Description:
In this heart-opening episode of My Brain Está Spicy, Melisa and Christy are joined by Bianca Alba, the voice and creator of This Latina Travels!, for an honest and empowering conversation about travel anxiety, courage, and what it means to fall in love with the world—even when your brain gets spicy.

Bianca is the voice and creator of “This Latina Travels!” – a podcast about travel through the eyes of a First-Generation Latina traveler and college grad sharing all her travel experiences first-hand. As a little girl living in a single-parent household, trips and vacations were just a dream and felt unreachable. This Latina Travels is more than just Bianca telling you about her experiences—it’s a true reflection that dreams can become reality. To date, Bianca has traveled to six of the seven continents in the world, and her goal is to encourage and support women who look like her to travel the world too.

Together, the trio dives deep into what travel anxiety really feels like—the panic before a flight, the overstimulation in airports, the fear of losing control, and the healing that comes from stepping into the unknown anyway. Melisa shares her body’s reactions to anxiety mid-travel, Christy recalls a life-changing trip that reshaped her sense of safety, and Bianca opens up about getting sick abroad and how that experience transformed her approach to fear and gratitude.

In this episode:

What travel anxiety feels like (in your body and mind)

Getting sick abroad and learning to ask for help

How fear of flying and solo travel shows up for anxious minds

Reclaiming joy and peace through exploration

Why traveling as a Latina is both empowering and revolutionary

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
01:19 Meet Our Guest: Bianca Alba
05:14 Personal Stories of Travel Anxiety
10:09 Handling Travel Anxiety: Tips and Experiences
38:06 Navigating Anxiety While Flying
39:57 Overcoming the Fear of Solo Travel
49:33 Empowering Latina Women to Travel
54:44 The Joy and Liberation of Travel

Guest — Bianca Alba | This Latina Travels!

Podcast: This Latina Travels!

Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/thislatinatravels)

Website: (wwwthislatinatravels.com)

Contact: thislatinatravels@gmail.com

Have a hack you want to share, want to send us some love or have an idea for an episode? Email us at thespicybrainpod@gmail.com

Also follow us on Instagram : (https://www.instagram.com/mybrainestaspicy)

Product & Service Links: Some of the links we share may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you! We only recommend products and services we genuinely love and believe could be helpful. Your support helps keep My Brain Está Spicy running, and we appreciate you!

Gin Gin Chews - (https://gingerpeople.com/products/gin-gins-original-ginger-chews/)

Loop Earplugs - (http://rwrd.io/wu8npep?c)

Avulux Migraine Glasses - (https://avulux.com/)

LMNT Electrolytes - (https://drinklmnt.com/)

Buoy - (https://justaddbuoy.com/collections/all?snowball=MELISA34040&utm_source=snowball&utm_medium=default-program&utm_campaign=MELISA34040)

IWC Chiropractic - Orlando Network Spinal Practice - (https://www.integratewellnesscenter.com/)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are for informational & entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, or other qualified licensed professionals. For questions about your health, legal, or financial situations, please consult the proper professionals. Listeners should not disregard symptoms or delay in obtaining medical assistance from qualified medical professionals for any conditions they may have.

Distributed by Genuina Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this intimate “get to know me” episode, Melisa steps into the hot seat — unfiltered, unmasked, and unapologetically herself. Christy leads a reimagined 21 Questions that peels back the layers of identity, ambition, and the strength it takes to live authentically as a disabled Latina woman. From childhood dreams to navigating ableism, resilience, and radical honesty, Melisa shares the stories that shaped her voice — and the fire that keeps her showing up even when the world expects her to shrink.

We explore: authenticity as survival - disability, visibility & belonging - bicultural identity and resilience - humor as healing - showing up in your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable

0:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

01:04 Life Catch Up

05:10 Christy’s Health Journey

15:14 Getting to Know Melisa

38:34 Eggs and Quirky Eating Habits

40:06 Reflecting on Marriage and Relationships

43:11 Navigating Vulnerability and Personal Growth

49:38 Spicy Questions and Heartfelt Memories

If you’ve ever been told you’re “too much” — or felt pressure to make yourself smaller — this episode is your permission slip to be loud, tender, and entirely yourself.

