Much of my adult life has been defined by my love of adventure and travel. My explorations have taken me to Nepal, India, Southeast Asia, Iceland, Europe, Central America and Mexico, throughout the U.S. and Canada. I’ve hiked, climbed, backpacked, kayaked, biked and rafted in different corners of the world and extensively in the U.S. It’s what I love, what gives me energy, keeps me happy and healthy, and fills my soul.

As a young adult, I often traveled alone to developing countries where I bounced around in rickety “chicken buses” with an overstuffed backpack, sleeping in hostels or in a hammock under a palapa, eating basic meals of lentils and rice or chicken and beans. I loved those trips and still prefer eating those basic meals, although my style of travel has changed a bit as I’ve grown older.

International travel to me presents opportunities for adventure and physical challenge, but what most interest me are cultural subtleties: people, language, religion, art, music and history. I love being immersed in different languages, those I speak and those that I don’t. I love meeting and learning about people from other cultures, what their lives are like, what their dreams are. It gives me perspective on my own life, my own community, my own history. I especially enjoy connecting with women from other cultures, as there is often an instant sisterly connection, recognizing that our similarities are a lot greater than our differences.

In 2014, near the end of a rich, 25-year career as a musician, I began leading music- and cultural arts-themed trips to Cuba, quickly becoming enchanted with the friends I made, the teachers with whom we studied drumming and dance, the beautiful countryside, the music and art, and the resilience and strength of the Cuban people amidst decades of great hardship. I also realized that I really like traveling with a focus and sharing my passion and knowledge with other people. As I pondered the future, I found myself increasingly interested in pursuing this new path.

I am now working as an adventure travel guide, leading multi-day hiking and culture trips in the U.S. and internationally. I also guide small private arts-focused trips on the Camino de Santiago and day hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. I still enjoy teaching piano lessons and maintain a small studio in my home at 8,600 feet in Rollinsville, Colorado, where I live with my husband John and our dog Oreo.