My Professional Journey: From Wellness and Travel to Virtual Support
My name is Carola María Astesano. I’m from Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. Since finishing school, I’ve mostly dedicated myself to living in different places and experiencing and learning from other cultures. Without much thought, that’s what attracted me the most, so I just went for it.
It’s no coincidence I chose that path. My parents encouraged me to do this. At 16, they asked if I wanted to go to Italy to study Italian for a month. 😳 My brother had done it, and I followed in his footsteps. My mind was BLOWN. I was never the same again, and the travel bug had bitten me. There was no turning back. I wanted to see and experience the world.
At 18, I left Rafaela to live in Buenos Aires and pursue my university studies. I studied Industrial Design for 2.5 years at UBA (University of Buenos Aires).
During those 4 years at UADE (Universidad Argentina de la Empresa), I organised my first trips. I lived for 3 months in Hawaii, working in a hostel and learning to surf. That same year, I did a university exchange in southern Brazil for a semester at UNIVALI (Universidade do Vale de Itajaí).
After finishing university, I decided I wanted to live in eternal summer and test my multilingual skills in Rio de Janeiro while working for VIP clients.
By that time, I had already decided I wanted to travel, so, I decided to drop out and dedicate myself to another passion: gastronomy. At that point in life, I felt that this career was going to allow me to travel the world.
I moved to Rio and got a job at the glamorous Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel. Spoiler alert: no judgment, but that luxurious world wasn’t for me. The luxuries I enjoy are of a different kind. And well, that’s how life goes; you learn as you live. It was there that I decided to study Yoga and received my first certification in Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga at the Museum of Yoga in 2016, located in the Ipanema neighbourhood.
After two years in Rio, I returned to my lovely Rafaela and opened my own vegetarian and vegan gastronomic business. It was a beautiful experience. I met people, created delicious recipes, and learned the basics of running a business.
In 2017, I did my second Teacher Training in Ashtanga Yoga. I taught Vinyasa, Hatha and Ashtanga during those 2 years that I was back living in my hometown and it was a nourishing experience that allowed me to meet beautiful people.
But 27-year-old Carola still wanted to travel, and for years I had dreamt of visiting the land of kangaroos. In 2019, I sold everything and moved to the land Down Under: Australia 🇦🇺!
Australia was a rollercoaster (just like life, right?). 11 months after moving there, the borders were closed due to the pandemic, which meant I had to stay in Australia for three consecutive years. Three entire years without seeing my family or friends. A decision the government made for me, something I would’ve never done if it weren’t for the world situation at the time.
During my time here, I worked in Hospitality, Agriculture and Construction. I was a waitress at 5-star restaurants in Sydney, a vegan chef at the most amazing café in Cairns, and a grain handler far away from all forms of civilization (the closest town was 45 minutes away!). I also worked cleaning homes, had several jobs working as a farm hand (strawberries, lemons, avocados, lychee, you name it!) and worked as a labourer at the construction of the biggest solar farm in the southern hemisphere during that time.
Towards the end of that period, I injured my hips in one of the many odd jobs I did in Oz. That’s when another life adventure began—a surgical adventure.
I found out I had hip dysplasia, and if I didn’t do anything about it, I would likely develop bone arthritis by the time I was 40.
For me, there was no doubt—I decided to return to Argentina for surgery. These are painful surgeries that require several months of recovery. So, feeling a bit lost, a bit scared, a bit sad, and a bit confused, but 100% convinced that I was making the best decision for my life, I returned to Argentina and had surgery in November 2023 and September 2024.
And now, here I am today, where I’ve decided to embark on a new way of living that came out of this health situation: remote work. I think of it as an “opportuncrisis”: the opportunity that comes out of a crisis.
In April 2024, I decided to start my own business as a Virtual Assistant. I enrolled in two courses (because I can’t help myself): Digital Marketing at Coderhouse and Virtual Assistance with the amazing Hannah Dixon from the Virtual Excellence Academy.
My brand-new business is Virtual Assistance for vegan businesses, yoga teachers or studios, and health professionals. Everything I’m passionate about in one business 🥰🌱🙌🏼✨
I offer administrative, creative and digital marketing services. Go here to learn more in-depth about my services.
Check out this link to go to my portfolio and learn about the projects I have done.
