This Latina Travels

Permission. It’s the word that anchors this conversation with Bianca Alba.

Born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and raised in the DMV as the daughter of hardworking immigrant parents, Bianca became the first in her family to earn a college degree and built a career in public health that took her from the CDC to pandemic response and eventually Puerto Rico, where she has called home for nearly a decade.

After years on the front lines of Covid, Bianca realized she couldn’t advocate for mental health while neglecting her own. She began building This Latina Travels on the side, and when her federal role ended, she chose herself… turning her passion for travel and storytelling into a full-time business that now includes a podcast, blog, speaking engagements, and service programs impacting communities in Puerto Rico.

This conversation is about giving yourself permission to start before you’re ready, embrace unexpected endings, and trust that preparation, community, and purpose can create a new beginning.

Bianca Alba was let go from her 15-year federal public health career and instead of falling apart, she chose herself. Today she’s the founder of This Latina Travels, helping women travel the world, embrace reinvention, and build a life on their own terms.

In this episode of Rise Differently, host Iris Canela talks with Bianca Alba about surviving a career layoff, giving yourself permission to grieve and rest, building a travel brand from scratch, solo female travel across six continents, and why success without alignment feels empty.

In our conversation, we discuss the financial and emotional realities of working through grad school and the importance of building supportive communities that sustain us through uncertainty and transition. Bianca also reflects on her experience working in public health, job loss despite years of dedication and advancement, and eventually stepping into entrepreneurship. This episode is ultimately about giving yourself permission to move at your own pace, redefining success, and creating a life that aligns with your values.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why many first-generation students take non-linear paths through graduate school and careers
• What graduate programs often misunderstand about working-class and first-gen students
• How survival mode and burnout can shape academic and professional experiences
• Why job stability is never guaranteed, even after “doing everything right”
• How community, purpose, and self-compassion can support long-term sustainability

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Bianca Alba, Founder and CEO of This Latina Travels LLC, to explore a journey rooted in service, resilience, intentional travel, and love.

Bianca shares how Puerto Rico became more than a destination—it became home. From organizing hurricane relief efforts after Hurricane Maria to launching a podcast during COVID that grew into a mission-driven travel brand, her story reflects the power of community, purpose, and storytelling.

Having traveled six of the seven continents, Bianca brings a global perspective to her work, which now includes educational student travel experiences in Puerto Rico and the development of women’s retreats focused on rest, growth, and transformation. As she steps into a new chapter of life and marriage, this episode celebrates not only her global impact, but the reminder that when travel is guided by heart, it can lead to healing, connection, and home.

Sometimes, healing begins in motion. In this episode, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Bianca Alba, founder of This Latina Travels, to explore how grief, identity, and travel intertwine. What starts as a conversation about exploring the world becomes a deeper story about returning to yourself. Her story begins in a single-parent household where vacations felt like something other people did, faraway dreams that didn’t belong to families like hers. Today, Bianca has traveled to six continents and uses her platform to show women of color what’s possible when you give yourself permission to go. Her work reminds us that representation isn’t just inspiring, it’s necessary. Nina and Bianca also reflect on the power of community, having recently shared virtual space as speakers at the Latinas in Podcasting Summit 2025. The conversation moves through grief, identity, purpose, and the courage it takes to keep expanding your life after loss.

In this episode, I’m joined by Bianca Alba, a proud Latina, first-generation college graduate, and fearless world traveler. She’s the founder of This Latina Travels – a vibrant platform, blog, and podcast that shares the unfiltered journey of a First-Gen Latina exploring the world one country at a time. We’re diving deep into what it truly means to defy expectations and rewrite the rules placed on us. We’re talking about smashing stereotypes and questioning the boxes society tries to put us in. This conversation is all about breaking barriers, redefining identity, and standing firmly in your truth.

My guest this week is the lovely Bianca Alba. Bianca was born in Bolivia and grew up in the USA…in Northern Virginia specifically. She currently resides in Puerto Rico and has lived on the island for over a decade now. She shares how a trip to South Africa really sparked her love for travel. Her company “This Latina travels” has grown into a blog, podcast, and thriving business. Bianca also shares how she grew up Roman Catholic and how she navigates faith today. I know you will enjoy this episode as much as I did!

Ever felt your heart race before a flight or panicked halfway to your dream destination? In this episode, Melisa and Christy of My Brain Está Spicy sit down with Bianca Alba, creator of This Latina Travels!, to talk about travel anxiety, healing, and falling in love with the world anyway.

Bianca is the voice and creator of “This Latina Travels!” – a podcast about travel through the eyes of a First-Generation Latina traveler and college grad sharing all her travel experiences first-hand. As a little girl in a single-parent household, trips felt out of reach. Now, she’s explored six of the seven continents and empowers women who look like her to dream—and travel—boldly.

Together, we unpack the fear, overstimulation, and unexpected joy of travel—especially when your brain and body get spicy.

En este episodio especial, conversamos con Bianca Alba, una orgullosa latina y fundadora del podcast This Latina Travels. Bianca comparte su inspiradora trayectoria desde Cochabamba, Bolivia, hasta convertirse en una voz destacada en el mundo de los viajes. Hablamos sobre cómo inició su amor por los viajes, los desafíos de ser una bloguera de viajes, consejos para mujeres viajeras, y mucho más. ¡Acompáñanos en esta charla llena de inspiración y consejos prácticos para tus próximas aventuras!​

Ever wondered how to juggle a thriving 9-to-5 career while pursuing your passion project? Meet Bianca Alba, a public health baddie by day and a travel podcaster by night. In this episode, Bianca shares her inspiring journey—from working on the frontlines of major public health crises like the Zika outbreak and COVID-19 to creating This Latina Travels, a podcast dedicated to empowering women of color to explore the world fearlessly. We dive into her roots in Bolivia, her experiences as a first-generation Latina college graduate, and how she discovered self-love while starting fresh in a new city. With six continents under her belt, Bianca is on a mission to break barriers so more mujeres like us can take up space across the globe. Tune in for real talk on public health, travel, and balancing work with a side hustle—one passport stamp at a time!

