A reflective guide for women navigating fear and anxiety in life decisions. Discover how to overcome self-doubt, ask the right questions, and take meaningful steps toward personal and professional reinvention at any age.
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Influential Woman · Travel & Tourism
Consuelo Miranda Albónico
Founder, Anglatin Travel | Accessible Travel Americas for All, LLC
OR & Chile 97035
32Years experience
1Article published
Her Story
About Consuelo
Consuelo Miranda Albónico is a seasoned travel professional, entrepreneur, writer and educator whose career has been shaped by a lifelong passion for exploration, culture and learning. Born in Santiago, Chile, she developed an early fascination with travel, languages, books and the arts. After earning a B.A. from Oregon State University and an interdisciplinary M.A. in Sociology, Theatre and Spanish Literature from the University of Oregon, she entered the travel field in 1990 and later focused on developing technical and study tours for professionals and academic groups from around the world. In 1994, Consuelo founded Anglatin Travel with her husband, building a family-owned tour operation specializing in customized study and technical tours. Through Anglatin, she connects professionals, academic institutions and organizations with experts and leading operations in areas including agriculture, forestry, horticulture, wine production, architecture, energy and natural resources. Her extensive international experience enables her to create immersive programs that combine professional learning with meaningful cultural experiences. In 2014, she expanded her mission by founding Accessible Travel Americas for All, LLC, dedicated to designing inclusive, accessible travel experiences for individuals, families and groups, particularly travelers with disabilities and mobility, sensory or other access needs. Beyond tourism, Consuelo is a published writer, Spanish educator and public radio volunteer who shares her passion for art, literature and culture with her community. She has authored three books and numerous articles and teaches Spanish through creative and cultural subjects rather than traditional grammar. As a radio host, she presents programs about art and interviews writers, artists and filmmakers. Across her diverse work, Consuelo remains committed to creating opportunities for education, cultural exchange, accessibility and human connection, guided by her enduring belief that travel is not simply a profession but a meaningful way to learn, grow and experience the world.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Consuelo
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to learning from both my successes and failures, staying persistent, and consistently working hard.
My passion for travel and creativity also inspires me to remain curious, flexible, and open to new opportunities. I encountered good people that open doors for me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to persist in what I wanted to accomplish. After all, if you don't know who you are, it is difficult to know where you are going.
It is equally important to always be ready for opportunity. "Educate yourself" was a vital piece of advice for me; I believe informal education can be just as valuable as formal education. It is essential to surround yourself with people who know more than you—individuals who are positive, generous with their experiences, and eager to mentor you.
I have been extremely lucky in this regard. Growing up, my education in Chile was deeply interdisciplinary. My parents' friends had a massive impact on my life and personal growth. Through their lively conversations about literature, philosophy, and psychology, they gave me a strong foundation of knowledge and taught me how to think for myself.
As a writer, my favorite authors and artists have heavily contributed to my overall education. While I have read books across many different subjects, biographies, memoirs, and journals remain my long-time favorites. I especially love reading about the lives of other writers. By doing so, I learn about their struggles and discover how they confronted their own unique challenges.
Ultimately, our careers are a reflection of ourselves. At the same time, we must understand that we go through different stages in our lives. Life is in constant motion, and we cannot stop that natural force. We simply have to remain in a continuous process of learning, guided by curiosity and persistence.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering my industry to seek out mentors and share their knowledge with others. Writing is a powerful form of mentorship because it allows you to share your experiences, insights, and lessons with a wider audience.
Read extensively, surrounded by the arts and nature; it is a profound combination that brings wisdom. Build your dreams with consistency and curiosity, and never be afraid of failure.
Face life with courage and determination.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Our tourism industry is facing some major shifts right now. The rise of the internet, social media, and AI has sparked one of our biggest transformations yet. Today's tourists can look up everything online, and AI can spit out an itinerary in a single second. But these digital itineraries completely miss the "human factor." They skip the small details and can't offer real, personal advice about a destination. At its core, our industry is more than just booking destinations, itineraries, and services—it's a bridge connecting people to the world around them. We are the ones who make traveling a truly meaningful experience.
Looking ahead, we have beautiful opportunities in front of us:
- Accessible Travel for All, LLC: Designing travel for people with disabilities opens up a massive, underserved market.
- Eco-Tourism: Environmental conservation is carving out specific sectors that need specialized care and modern reforms.
