I am from rural Wisconsin, USA, and have lived since 1999 in Mexico, and since 2008 here in Zipolite, operating Cafe Maya - Casa Acalli on the beach. Before moving to Mexico, I lived in Alaska for 3 years, where I studied primary school education and Native culture and worked in summers as a Kayak and Rafting guide. My partner, Rey, the local Lifeguard Captain and also a Surf Instructor, is a Totonaca Mayan Indian from the state of Veracruz, and we have two children: Acalli, born in 2010, and Ileana in 2012. We opened Cafe Maya - Casa Acalli in 2008, before which time I had a very successful restaurant in Mazunte a few kilometers from here (opened in the year 2000). I also work as a freelance translator (Spanish-English) in low season. Aside from cooking and baking and being a mom, I enjoy yoga, swimming, camping, running on the beach, music, travel and family time. I hope to share my experiences with guests in a positive and enriching manner, as I wish for them to do with my family. A motto I have always related to as a country girl and Organic Farmer is BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED. I was raised on organic, whole, healthy foods, and that carries over into the menu I offer my restaurant: fresh baked whole grain bread, (semi-)natural desserts, sushi using fresh local seafood, salads, mixed vegetable stir frys, cooked with love!