We had the good fortune of connecting with Mckenna Fuentes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mckenna, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
There are so many reasons why I have pursued a creative career, but it really just comes down to passion. For as long as I can remember, I have been extremely curious about the world. I love learning languages, experiencing other cultures and visiting new places. I remember telling my grandpa when I was a kid that my dream job would be to travel the world and take pictures. I used to think that there was no way this would ever be possible. Now, in the world of the internet and social media, this has become a reality for a lot of people. Being able to follow my dream of traveling and share my passions with the world is so fulfilling. I love expressing myself through photos and videos, and hopefully helping and inspiring others to get out and explore our beautiful earth. My ultimate goal is to build a life full of adventure that I am excited about everyday, and to help others do the same!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a travel content creator, I am fortunate enough to travel the world and share my experiences, primarily on social media. I create photos, videos, destination guides, itineraries etc. in the hope of inspiring others to get out and explore the world. The first time I traveled abroad was the summer after I graduated high school. I went to an extremely remote village in Costa Rica with a group of volunteers. This trip absolutely changed my life and gave me the travel bug! Since then, I have been addicted to travel and I think everyone deserves the opportunity to get out and experience a new place, even if it’s not that far from home! Through traveling, you learn so much, not only about the world but about yourself. If I can help even just a few people to have their own meaningful travel experience, I will be happy!

My journey both as a traveler and a travel content creator has not been easy, and I am still growing in my career! The biggest lesson I have learned is that motivation is not something that you just have. If you sit around until you feel motivated, you won’t end up getting very far. Motivation comes with hard work and small wins. When you work hard to meet a goal, you will start to see results. Celebrate the small wins and keep going! Acknowledging the progress will build motivation to continue and eventually you will be where you want to be! Life is beautiful and your dreams are possible if you want them badly enough. If you would have told my 12 year old self that I would one day travel for free, make money from traveling and even get paid to travel, I would have said you were crazy. Never give up on your dream because you never know what could be possible!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a great question! I started exploring Colorado a lot during the pandemic since I couldn’t travel internationally. Colorado has so much to offer! Some of my favorite places for an outdoor adventure include St. Mary’s Glacier, The Paint Mines, Paradise Cove, Rifle Falls State Park and Rifle Mountain Park, The Grottos and Maroon Bells of course. I would also be sure to take them to a hot springs. Strawberry Park Hot Springs is probably my favorite! For food, drinks and hangout spots, I would go to Keith’s for coffee, Jerusalem for a delicious meal, Cholon for a fancy dinner, and The ViewHouse downtown at sunset for drinks and city views!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As cliche as it sounds, I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my family. They have always supported my dream of traveling and encouraged me to keep going! There have been a few times where something serious has happened when I am abroad, and they are always ready and willing to do whatever they can to help. The support of my family has given me the courage get out of my comfort zone and not let fear hold me back. In addition to my family, I have a couple good friends (you know who you are 🙂 who have been amazing travel buddies to me! They are always up for an adventure and willing to put up with me taking a million pictures and even asking them to take pictures of me too haha. Thank you! I also have to shoutout all the people who help take care of my two dogs when I travel. My dogs mean everything to me, so knowing that they are taken care of when I am gone is huge!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivafortravel/

Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@vivafortravel

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.