Although Puerto Rico is less than a four-hour flight from East Coast hubs like New York City and Washington, D.C., many continental Americans haven't experienced its stunning ecosystems and culture: rainforest, mangroves, bioluminescent bays, and one of the largest underground cave systems in the world.


Writer, athlete, and engineer Alex Garcia grew up in that landscape, and this conversation traces how she carried it with her through a hard relocation to the mainland US, a period of major injuries and professional upheaval, and back out into some of the biggest adventures of her life.


Alex and Angie talked about:

  • The culture shock of relocating to Virginia for work
  • Feeling like a second-class citizen despite being born a US citizen
  • Getting through 2021ā€“2023, a period riddled with major injuries and professional upheaval, and the mantra that carried her: "the only way out is through"
  • Difficult Pursuits: her yearly practice of choosing one hard, self-designed outdoor challenge
  • Becoming the first and fastest person to complete the Veredas Noreste, Puerto Rico's only long-distance backpacking trail, in January 2023
  • How to be a sustainable change agent without burning out ā€” focusing your energy where it's needed most



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