I used to think that I was all over the map, literally and figuratively and worried that it was a bad thing. But now I know that those old woes are my superpowers. Superpowers heightened and honed through professional and personal experiences around the world. Each location and moment — past and present — gives me a broad and unique set of inspiration points for approaching everyday design and living.

I was born in Australia to Colombian parents and grew up in Los Angeles, California. When I was 25, my then-boyfriend, now husband, asked me to move to London with him for a job opportunity. Saying yes changed the course of my life. We loved London but left the West for the Southeast to live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for another opportunity. After two years of soaking up Southeast Asian culture, we returned to the States, where our next home of choice was Raleigh, North Carolina, where we’d start our family. We are now happy to call Adelaide, South Australia home.

In Raleigh, I founded and operated my dream store for five years. It’s where I strengthened my editorial and curatorial eyes, passion for placemaking, and discernment for the why of things.

I closed the store in 2020 mid-pandemic. I was ready to share my interests and superpowers beyond its four walls and longed to spend more time with my husband and two young daughters. With a new sense of direction and purpose, I reconnected with my life-long passion for creating delightful experiences for people and places.

Before earning my self-prescribed MBA in independent retail, I invented an activewear accessory, scoured European flea markets, delighted shoppers in a historic setting, and gave shoes to kids in the early days of TOMS. While at California State University Northridge I got my feet wet in fashion PR, fashion trend forecasting, and retail sales (forever love you, Nordstrom). I graduated with a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences and a Minor in Business Marketing.

Today, with my feet firmly planted on the ground wherever I land, I celebrate being all over the map without feeling all over the map. The endless courses we take in curiosity can show us our everyday superpowers, and with that, I am comforted, grateful and endlessly excited. Not just for me but for all of us.

I invite you to browse my personal blog, AM Notes, for thoughts, ideas, and observations on how we experience our everyday life.