Our Hospitality Services Coordinator started at the age of 20 doing an internship in hospitality in the United States and, since then, worked for many seasons outside of Chile until the pandemic arrived. “For me it is very natural to be with people of other nationalities, it is part of my daily life. I have great friends all over the world,” she says.
She therefore has a multicultural perspective that is very similar to what she sees today at ALMA: “For me we are all the same, regardless of the differences we may have due to nationality or cultures, we are all human beings living in the same world”.
Through her work, Marta has seen many corners of the world, especially when she was part of a cruise company for six years. In addition to the incredible places she has seen while travelling the oceans, she highlights “the camaraderie that exists. Very strong bonds are formed, because you spend months living on board a ship in the middle of the sea, day and night, and you are exposed to many challenges. It was spectacular to meet hotel and tourism professionals from all over the world.”
Marta brought all this acquired knowledge to ALMA. From her student days she already saw the observatory as an important legacy for Chile, of international scientific and touristic relevance, but now she finds it “even more incredible to discover that all this logistics, all this engineering can be developed in such an inhospitable, difficult and adverse place, between nature and distance.”
Marta has been with us for four months now, and stresses that “despite the fact that we have a very dynamic and challenging operation, it is wonderful to be working in such a calm natural environment”. And what she is most grateful for is being part of a team of “super friendly people, who have been very supportive. They have been very empathetic, they have welcomed me very well, and for that I am very grateful.”
Read: “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl. I really admire his story, everything he went through in the concentration camps and how he drew from it a methodology to be able to help others to face the strongest adversity there can be in life, which is to be deprived of all your loved ones. I think it’s very noble and brave.
Watch: I’m not much of a movie and series watcher.
Listening: Music is my weak point. I have to walk around with music all the time, and of all kinds, depending on the moment. It’s like living life with a soundtrack. I mainly like The Beatles, 80’s music, Anglo pop rock, New Age and a lot of other styles for every occasion.
Eating: I love going out to restaurants, I’m always looking for places, not just the most gourmet restaurants. Being able to get to know the culture of a place through the most popular cuisine, getting to know the nooks and crannies, the “picadas”. I don’t have a favourite dish, but I do have a lot of memories of the food from my childhood, and that’s why I think the most delicious dishes were the ones my grandmother cooked, like her cazuela.
Drinking: I like wines, mainly organic Chilean wines. I’ve been all over the Casablanca Wine Route, Veramonte and Indómita are some of my favourites.
Follow / Admire: Loreto Ferrari is a reference for me. She is a Civil Mechanical Engineer from the 80’s and is currently the rector of a higher education institution. She has greatly promoted the integration of women in STEM careers, of science and technology. She was one of my finance professors almost 20 years ago and we always keep in touch. But there are many other women I admire, mainly those who struggle every day to be integrated in masculinised environments. I reflect on the women who break barriers and gain space through hard work, effort and professionalism.
Think / Believe: I have no religious beliefs, I am guided by feeling rather than believing. Everything that has to do with spirituality, with kindness, with nobility among human beings and towards nature moves my spirit. I do meditation, I look a lot for animals, nature and I think that’s why I feel so good at ALMA: because of the environment, because it allows you that connection with the Universe, the stars, the peace of the place. I love to go out and look at the stars when I’m on site. It’s wonderful.
Do / Practice: I love everything outdoors. I’ve been jogging on the beach, walking or running since I was very young. In the sea, I love diving, snorkelling, sailing, kayaking. And now I am learning pool with Lorenzo Martinez-Conde. Our idea is to form a women’s pool team for the future Olympics, with Lorenzo as coach.
Dress: Sneakers and jeans all the time. That’s the combination for everything. Blouse, t-shirt, jacket, everything can be combined with jeans.
Travel: All the places I have visited are super magical: Turkey, Greece, most of Europe, Africa, the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Chile from north to south, I lived for a couple of years in the Falkland Islands… Every place has its charm and at the age of 40 I have travelled around most of the world, but now with my 4 year old Lego fanatic son, my next destination will probably be Legoland. I would like my son Elias to visit every place I have visited, but now it is his turn, I have already experienced my travels and now it is my turn to accompany him, just as my parents have always supported me in every adventure I have wanted to take.
Muy linda nota y tremenda experiencia profesional y de vida Marta!! Bienvenida a ALMA; sin duda un gran aporte!!!