- Global Expertise: Professionals in our sector need to stay ahead of the curve in languages, cultural understanding, and digital tools.
It is a beautiful challenge to use our imagination to picture our world twenty years from now. I might not be around to see it all happen, but I feel incredibly grateful for the amazing changes I’ve been able to experience and navigate during my time in this industry.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
."I deeply value art, creativity, innovation, and education, balanced by the steady anchors of consistency, discipline, and persistence. At the core of everything I do are solidarity and empathy—a commitment to lifting others as we climb. True growth, however, often requires contrast.
I firmly believe that pain and struggle can be our most powerful teachers, transforming hardships into catalysts that help us develop deeper self-awareness, unbreakable resilience, and profound personal growth."
Her Content Hub
Articles by Consuelo
Is it too late?
Overcoming Fear and Anxiety to Pursue Your Dreams at Any Age
Is it too late?
Don't let fear narrow your scope.
Are you one of those women who feels fear or anxiety at every decision? Fear and anxiety share some similar physical symptoms, but they are very different. Fear paralyzes, and its purpose is to preserve survival. Anxiety, on the other hand, is triggered by an imagined danger, and it tends to be diffuse and persistent. That is why it is said that the imagined scenarios that fill our minds rarely come to pass. Anxiety lasts longer and is harder to switch off. It brings some of the same physical symptoms as fear, but it also keeps us from thinking clearly and acting with emotional intelligence. The changes that arrive in our lives branch out into multiple anxieties that make us lose the ability to listen to ourselves, and we don't allow our intuition to be our compass.
These emotions often rob us of the clarity to act. Which decisions have you put off in recent years?
When I had to decide whether to return to Oregon because of some very hard moments in my life, it was a season of maximum anxiety. I couldn't sleep, I lost my appetite, and I was completely distracted until I asked myself: What is the worst that can happen to me? I sold my car, put my "home" in storage, and rented out my property. After each of these complex steps, the anxiety dissipated, and a second stage arrived with new questions: "What will I do in Oregon? Where will I go in Oregon?" In my previous life with my husband, we had lived in Corvallis, Eugene, and Springfield. Portland was the destination I chose.
My first "job" was walking Griffin, an adorable two-year-old dog, which I did for two years. That is where the wheel began to turn, and I went on to work in a variety of jobs. They gave me experience I didn't have, since I had always worked independently as a micro-entrepreneur. Suddenly, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go back to doing my own thing. But what was my own thing? Since 1994, I have worked in tourism, in the company my husband and I built: Anglatin Travel, which specialized in technical tours focused on natural resources. In 2014, I founded Accessible Travel Americas for All, LLC. This time, we specialized in accessible travel for people with disabilities.
It took me three months to decide what I wanted, and the recurring question was: "Is this the life I want at 70?" That is, working 40 hours per week and being unable to dedicate myself to my own business. Without a doubt, the anxieties struck me again, and the question that overwhelmed me was: "Is it too late to start over?" And once again, the question: What is the worst that can happen? It is legitimate to feel anxiety and to rethink personal questions.
What holds us back?
Usually, it's fear: fear of failing, of starting over, of disappointing others, and of what people will say. These fears are real, and they are normal. But they are not facts. They are stories we tell ourselves, and we can write new ones.
Start with yourself
Ask yourself these questions, from the most personal to the broadest:
- What new activity is knocking at my door?
- What ideas come to me when I go for a walk with my pet?
- How do the people around me see me?
- Who could be my mentor?
- How can I best contribute to the development of my society, culture, and environment?
Then take one small step
You don't need to quit your job or reinvent yourself overnight. Try this:
- Give it an hour a week. Spend it exploring something your curiosity keeps pointing to: a course, a project, or a volunteer role.
- Ask three people you trust what strengths they see in you. You may be surprised.
- Find a mentor who has walked a path you admire, and ask for one conversation.
- Go for a walk with your pet, as I did with Griffin, or alone, with no phone and no agenda. Let your ideas catch up with you.
Through this process of self-reflection, new avenues for personal and professional growth will emerge. Your profession is something you do, not something you are. You alone set your limits. Open your portfolio, and new ideas will emerge.
So tell me: what is knocking at your door right now? Go open it.
And if you're afraid, ask yourself what I asked myself: What is the worst that can happen? Is it too late?
G. Consuelo Miranda
Accessible Travel Americas.com LLC – Anglatin Travel
accessibletravelamericas@gmail.com
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