YouTube Camping ASMR Channel Links:
RYUCAMP - https://www.youtube.com/@RYUCAMP
KirinCamp - https://www.youtube.com/@KirinCamp
Go4x4 - https://www.youtube.com/@go4x4media
Atik Family - https://www.youtube.com/@AtikAilesi
Yoyo Camp - https://www.youtube.com/@yoyocamp

Have a hack you want to share, want to send us some love or have an idea for an episode? Email us at thespicybrainpod@gmail.com

Also follow us on Instagram : (https://www.instagram.com/mybrainestaspicy)

Product & Service Links: Some of the links we share may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you! We only recommend products and services we genuinely love and believe could be helpful. Your support helps keep My Brain Está Spicy running, and we appreciate you!

Gin Gin Chews - (https://gingerpeople.com/products/gin-gins-original-ginger-chews/)

Loop Earplugs - (http://rwrd.io/wu8npep?c)

Avulux Migraine Glasses - (https://avulux.com/)

LMNT Electrolytes - (https://drinklmnt.com/)

Buoy - (https://justaddbuoy.com/collections/all?snowball=MELISA34040&utm_source=snowball&utm_medium=default-program&utm_campaign=MELISA34040)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are for informational & entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, or other qualified licensed professionals. For questions about your health, legal, or financial situations, please consult the proper professionals. Listeners should not disregard symptoms or delay in obtaining medical assistance from qualified medical professionals for any conditions they may have.

Distributed by Genuina Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why is therapy still treated like a dirty little secret in so many Latino households? In this episode, Melisa and Christy sit down with Dr. Lisette Sanchez—a bilingual and bicultural psychologist, writer, international speaker, and founder of Calathea Wellness, a virtual platform for first-gen professionals.

Raised in Southern California by Salvadoran and Mexican immigrant parents, Dr. Lisette brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the convo. Together, we unpack:

• Why therapy is still taboo in our families
• How silence, guilt, and “aguántate” culture impact mental health
• The power of tears as medicine
• Boundaries as survival + liberation

This one is real, raw, and necessary for anyone who’s ever been told therapy “isn’t for us.” Healing is for all of us—and it starts when we stop whispering and start talking.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction + Welcome
01:18 – Catching Up and Life Updates
04:26 – Meet Dr. Lisette Sanchez
07:54 – Therapy Experiences and Cultural Stigmas
39:02 – The Power of Tears
42:37 – Navigating Family Dynamics
47:05 – Boundaries as Love Language
01:06:22 – Spicy Questions + Closing

Links on the Science of Tears:

The Chemistry of Tears by SciPlanet - https://www.bibalex.org/SCIplanet/en/Article/Details?id=19105

All About Emotional Tears by American Academy of Opthamology - https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/all-about-emotional-tears

About Dr. Lisette Sanchez:
Dr. Lisette is a bilingual and bicultural psychologist, international speaker, writer, and founder of Calathea Wellness, where she supports first-gen professionals navigating identity, belonging, and intergenerational healing. Whether through therapy, writing, or public speaking, she helps individuals transform cultural complexity into clarity, pride, and purpose.

Follow Dr. Lisette:
🌐 Website: calatheawellness.com
📲 Instagram: @thefirstgenpsychologist
💼 LinkedIn: thefirstgenpsychologist
📺 YouTube: @thefirstgenpsychologist

Connect with Us:
📱 IG + YouTube: @mybrainestaspicy
💌 thespicybrainpod@gmail.com

Product & Service Links: Some of the links we share may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you! We only recommend products and services we genuinely love and believe could be helpful. Your support helps keep My Brain Está Spicy running, and we appreciate you!

• Gin Gin Chews
• Loop Earplugs
• Avulux Migraine Glasses
• LMNT Electrolytes
• Buoy

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are for informational & entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, or other qualified licensed professionals. For questions about your health, legal, or financial situations, please consult the proper professionals. Listeners should not disregard symptoms or delay in obtaining medical assistance from qualified medical professionals for any conditions they may have.

Distributed by Genuina Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.