About Me
hello, so glad you’re here.
I’d prefer to be chatting over coffee (well, actually an iced latte is my usual drink of choice), but for the sake of practicality this will have to do.
I grew up in California, but have called Guatemala home for the past 11 years. I am a wife, mama and teacher at heart. My days are spent navigating life as an expat, in a cross-cultural marriage, committed to raising our four bilingual and bicultural kids. Truthfully, it always feels a bit complicated.
In 2010, I moved to Guatemala. I was a high school English teacher, and I loved it, but after 5 years of teaching I packed up my classroom and my house, labeled everything and stuffed it in a storage unit. Because ya know, I was coming back in a year. That was my plan at least.
Saying good-bye to Santa Barbara was, and still is, one of the hardest things I ever did. But I believe in trusting the still small voice inside, even when it doesn’t always make sense.
As you may have guessed, I didn’t go back.
I married a man who is different, and better, than I ever expected. We actually met in 2008 on a previous trip to Guatemala. He says it was love at first sight, but I just didn’t know it. We share a love of traveling, but usually we do not share dessert. For the most part we speak in English, text in Spanish and the majority of conversations come out something like this “Mi amor, can you bring me the little toalla from the mueble.” Our sweet children, speak fluent Spanglish.
Gerber, actually pronounced “Hair-bear”, and I got married in 2011. (I know you’ve probably been reading it as ‘Gerber’— like Gerber Baby Food) Blending cultures and all of the invisible layers of language, social class and emotional expectations, has been one of the hardest, and I also hope one of the most beautiful, things we have done.
Nothing has impacted my world and perspective as much as marrying cross-culturally and becoming a mother in a country, outside of the one of I grew up in. I have written a lot about it here and here. I actually did an an interview a few years ago on Cup of Jo. I contributed a chapter to this anthology, about raising our daughter in a way that honors both of her cultures.
I believe God cares deeply about people, all people. Period. And I love thinking about culture, faith and history and how those three intersect and overlap. One cannot be understood without the other.
I grew up as the daughter of a pastor in a church where I thought being a Christian was about having all the right answers, thirty years later I am more convinced that choosing to follow Jesus involves living with more questions. And I am ok with that.
I have a horrible habit of starting books and not finishing them. I could sit at my computer for hours with 17 tabs usually opened at once. I love smoothies, yoga and sunshine. Thankfully, three things Guatemala has an abundance of. Coffee shops are my love language and good conversations give me energy for days. I like my coffee iced, my chocolate dark and if I could, I would eat all of my meals outside. I am a lover of words; spoken, written, even notes scribbled on post-it notes makes me swoon. Just ask my husband. Right now most of my words are tapped into the notes app on my phone, while my children wipe their noses on my sleeves and use my back as a human jungle gym. They have been at home for approximately 5499 days since schools are still closed in Guatemala.
If you’re new here, thanks for stopping by.
You can see some of my published work from around the web here.
And if you are ever going to be Guatemala, please let me know. I love sharing about my favorite places. (You can see some of my favorite spots around town here, especially if you’re traveling with kids)
Thanks for reading my words and letting me think through, this wonderfully, beautiful, simply complicated life.
With a Grateful Heart,
Michelle
