ABOUT ME

I was born just outside of Mexico City, and raised on the south-pacific coast of Mexico. I love learning about world cultures. To me, each culture is a facet on the diamond of human experience. We are all so beautiful and unique! Central to my identity is my faith. The "Bonny Man" of Nazareth, a carpenter who lived over 2000 years ago, and who continues to live, has radically changed my life. He is making me new every day and it is a marvelous adventure! Some days are harder than others, and I will be the first to tell you that I have a long way to go, but I can't imagine my life without Him. In 2004, I moved up to a Alaska for a "one year" adventure and ended up staying 10 years while I completed by B. of Elementary Education and then worked teaching 4th grade at Chugiak Elementary! In 2014 my friend Kristen and I embarked on the adventure of a lifetime traveling down the AL-CAN highway and then across Canada to her hometown in Pennsylvania. It was a memorable adventure that I will never forget! Along the way we stayed with several hospitality organizations including couch surfing. I am currently living with my folks in southern Mexico helping them with their ministry, teaching English classes and Sunday school.

PHILOSOPHY

Living for Jesus and allowing Him to direct my life has brought tremendous inner healing and peace in my life. I believe He is the answer to the question of life. Jesus said that he came that we may have life and have it in abundance! I would love to share that abundant life with you! I don't consider myself "religious" and please don't feel afraid that I will try to cram my beliefs down your throat. That is the last thing I want to do. However, I am open to discussion and sharing. If you have any questions, just ask :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
Hosting people runs in my blood as I grew up with my parents hosting people all the time through their ministry. I would love to host you if you are in the Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo area. I live in Petatlan, GRO, about 40 minutes away from the Zihuatanejo airport. We have a lot of people who come to our home, so space is on a first come, first serve basis. Accommodations include anything from a mattress on the floor in a shared room to your own room with a double bed, again, depending on availability.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My first experience with couch surfing was in Montreal, Canada with my friend Kristen. It was an experience I will never forget. I look forward to more couch surfing experience either as a host or as a surfer myself again.

Interests

For fun, I find there is nothing like settling down with a good book in a hammock under a tree, listening to the hubbub of life in the background. However, that is not a very social experience. I also enjoy playing card games, going to the beach (15 minutes away from Petatlan), and cooking delicious vegetarian meals (although I am not completely vegetarian, but I am leaning that way), among other things.

• cats
• wildlife
• culture
• writing
• cooking
• baking
• reading
• hiking
• kayaking
• card games
• puppies
• eating a plant based diet

Music, Movies, and Books

Listening to music while doing chores helps the time go by. I enjoy a lot of contemporary Christian music, but I also like non-Christian music as long as it has a good beat and a positive message. Some of my favorite artists include: "Tercer Cielo" "Karina Moreno" "Caedmon's Call" and lately I have been listening to some "Jamie Grace". I have an eclectic taste so really, it depends on my mood which could call for anything from the pipes and drums of Scotland to Bollywood style music. If you have a favorite artist, let me know and I will check them out!

Reading, as you already know, is one of my favorite past-times. It would take an entire book to list my favorite authors as I have too many. A recent author I have discovered (and absolutely love) is Brandon Sanderson. Of his books my favorite is the Starlight Archive and I am eagerly waiting for the third installment! He is a fantasy writer and he is such an excellent writer on so many levels: plot, character development, world creation, etc...

As far as non-fiction goes I recently read "Eat to Live" by Dr Fuhrman and it has changed my life. While not necessarily advocating a completely vegetarian diet, he does insist that fruits and vegetables should consume at least 90% of our caloric intake. Since beginning his program May 2016 I love the way I feel and the new energy I have. I highly recommend his book!

I am taking a break from movies this year (just a personal experiment). However some of my all-time favorites include: La Vita E Bella, The Princess Bride, and Tizoc (a Mexican movie kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but much better; an oldie).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2010 I backpacked with my Mom around Europe. It was the experience of a lifetime! We visited Germany, Italy, Scotland, England, France and Spain. My only regret was that we only had a few weeks so everything went by at lightning speed. However, it was an experience I will never forget. I had not heard about couch surfing at that time but we did stay with SERVAS (another hospitality organization). It was such a phenomenal way to tour Europe--staying in other people's homes, getting to share experiences, and getting a feel for the home culture, plus making friends for a lifetime.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you stay in my home, I would love to show you some of the local beaches and sights close to my hometown. Also, if you are in the area, I highly recommend www.ketavi.com. The owner, Ulises, is a friend of the family and gives excellent taxi service as well as guided tours of the region. We have a small cattle ranch a few miles outside of town. If you have never milked a cow, you should try it! I believe everyone should milk a cow at least once in their life. :) We also have a small mango orchard that may have some ultra delicious mangos for you to try (depending on the time of the year). Of course, if you just want to chill, we are always down for a game of cards or dice whilst we sip freshly made mango-ade.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have been blessed with an unusually rich life. "Rich" not as much in the area of financial resources as I have been blessed with experiences and people I am privileged to call friends. I enjoy making new friends and learning about new places and cultures.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Chile, England, France, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, United States