The Colombian woman who wanted to meet Gabo and ended up exploring 100 countries: the story of a tireless traveler

Hoping to meet Gabriel García Márquez, her favorite writer, Michelle Andrea Suárez traveled alone to Mexico in 2001. It was the beginning of a journey that has now spanned 100 countries.

“I fell in love with this country. I spent two weeks traveling around it: I visited the capital, Puebla, and Oaxaca. I met people, their culture, and their cuisine, and that's when I realized I loved traveling.” Although she didn't get to meet Gabo until three years later, that first trip marked a turning point. She fell in love with another culture, another country, and the people who inhabit those lands.

Her first trips, however, were imaginary. Suárez considers herself an avid reader. “ I began traveling through reading, which allowed me to explore other worlds and territories, and to move through time and space .”

She admits that she became a traveler by accident. “In Colombia, I never really had the opportunity to travel. For economic reasons, I wasn't exposed to it. My family didn't travel often either,” she says. Although she was born in Bogotá, she currently lives in Las Vegas (United States), where she runs a travel agency for women that promotes responsible, sustainable, and small-group tourism.

A year after that first trip, she volunteered for three months in Nepal. Then, she traveled for a month to India and two weeks to Thailand. And, 24 years later, she reached her 100th country. Of that total, she has traveled to 65 countries completely alone.

Some of her favorite destinations are Mexico, which she has visited 12 times, and India, which she has explored twice, although she admits to having a difficult relationship with the country: she loves its culture and food, but it's where she has faced the most harassment.

Cuba, Tanzania, and Colombia also make up her top five. “I'm not saying this as a Colombian, but as a traveler. Colombia is a spectacular country that offers so many things to tourists. I'm obsessed with Colombia: I love exploring it, discovering new tourist sites, and traveling around it.”

In 2010, he traveled to Africa and completed a marathon that stretched from South Africa to Kenya. While in Tanzania, in a village called Moshi at the base of Kilimanjaro , he met a Spanish woman who offered him a volunteer position at an orphanage for 47 children.

Over time, Suárez has learned to travel at his own pace. He's no longer interested in exploring destinations on the fly, but rather immersing himself in the culture and experiences each place has to offer. He confesses that he plans most of his trips with the help of Lonely Planet guides, and that he usually chooses his destinations based on what most appeals to him: from temples to museums, food, or cultural activities. He also relies on tools like Airbnb Experiences and TripAdvisor to design his routes and activities.

Based on her experience as a traveler, Suárez recognizes that Western Europe is an easy and comfortable region to travel to as a solo woman, as are South Korea and Singapore, countries she finds safe, organized, and culturally enriching.

Her venture, Shero Travel, was born precisely from her experiences traveling alone. According to Suárez, traveling alone is still perceived as an act of courage. “ Although I felt very comfortable going anywhere in the world alone, more than 90 percent of women don't feel that way , because there is a lot of violence against women in the world, as well as security issues,” she admits.

The agency's goal is to support women who want to travel but prefer to do so in a group. The experiences are designed for small groups of 10 to 12 travelers who share spaces to sing, dance , and discover the world in a friendly atmosphere.

Additionally, Shero Travel focuses on supporting other women at destinations. “I always ask for a female tour guide. We also go to restaurants where women are owners or support artisans. Tourism is an industry where there is very little female representation in positions such as guides or group management. Women actually have more secondary roles, such as room maintenance.”

For Suárez, traveling is the best way to learn. He says it means breaking away from the news and official accounts to learn firsthand what has happened and is happening in the territories. “Traveling makes you more tolerant, it removes prejudices, and it makes you unlearn the perceptions you have about certain places.”

One of his most memorable memories was during a safari in the Serengeti, Tanzania, in 2010. He was traveling on a budget and got a last-minute tour of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara for $500. One night, while sleeping in his tent, he heard roars resembling a dog fight. In the morning, the guides confirmed they were hyenas. “I thought I was going to die on that safari. I would never go camping in Africa again,” he says.

Today, after traveling through 100 countries and transforming his way of seeing the world, he still has the same thirst for adventure. Later this year, he plans to travel to Oman, and if time allows, add Bahrain and Kuwait. His dream destination of 20 years remains intact: Uzbekistan. He wants to explore the Silk Road, marvel at its architecture, and learn more about its history and culture.

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - TRAVEL EDITORIAL - @ANGS0614