7 years in the making

I have very few regrets in life. One of those was choosing not to study abroad in Santiago, Chile, during the fall of my junior year of college, 2018. Twenty-year-old Sophie was terrified of missing out. A year abroad — fall in Chile and spring in Spain — would’ve done wonders for my Spanish, but unfortunately, I chose another semester in Boston. Looking back, I’d have to rifle through photos to remember anything noteworthy that happened that fall.

Fast-forward to 2023 — I was seeing a guy who was also sick of New York. I convinced myself I needed to move to a different country with him. First, it was London, then I came up with the idea of traveling around South America, living out my long-lost dream of seeing Chile and Argentina, and skiing in Patagonia.

Somehow, this plan changed to Central America, and then just Costa Rica. Just as suddenly, he left NYC without a word and went to Central America without me. Pettily, I removed his access from all of the planning docs I’d created in Google Drive. I was envious that he had the guts to drop everything and leave. But I knew, at the time, that I wasn’t in the financial position to quit my job and risk it all. Now I realize it doesn’t matter what he did or what others thought — all that matters is what I know to be true.

Take three — third times the charm. In March of 2025, I realized I needed a real change. (Blog to come on what triggered the finality of this.)

I looked into applying to Master’s in Public Health (MPH) programs, which I already had on my list from a meltdown a few months before. I reached out to the PI from a lab I worked for at MIT. Not only did he say he’d write me letters of recommendation, but he also invited me to come back to Bolivia with them at the end of July.

I initially turned them down. I was out of PTO and couldn’t see how to go with them and keep my job. I considered asking my boss for leave. A few weeks later, I decided I was leaving NYC at the end of my lease, quitting my job, and pursuing my passion.

I planned to leave my job on the 18th of July, fly to Bolivia on the 20th, and then start working for a health tech company or a startup. But the idea of sitting behind a desk again made me want to hide under the covers, turn off the lights, and never come out.

I got a little too excited about all of my future plans and my very near freedom. I told almost everyone at work, and we all know that when you’re employed at-will, they can let you go whenever they want.

I’m taking each day as it comes. I traveled with the lab through the Amazon Jungle in the district of Bení for 17 days, conducting studies on auditory perception — very similar to the studies we did in 2018 and 2019. I figured it would be a good way to get back into healthcare and science. It was incredible.

My parents are retired, traveling in South America until the end of October. I decided to make the most of already being here and booked a flight from Bolivia to Chile to stay with them.

If you know me, you know I have a hard time sitting still — it’s both a blessing and a curse. So, surprise, I signed up for the Buenos Aires 21 km on August 24 (tomorrow!!). I wish I could’ve explored more while here, but don’t worry — I’ll squeeze in a ski day or two before I go and be back another year when its summer in the southern hemisphere.