CURRENT MISSION

To try something new every day.

ABOUT ME

I love stories -- telling, writing, listening to them. I very much enjoy exploring new cities and places, trying new foods (and learning to make them), being outside, playing sports (especially soccer, running, and tennis), reading books (John Steinbeck is my favorite author).

My family is Colombian, and I grew up speaking Spanish, traveling frequently, and engaging in political debates. My mom (a professor of Latin American literature) is my best friend. My dad and brother are really wonderful too.

Interests

I love riding a bike and using public transit to get to know a new city. I recently finished my PhD in Energy and Resources, and my thesis focused on waste management (garbage!) in developing country cities. I am fascinated by trash and its cultural and environmental implications. I am also really interested in language, and want to learn Portuguese next.

• writing
• books
• literature
• cooking
• running
• reading
• traveling
• cycling
• sports
• soccer
• tennis
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Moonrise Kingdom

Books: East of Eden, The Last Speakers, Outliers, Bossypants (hilarious)

Radio: Radiolab, NPR's Selected Shorts

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- I studied informal recycling networks in Bogota Colombia, and remain amazed at the innovations that resource-poor people use to make their livelihoods. I witnessed lots of repair and reuse, as well as informal arrangements with households and businesses that maximized utility for all.
- Ants in Guatemala carrying much more than their weight in leaves, and marching forward in a seemingly interminable line. How cool that they can function as individual organisms and as one grant coordinated system.

Teach, Learn, Share

If anyone is learning Spanish and wants to practice, I am happy to have Spanish conversations or meal times! I also really enjoy cooking and happy to do that collaboratively too :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Denmark, Laos, Mexico, Palestine, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Colombia, Costa Rica, United States

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