Algo sobre yo: I am originally from California, where I spent half my life becoming educated and, in my first career, as an active travel tour guide for a company called Backroads. I studied French at the University of California at Santa Barbara which included a year abroad in Aix en Provence, France. My Spanish background has been derived from a more natural approach, leading bike tours through parts of South America and Spain, and living with my family in Spain and Mexico when my kids were in middle school. I am married to another tour guide, Dan, and we have two children, Grace and Domi who have both been students at AHS. Dan and I moved to Durango in 1994 after having lived on the road as tour guides for many years. We realized that as much as we appreciated learning about grammar in the classroom, we really LEARNED the languages we speak by travelling and having to use the language in real situations. I have been teaching French and Spanish in Durango for about 13 years at Miller Middle School, DHS and for the last 7 years at AHS. My hope is not just to get kids speaking Spanish, but also to create an interest in other ways of life and cultures beyond our shores.