In this episode of Querida Latina, host Anahi, speaks with Bianca, the creator of This Latina Travels, about her journey from dreaming of travel to making it a reality. They discuss the empowerment that comes from solo travel, the importance of creating spaces for Latinas in the travel community, and the mindset shifts necessary for overcoming challenges. Bianca shares cultural insights gained from her travels and offers advice for first-generation Latinas navigating their paths.

The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast is on the mission to change th enarrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time!

In this episode, Bianca shares about growing up in the DMV area or DC, Maryland, Virginia. She shares her experience of obtaining a full-ride scholarship to college and thinking as a first-gen Latina, she had to become a doctor but then changed majors and received her masters degree in public health.

Season two is kicking off with Bianca Alba!

Hood Girls Travel Too is a travel coaching community that aims to educate self-proclaimed hood girls and women of all cultures and colors about the many skills that they already possess that are transferable to a life of travel and adventure that might feel is out of their reach.

In this episode we continue our discussion on defying expectations. Though it was difficult, Bianca embraced the experiences that came her way. Living in Puerto Rico during the Zika outbreak was a turning point, allowing her to connect with the community on a deeper level. It was during this time that she started her podcast, sharing her travel experiences and encouraging others to explore the world. For Bianca, defying the norm means living her purpose and breaking free from expectations. She talks about how important self-care, therapy, and solo travel are as for her own personal growth. Traveling has been a big part of her healing process, allowing her to discover herself and live authentically.

Dreaming of your next vacation but feeling overwhelmed with the entire process? Bianca Alba from This Latina Travels has traveled to 6 of the 7 continents in the world and her goal is to encourage and support women who look like her to travel the world too!

You Will Learn:

• How she traveled to Cape Town, South Africa and El Salvador for free.
• Why a travel fund can help make your dream of traveling a reality.
• How to travel the world with a 9-5.
• Tips and hacks for finding travel deals!

The world has opened up significantly since 2020, and people are eager to travel again. But how attainable is it to go on trips nowadays? If you’d love to travel more but are unsure if your budget allows for it, I have traveler extraordinaire and all-around savvy adventurer, Bianca Alba on the show to talk about how to make traveling a bigger part of your life without breaking the bank.

In this episode, I was a guest on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Inflation numbers are in. Are things looking better or worse? Also, are you hoping to travel more in 2024? If so we’ve got a few tips for you in this episode.

Today’s Number is 3.1%

This is the inflation percentage reported for January in the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Today’s Article Discussion: 

The 10 best budget travel tips that will help you travel more in 2024 written by Lori Zaino and Kyle Olsen

In this episode I share my personal journey as an immigrant and the joy of being able to travel for pleasure. I emphasize on the importance of building community and privilege of being able to afford travel experiences!

En este episodio, hablo en Español y comparto todos los lugares maravillosos que yo he visitado por el mundo.  Me encanto esta conversacion por que puede hablar de mi profesion en salud pública, tambien siendo una emprendedora en Puerto Rico y mochilera viajando el mundo!

Full CIRCLE moment here! I loved sharing this space with Jannese from YQD podcast. In this episode, you will be reminded of how powerful and transformative traveling can truly be for your life! When we step out of our comfort zones and dive into new cultures and experiences, it’s like we’re opening a door to a world of different perspectives!

In this episode, we talk about some DEEP ish. For example, how my parents immigrant experiences have shaped my relationship with food, how the kitchen has been used as a site of violence and gender oppression and lastly, how the role of traveling has been part of my self-discovery & healing journey!

Charly and I met in Puerto Rico at the Our Money Our Power Summit, we bonded over our love for travel and community. Listen to this episode to learn about my journey living in Puerto Rico, how I am building wealth, and healing by traveling the world.

Spending the last seven years living in Puerto Rico, check out my recent interview on The Thought Card Podcast, where I share my journey to becoming debt free and how becoming an expat has impacted my finances and some lesser-known memorable Puerto Rico experiences. 

In this episode, I open up about falling in love with traveling and how making friendships and connections around the world has helped me grow!

In this episode, we discuss our travel experiences mixed with our personal life and tips on how to travel as poderosa Latinas!

In this episode, Bianca discusses tips on how to travel and have a full-time job with a demanding career! Travel does not need to be expensive, we need to change that mindset!

In this episode, Bianca discusses how heartbreak led to her discovering what self-love really was, but also her love to travel.

In this episode, Bianca discusses how she became debt free by sharing some tips that you can work towards becoming debt free too! Additionally, Dianni and Bianca talk about their experiences of growing up and how travel was not part of their childhood.

In this episode, Lu the host of The Solo Female Traveler Podcast moderates a conversation between two women who have complete different experiences when it comes to travel. In this episode they discuss topics such as racism, privilege, overriding limiting beliefs from family, putting yourself out there and leaving your comfort zone.

In this episode, Tijani and Bianca discuss the importance of mentorship and how beneficial mentorship can be in different stages of your life.