James McAlloon

"I love to travel and have a special place in my heart for South America: its cultures, languages, and awe-inspiring landscapes."

I grew up in Australia but have lived in the Americas, studying in Chile and working in Patagonia. I lived in the town of Chillan in Chile for 13 months studying Culture, Language and Literature at La Universidad de Bío Bío. From there, I moved to Punta Arenas in Patagonia to work in marketing and logistics for a company that organised mountain expeditions and mountain running races. Every weekend would involve climbing and hiking in the Patagonian wilderness and exploring beautiful places like Torres del Paine national park. 

Some highlights of my trip are hitchhiking the entire length of Chile from Arica in the Atacama, to Punta Arenas in the southern tip; climbing live volcanoes in Ecuador; and learning Spanish, Portuguese, and local languages along the way!