How long have you lived in Sayulita? On and off for eleven years.

Por cuanto tiempo has vivido en Sayulita? Durante 11 años, mas o menos.

Why did you move here? A friend introduced me to the area, and I loved the lifestyle, the warm weather, the water and the opportunities. There's more creativity here than other places - you can create things you want to do and make them happen. There is more freedom in this lifestyle.

Porque te mudaste aqui? Una amiga me presento a la area, y me encantaba el estilo de vida, el clima, el agua y las opportunidades. Hay mas creatividad aqui que en otros lugares - se puede crear cosas que quieres hacer y luego realizarlas. Hay mas libertad aqui.

What do you do for work? I opened Sayulita Sea Camp. It's a day camp program for kids to introduce them to different topics about the ocean. The idea is to educate kids so they care about the ocean and keeping it clean. It started last season and it was really successful, so after that I did a summer program for local kids in San Pancho and this year it's just getting going again. It's available Monday through Friday.

Aside from that I'm also on the reef check team, which is a group of divers that looks at the coral reefs. Ocean education and awareness are important to me.

Que haces para el trabajo? Abri Sayulita Sea Camp. Es un programa de campamento durante los dias para los ninos para que conozcan los diferentes temas sobre el mar. La idea es educar a los ninos para que les importe el mar y mantenerlo limpio. Comenze la temporada pasada, y fue todo un exito, asi que despues hice un programa para ninos en la localidad de San Pancho, y este ano esta poniendo en marcha de nuevo. El programa esta disponible de lunes a viernes.

Ademas, participo en el reef check team, lo cual es un grupo de buceadores que revisan a los arrecifes de coral. La educacion y conocimiento del mar son importantes para mi.

How has Sayulita changed in the last 11 years? I used to know all the ex-pats, and the community has grown so much here that now there are tons of people that I don't know. There's more competition for restaurants and businesses - it feels like the town has doubled.

Como ha cambiado Sayulita en los ultimos 11 anos? Antes, yo conocia a todos los extranjeros que vivian aqui, pero la comunidad ha crecido tanto ahora que ya hay mucha gente aqui que no conozco. Hay mas competencia para los restaurantes y los negocios - se siente que el pueblo se ha multiplicado.

What do you like most about Sayulita? I like the creativity of all the shop owners, who put their own twist on everything. People put a lot of heart and soul into their establishments and most of the things they sell are unique and things that they make themselves.

Que te gusta mas de Sayulita? Me gusta la creatividad de todos los duenos de las tiendas, que agregan sus toques en todo. Las personas invierten mucho corazon y alma en sus negocios y muchas de sus cosas que se venden son unicas y cosas que ellos mismos fabrican.

What's it like raising a family here? Awesome! There are lots of people with young kids in Sayulita and there is lots of community support. My kids are so free. They can play while I'm working and the school here, Costa Verde, is great. All the kids know each other from when they were born, and all the moms become tias; everyone is family.

Como es creando tu familia aqui? Chido! Hay muchas personas con hijos pequenos aqui en Sayulita y hay mucho apoyo de la comunidad. Mis hijos son muy libres. Pueden jugar cuando estoy trabajando y la escuala esta aqui, Cosa Verde, es buenisima. Todos los ninos se conocen desde que nacen, y todas las mamas se hacen tias; todos somos familia.

How old are you kids? Three and five.

Cuantos anos tienen sus hijos? Tres y cinco.

Where are you from originally? Monterey Peninsula, California.

De donde eres? Monterey Peninsula, California.

Is there any advice you'd give to people who want to move to Sayulita and create a life for themselves? Make sure you have something to do! There are so many opportunities if you have ideas, you just have to make it happen. Think a little bit about your big picture because you can't just sit on the beach all day. Find what you're passionate about and create something to sustain your life here.

Hay alguna sugerencia que quieres dar a la gente que quiere mudar a Sayulita y crear una vida aqui? Asegurate que tienes algo que hacer! Hay muchas oportunidades si tienes ideas, solo tienes que hacerlo posible. Piensa un poquito sobre tu gran idea porque no puedes estar sentado en la playa todo el dia. Busca algo que te pasiona y crea algo que sostenga tu vida aqui.