My partner and I always thought we agreed on money. Then, we moved in together.
5 October 2026 · Sharing a home, different priorities, and finding a fair way to manage money.
Published
writing.
Personal essays, cultural stories, and a life across borders.
Business Insider
25 piecesShowHide
I turned down a scholarship at UPenn to attend the more expensive Columbia. I still wonder if I made the right choice.
29 September 2026 · Ambition, education, and the cost of a New York dream.
I moved away from my home country 6 years ago. When I returned, I felt like an outsider.
13 September 2026 · Returning to Mexico and discovering how my sense of home had changed.
I moved from Mexico to London, so now I only work in my second language. I have to overthink everything I say in the office.
Language, identity, and finding a voice at work.
I always dreamed of buying a house, and now I can finally afford one. But I’m realizing my money is better spent elsewhere.
May 2026 · Rethinking homeownership and what money makes possible.
My 30s look nothing like I once imagined: no marriage, no homeownership, no children. I’ve learned to make peace with that.
Rethinking the milestones that define adulthood.
When I moved abroad, I left my parents behind in Mexico. I didn’t expect our relationship to change so dramatically.
Family relationships across distance.
I took a pay cut so I could live a calmer life. It was worth it, but affording city life became more difficult.
March 2026 · The financial trade-offs of a calmer life.
My company announced a return-to-office policy a few weeks ago. It’s already affecting my relationship with my partner.
February 2026 · Work routines and the everyday life of a relationship.
I left my home in Mexico City to chase the American dream in New York City. The demanding hustle culture was unsustainable.
An ambition that took me abroad, and the cost of staying.
I moved in with my girlfriend in London after only a few months of dating. I was terrified.
January 2026 · Taking the leap into living together.
I wanted a unique way to invest my money that isn’t the stock market. Here’s what I invested in.
October 2025 · Pokémon cards, nostalgia, and an unusual investment.
I used ChatGPT to plan a vacation, while my partner used Claude. We pitted the itineraries against each other to surprising results.
October 2025 · Two itineraries put to the test in Tunisia.
My partner and I were so burned out that I couldn’t even plan a trip. That’s when I turned to ChatGPT.
October 2025 · Finding a way to travel through burnout.
I deleted every app on my phone except for calls and texts. It changed how I thought, slept, and spoke to people.
September 2025 · An experiment in disconnecting.
When I let ChatGPT manage my social life for a week, AI texted my friends and picked my outfits. It was strange but helpful.
August 2025 · A week of handing over the social calendar.
ChatGPT wrote my résumé and cover letter. I didn’t expect it to help me land my dream job.
June 2025 · A personal account of changing careers.
I ended all the toxic friendships in my life that made me feel awful. It was difficult, but I’m so much happier now.
February 2025 · Letting go of friendships and making space for trust.
I lived in New York City and London. The British capital was cheaper and more welcoming, so I could plan my life long-term.
January 2025 · Two cities, and a different sense of possibility.
I was a toxic boyfriend. I used my ex for years until I finally learned my lesson.
December 2024 · Loneliness, relationships, and taking responsibility.
I quit my high-paying job and left London for a small seaside town. I first struggled with the pace, but it was the best decision.
December 2024 · Learning to live at a different pace.
I went to law school in Mexico and an Ivy League in the US. It was cheaper and easier to make friends in Mexico.
November 2024 · Comparing education and student life across countries.
I went to an Ivy League college. The education alone wasn’t worth the price tag, but the special privileges I now have are priceless.
October 2024 · The cost of education and the value of access.
I cheated on my girlfriend. It's the worst thing I've ever done, but I had to lose her to find myself.
13 October 2024 · Infidelity, regret, and taking responsibility.
I dated a woman while she was engaged to someone else for 2 years. Here's what I learned about being the lover.
19 September 2024 · Reflections on an affair and its consequences.
The Independent en Español
4 piecesShowHide
¿Quiénes fueron Las Poquianchis? Historia detrás de ‘Las Muertas’ de Netflix
History, fiction, and the story behind the adaptation.
‘El lobo de Dios’: docuserie de HBO examina el caso del depredador Marcial Maciel
A documentary and the institutions behind its story.
‘Las mil muertes de Nora Dalmasso’: Netflix retrata la historia del asesinato que conmocionó a Argentina
True crime and its retelling on screen.
‘Cuando nadie nos ve’: la serie de HBO Max revela las grietas de la fe, el poder y el silencio
Television, faith, and power.
Columbia Magazine
3 piecesShowHide
10 Lesser-known Artworks and Artifacts on the Columbia Campus
Art and history hiding in plain sight.
6 Times Columbia Appears in Video Games
A familiar campus in unexpected virtual worlds.
Comic-Book Characters Who Went to Columbia
Popular culture meets the Ivy League.
El Economista
2 piecesShowHide
El litigante corporativo del siglo XXI: visión y cualidades
Liderazgo, adaptabilidad y el factor humano en la abogacía corporativa.
Tecnología y gobierno en México, ¿una mancuerna real o algo aspiracional?
Una reflexión sobre la transformación digital de los servicios públicos en México.
Columbia University · Q&A
1 pieceShowHide
2021 Lessons From the LL.M. – Santiago Barraza Lopez
First-person reflections on studying at Columbia, life in New York, and the move to London.