MEET LIA BARROS: THE FOUNDER OF SLOW & STEADY TRAVEL

I'm going to talk about myself in the first person, telling a little bit of my story!

"Nothing is impossible" - Lia Barros

You may say I am a dreamer, but this is the phrase that best defines me. I was born in Argentina, grew up in Brazil in the middle of nature, daughter of farmer parents who loved nature, had during many years worked in tourism and, btw, loved traveling! Yes, I´d studied a lot and keep doing it. Got a law degree, also studied Journalism, Business and Mkt, and have a postgraduate degree in Psychopedagogy. Besides, an MA in English and another in Translation Studies. I have worked for many years for international companies in Brazil, also as a teacher and translator. All of these titles helped me to build who I am, but can´t define me... The roots are something interesting. Once raised in the wild, there is the place we call home.

In 2007 I have moved to Argentina with my older daughter and, as always, a lot of water passed under the bridge before finding myself where I wanted to be. In 2013, with my younger daughter as part of my family, I was finally able to start doing what I really wanted to do: nature photography and ecotourism. Combining my life and work experience, studies, all I had traveled, blogged, worked for other agencies, for government tourism, made the sourdough to open my own company, focusing first on Brazilian travelers who came to Argentina and on outdoor tourism. At that time it was "LiaTour".

Traveling as an travel journalist and nature photographer with my blogs I had the opportunity to visit several places, photographing and writing about each of them. My first trip to Patagonia was in 2014 and I fell in love with this inhospitable, harsh, cold and full of life nature. I knew this was the place and waited until 2018 to move and open Slow & Steady Travel's first official, formal office. The initial idea was always to expand pure ecotourism destinations also in Brazil and after a lot of patience to overcome obstacles (a pandemic, for example!) I managed to continue with the plans: in 2022 I officially opened Slow & Steady Travel Brasil, for ecotourism not only here, but in other destinations around the world. But there was still one thing missing: photographing the Amazon. Finally, in 2023, there I went; and guess what... I fell in love (again!) with this wonderful place that needs and deserves to be protected and known. What was a project to organize photographic expeditions grew to become Slow & Steady Travel Amazônia.

With all this I discovered something more about myself: I am a citizen of the world. I will definitely fall in love with several other places with unique environments and that's what life is about, not pigeonholing yourself, always having an open heart and soul. Somehow my company reflects this freedom that I feel and that moves me.

Today I live from what I love to do: photographic expeditions and ecotourism. I am WFR (Wilderness First Responder) certified, which is preparation for managing and responding to accidents in wild and wilderness environments, and I have a specialist course in 4x4 driving (and lots of practice!). Furthermore, I am a convinced environmentalist, a staunch defender of the environment and an ecotourism entrepreneur. I am also a member of ATTA (Adventure Travel Association), founding member of AFONA (Argentine Association of Nature Photographers) and contribute to FOTONAT (Community of Nature Photographers of Argentina). My best moment is when I travel, driving my truck, with the camera in my hand, without Wi-Fi and in the middle of nature!

I believe that sustainable Ecotourism is one of the best environmental education tools we can have, because it allows us to travel and be in contact with nature and local communities, learning and doing at the same time. Slow & Steady Travel is just the beginning of many projects that are sure to come.

I deeply believe that when we travel we have our best experiences and that is what I try to offer. Unique outdoor experiences, sustainable tourism, participating in and supporting projects related to sustainability and local communities. My main role in the company, in addition to management, is to choose and organize travel destinations and guide photographic expeditions, so I am always keeping my eyes open, looking for new places.

The best part of my life happened after I turned 45. I'm over fifty, in fact I'm close to sixty now, but my free spirit is ageless. I believe in female sisterhood and entrepreneurship, in creating support networks and working together, in equal rights, in respect for everyone, in freedom of expression, in rescuing animals and not buying them, in having an organic garden in the backyard , in living outside urban centers, in reusing clothes and artifacts, in environmental education, in being able to work with joy in what each one loves, in sustainable and respectful tourism and, most importantly, I believe that it is never too late to make dreams come true!