About this episode

Julio shares his journey from Guatemala to Tasmania, highlighting the challenges of pursuing the American Dream and the impact of housing prices in Sydney.

Guatemala is the largest country in Central America by both population and area. Like many other countries in the region, it has experienced its fair share of conflict and instability over the year and it's a society marked by income inequality and the problems that brings. As a result of this, many Guatemalans look for a better life abroad, and most seek the so-called "American Dream". Very few though end up in Australia. Julio certainly didn't come from poorer side if Guatemalan society, but he also bought into the American dream after going to study economic at college in Utah and spending some time in California. In the meantime he struck up an online friendship with an Australian girl, Paige. At a certain point the relationship got serious and they had the dilemma as to where to settle more permanently. The first choice was a middle ground in the Bay Area in California, but an ugly twist of fate on the Mexico-California border broke this dream. Although they tried living in Guatemala for a while, it wasn't a sustainable option and finally they made the move to Sydney, which Julio immediately fell in love with and thought he would be there for life. But, like many…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Thomson

Guest: Julio

Topics covered

• immigration
• American Dream
• personal journey
• relationship
• Tasmania
• Guatemala
• housing crisis

Keywords

• Guatemala
• American Dream
• Tasmania
• Sydney
• immigration
• housing prices
• personal story
• relationship

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Guatemala, Australia, California, Sydney, Blackman's Bay

More episodes of 177 Nations of Tasmania

• Tania from Belarus : A journey to Tasmania forged through resilience · June 30, 2026 · 40 min
• Lena from the Faroe Islands : Echoes of home in the Tasmanian scenery · June 13, 2026 · 37 min
• Willoh from Belize : A shipwreck and an unconventional upbringing by the Caribbean · April 8, 2026 · 41 min
• Renella from Zambia : Appreciating the outdoor life · March 22, 2026 · 36 min
• Natalia from Costa Rica : A story of faith, resilience and community · February 18, 2026 · 40 min
• Olive from New Zealand : A new spiritual home away from home · September 23, 2025 · 37 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the 177 Nations of Tasmania podcast page.