I’m just a small town girl from North Carolina. Of the 4 siblings, I was the only daughter, and we kept our parents very busy with our various social and athletic schedules. Together, we took many road trips to visit friends and family each year. The hours in the car/truck were often long and trying on our patience, but they were filled with history, animal counting games, stories and songs. These trips, along with a few visits out of country in my youth, gave all of us siblings a strong desire to explore the world.
I enjoyed a childhood living in-town, but was lucky to have some family living close by in the country. We would spend many afternoons with my grandparents and cousins, playing Chinese Checkers, dress up, and helping around the farm. My grandparents often hosted international guests through the 4-H and other programs. Their farm house was full of souvenirs and memories from the guests, as well as from their own travels. One such guest and her family became long standing members of ours, even moving to our small town from Colombia. They encouraged all of us to learn about other people and cultures.
When I went to study at UNC Charlotte, I lived in the international dorms of Witherspoon, and became involved in the various cultural communities and events hosted by UNCC. I gained many wonderful friendships and learned so much about the people of the world we live in. These friendships further whet my appetite for traveling, as did my family’s constant encouragement to continue exploring.
Just a little more…
Dance
I studied ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pointe, and tap during my primary school years. While at UNCC, I participated in a Russian folk dance performance.
I fell in love with salsa, cumbia, merengue and various other Latino dance styles from when I was 12, learning to dance with our adopted Colombian family (They were also the main reason I wanted to learn Spanish!)
In 2016, I joined a masala bhangra dance class, which then led to multiple dance performances at Cary Diwali and the Raleigh India Fest. I also choreographed and taught a group of young ladies to perform at India Fest.
Food
Mama’s lasagna and Papa’s chicken paprikash are still my top favorite meals. On the daily, however, I am always happy to try various foods and am always craving tacos! Each day, I hope to learn and experience something new. It could be as simple as learning a random fact, or a mud bath festival (it is a thing in South Korea…). I will be sharing my experiences as an English teacher, an explorer, a human being in a new country, and as a woman living in the world.
Throughout my future posts, I hope to further reflect on such topics as dancing, food, culture, history, family and friendship.
A Girl And Her Pez 