path every once in a while!

SUSTAINABLE PACKING:

As someone who focuses on living sustainably, do you have any tips for us?

ZOE: One of my biggest passions is sustainability. That being said, I would consider myself to be a wanna-be “zero-waster”. When it comes to travel, we can tend to create a lot of waste simply from the convenience of it all. Over the years I have learned a few hacks to using less waste while you travel:

Using reusable Stasher Bags instead of plastic - I use these bags for toiletries and snacks! They have many different sizes available.
Bringing my own water bottle instead of getting 5 plastic ones on the plane. I love Hydro Flask because it can hold the temperature best!
Say “no” to all the extra things on the plane. Headphones, eye masks, and earplugs can be appreciated, however, they are mostly thrown away after one use. Bringing your own is not only better for the environment but it can also be more sanitary and cost effective!

Take Heart. Take Flight:

Our motto - Take Heart. Take Flight. - calls us to courageously search for who we were meant to be, to break free of the fears holding us back, and to boldly pursue the daring adventure set before us. Tell us how you are living this motto in your life.

ZOE: In past seasons, courage and bravery has looked like living the lifestyle I knew was for me — even if I was the only one doing it! When I switched to a vegan lifestyle seven years ago, I was living in Alabama. At the time it felt as though I was the only one for miles. I felt isolated and judged but I knew I had to do it for myself so I pressed on.

Now, in my current season of life, walking out this motto looks like showing up in my business even if I’m afraid of what people will think of me. I want to show women who are choosing a plant-based lifestyle that they are not alone. My lifestyle and my job are never is easy but it’s so worth it!

There will always be people that have something to say about what you are doing but you have to push forward and continue to bravely show up for yourself.