As a teenager in Santiago, I thought my life path was clearly mapped out. I would become a teacher like my parents, maybe meet a nice person at a local café, settle down, and host warm gatherings in a home filled with music, just as I grew up with. But life, like the tango, has a way of pulling you into unfamiliar rhythms. I wasn’t expecting a love affair—not with a person, but with the art of storytelling and relationships.
This journey, from literary dreams to weaving insights on love, wasn’t always straightforward, but isn’t that the beauty of it? Like trying to decode a flirtatious text, you grin through the confusion until the answer becomes clear.
How It Began: Books, Neruda, and a Little Chaos
My childhood could’ve been a Pablo Neruda poem: full of lyricism, emotion, and the occasional spicy twist. My parents, both teachers, approached life with a kind of romantic optimism that was infectious. They taught me that stories have the power to connect people, whether whispered across the dining table or found in the pages of a book.
When I discovered Latin American literature—think Gabriela Mistral sharing tender truths or Isabel Allende sweeping me away with her magical realism—I was a goner. These authors wrote about love and human connection in a way that wasn’t polished to perfection but raw and messy, like the relationships we navigate every day. I devoured their words and started to notice the parallels between their poetic heartbreaks and, let’s say, the melodrama of my teenage crushes (if you’ve ever written an unsent love letter after listening to Violeta Parra, you get it).
By the time I was studying Comparative Literature at the University of Chile, I was drowning in metaphors about love—but there was one glaring issue. How was I supposed to carry this passion into the real world? I wanted to write about things that mattered, the topics we spend sleepless nights over, from our first heart-pounding kisses to the quiet love of an old couple sharing café con leche. But here’s the kicker: I didn’t know where to begin.
A Lightbulb Moment in Madrid
Fast-forward a few years to me navigating life as a grad student in Madrid, utterly captivated by everyone and everything. Madrid taught me two things: life is far too short to settle for mediocre sangria, and relationships are the touchstone of every culture. As I walked through plazas and read poetry in shadowy cafes, I kept coming back to one question: why do we love the way we love?
Growing up in Santiago, relationships were often framed in terms of tradition—long engagements, elaborate weddings, and certain unspoken expectations. But in Madrid? Love was spontaneous, messy, and unapologetically bold. I saw couples fighting in the street one moment and making up with passionate kisses the next. It made me realize that every culture approaches relationships with its own flavor, its own tempo.
I began digging into the nitty-gritty of romantic connection—how our upbringing, experiences, and even geography influence the way we give and receive love. These questions inspired me to write. And once I started, I couldn’t stop.
Why Relationships? (Hint: It’s About More Than Romance)
At first, I thought my fascination with relationships was purely romantic (spoiler: it wasn’t). What I’ve come to realize is that our relationships define who we are. It’s in the connections we build—with family, friends, and yes, lovers—that we figure out what truly makes our lives meaningful.
Even the missteps teach us something. Take the time a date spent an entire dinner comparing me to his ex—not great! But hey, I learned a lot about setting boundaries (and that you should insist on splitting the bill when things get awkward). Or the year I felt stuck in a long-distance relationship but didn’t have the courage to admit I needed more. These weren’t failures; they were moments of growth.
If literature taught me to see the beauty in messy emotions, writing about relationships has taught me to appreciate the joy in the everyday: the way someone squeezes your hand during a tough moment or the butterflies before a second date.
This is the stuff humanity is built on. Not grand gestures, but small, meaningful connections.
Lessons From the Page to Real Life
Creating a career out of writing about relationships and love hasn’t just been meaningful—it’s been deeply personal. Everything I’ve written, every observation about dating or self-discovery, comes from my lived experience, as well as the stories of friends, family, and strangers who’ve shared their own adventures in love.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:
1. Reflect On Your Stories—and Laugh When You Can
Every disastrous date or cringeworthy relationship phase becomes part of your personal mythology. And trust me, it’s better to laugh than cry about it. Remembering the time I accidentally called a crush by my cat’s name? Makes for a great party story now.
2. Own Your Cultural Identity
Growing up in Chile, romance was tied to tradition. In Spain, it was all fire and spontaneity. Somewhere between these two extremes, I crafted my own perspective. Your cultural background isn’t a template—it’s a starting point. Lean into the parts that resonate and gently challenge the parts that don’t.
3. Relationships Start With Curiosity
Whether it’s asking questions on a first date or digging into why your long-term partner drives you nuts by never loading the dishwasher “properly,” curiosity is the secret sauce. Approaching love from a place of wonder keeps things interesting.
4. It’s Not About Perfect Endings. It’s About Connection.
We idealize love stories as if they end with wedding bells and credits rolling. But in life, relationships evolve—they’re never “finished.” Loving well means being present for the good parts and the messy transitions.
From Flirt to Familiar: A Permanent Work-in-Progress
Almost every article I write now feels like a love letter to connection—whether romantic, platonic, or even the relationship you develop with yourself. Love is the unspoken language that bridges cultures, moments, and people.
So why this path? Because if there’s one lesson life has taught me—from nights reading Neruda to awkward first date small talk—it’s that relationships are messy, beautiful, and deeply human. Why wouldn’t I want to spend my days diving into that?
Here’s to embracing the mystery, enjoying the chaos, and figuring it out along the way. After all, every turn in the tango—unexpected as it may be—is part of what makes the dance unforgettable.
