y earliest memory of traveling is visiting my parents’ home country of México when I was six years old. Because they were unable to afford airfare for our family of six, we caravanned with four other families, making a 36-hour pilgrimage from Los Angeles to my dad’s home state of Colima.
Holy s**t—this is amazing!!! I’m so grateful that my hard work paid off and that I have these opportunities. I just wish I could bring my parents… At its core, the first-generation guilt I feel about enjoying luxurious trips and traveling for fun is tied to having the kind of financial freedom that my parents don’t have . There’s also a layer of feeling like I get to enjoy travel as a direct result of. “It’s possible you’ll feel guilty having any luxury that your parents don't [or didn’t] have access to,” says Dr. Sanchez. “Resting is a big one. Documentation status is also on the list.
One of my biggest dreams is to take my family with me on a press trip or vacation and put them up in a five-star resort where they can orderin action. Though I feel lucky to be able to provide these experiences for myself thanks to the career I’ve built, I still can’t share them with my family—and so, I feel guilty.
Paired with the humble nature of my upbringing, all of these sacrifices my parents have made have led me to feel like an imposter on my recent trips—like I don’t actually deserve the luxury I’ve been lucky enough to experience.