#7: Sophia Iaquinta Part 1 - Exploring Myanmar and Different Cultures

You can find the full episode description, show notes, and links at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp7/
 
"In Myanmar, there are times when you don't see any other tourists. You feel immersed in the culture and what's going on in daily life...It's also the land of five million trillion pagodas!" - Sophia Iaquinta
 
You are listening to Part 1 of 2. Listen to Part 2.
Sophia Iaquinta (@smiaquinta) joins the Edge of Comfort podcast during her exploration of Myanmar.
Originally from Nebraska, Sophia attended university in Minnesota to earn a dual degree in Nursing and Sociology & Anthropology. She stuck around Minnesota after graduation to work as a nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of a hospital.
Throughout two years in the MICU, Sophia often worked 12-hour night shifts for six to seven days in a row.
After deciding she didn’t want to spend her career in a hospital, Sophia looked for other alternatives. Ideally, alternatives that combined her love for traveling with nursing.
This led her to look into joining the Peace Corps. She applied to volunteer with them and was accepted mid-summer 2017.
Starting February 2018, Sophia is spending the next two years in Guatemala working as a maternal and child health specialist.
After quitting her nursing job, she had a four-month gap between the end of her lease in Minnesota and the Peace Corps start date.
She decided to pack her bags and embark on a solo trip around Asia.
 
Some of the topics we discuss in Part 1 include:
Deciding to visit Myanmar despite high political tensions
Surprising beauty and landscapes in Myanmar
What to actually do in Myanmar
Chiang Mai (Thailand) Lantern Festival
Being a “cultural” traveler
Attempting a technology detox

 
You can find the full episode description, show notes, and links at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp7/