Team

Meet the Team

My love affair with travel began at age 13 when my parents took me out of the U.S. for the first time. When I woke up in a thatched-roof hut with elephants and giraffes just steps away, everything changed. During our three week trip I absorbed everything like a sponge. I was intrigued by all the new foods and flavors. But most of all, I was fascinated by the people I met. Their lives were so different than mine, and yet somehow so similar at the same time. 

Since then I haven't stopped exploring. I studied abroad in Chile, volunteered in Kenya, chased love in Israel, competed for my dream job in the United Arab Emirates, and blogged about my adventures on a 6-month Round the World Trip. Although "home" is in Seattle, Washington, being abroad is my second home having spent over 5 years combined living & traveling internationally.

With professional experience in project management and volunteer experience managing events and inbound tour groups, it was a natural fit to combine my love of travel with my strengths in organization and planning. I founded The Table Less Traveled to share destinations with eager travelers who seek meaningful connections with locals and experiences that are truly 'less traveled’.

Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, the tropical melting-pot of the Pacific, I grew up a culturally curious soul especially when it came to food. Throughout my life, I continued to find myself drawn to the world beyond the islands amidst serendipitous adventures. From working with airplanes in Singapore, to attending gastronomy school in northern Italy, to living on a tea farm in rural Japan - I’ve befriended lifelong friends from all walks of life along the way. Since then, I've remained a perpetually curious eater who loves to explore one bite at a time! 

Being a part of The Table Less Traveled allows me to explore my passion for gastronomy and hospitality while enabling meaningful cultural exchanges through education and community engagement.

As Cesar Chavez once said, I believe "that people who give you their food, also give you their heart." Wherever I am in the world, I love to savor the moments between each bite and appreciate how wonderful people can be. 

For as long as I can remember, my heart has been drawn to Latin America. The slower pace of life, the language, culture, people, history, literature, music, food… I love it all. So much so that I moved to Peru and I’m still living here 10 years later!

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of sharing food and conversation with so many amazing people from different nationalities, cultures, and walks of life. As a result, I’ve come to realize that although there are so many of us in this world and that we while we may come from different backgrounds and traditions, food is a unifying force that can cross language and cultural barriers and bring us closer together.

Being a part of The Table Less Traveled allows me to work alongside an amazing group of other like-minded individuals who are as passionate as I am about fantastic food, intentional travel, and meaningful culture exchange. 

My love for travel started at an early age with camping trips to nearby national parks, day trips to the coast, and long road trips to visit family. I learned then that there was so much beauty and fun to discover in the world, whether it was just a city over or across oceans. Since those first trips, I prioritized traveling whenever I could and have been fortunate to visit, hike, and eat with people in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Italy.

Travel taught me that each day is "a good time or a good story", but I’ve found that more times than not, it’s both. As a part of The Table Less Traveled, I hope to share opportunities with you that are a good time and a good story, that stretch your boundaries, that share the beauty of people and places, and that taste absolutely exquisite.

My first “travels” abroad were in my small town preschool’s production of Peer Gynt, the story of a boy who goes on a round-the-world journey via magic carpet. Since then, acting has taken me all across the country and the world; from San Juan Island, WA, to Williamstown, MA, to London, UK. I love meeting new people who go out of their way to share what they love about their corner of the world (especially the food) each time I land somewhere new.

I act to understand voices different from my own, to access different parts of myself, to give voice to people whose voices aren’t heard, and to bring communities together. That is why I am also passionate about working with The Table Less Traveled; a group that truly values global community and exploration of all kinds. In our cooking classes, it is an absolute delight to see friends and strangers connect from afar while exploring delicious new recipes with our fabulous chefs who hail from all over the world. I hope to visit them all someday.

A native of Seattle, Washington, my love of travel was instilled in me from a young age by my parents. We would visit places near and far as a family, from the beaches of Washington to the mountains of Norway, and at the heart of each exploration was a love for community and a curiosity for discovering the local flair of each place. 

While I currently live in Athens, my base for the past seven years, my passion still lies in discovering the world, and that usually starts over a shared table and local cuisine. Being a part of The Table Less Traveled allows me to share my love of travel through the most unique and yet universal medium - food. From meandering roads in Greece to hiking through tea plantations in Sri Lanka and basking in the sunset on a Namibian safari, my fondest travel memories involve connecting with locals over food.

When I'm not out exploring foreign nations, my feet take me to the near and far corners of Greece, hiking mountains and swimming in Mediterranean seas, capturing the memories through various cameras and over many potluck friend meals or seaside taverna feasts. 

Ever since I can remember, my favorite memories have involved travel, music, and trying delicious food! I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan; a small coastal town with a thriving art scene and a cherry festival. From there, I went on to study Vocal Performance and German language at the DePauw School of Music (class of 2020!). College brought me amazing opportunities— I trained as an opera singer, studied abroad in Austria, and took cooking classes in the dining hall with my friends.

These days, I’m blessed to have projects that are so fun they don’t feel like work. Hosting classes with the Table Less Traveled has taught me so much about the stories and cultural significance behind dishes I love, and has introduced me to foods I’ve never heard of before. I am also a singer and audio technician with the Resonance Treble Ensemble, and am applying to masters’ programs for opera performance.

I can’t wait for the adventures that lie ahead! Knowing myself, these plans will probably include visiting friends and relatives in foreign places, pretending not to have a budget at restaurants, and making music as often as I can. I’m so grateful to the amazing team at the Table Less Traveled, who remind with their unique travel stories and passion for food that the world is a dynamic and beautiful place!

Ever since I was a child, my house was always filled with music, food, and laughter. I grew up on the tropical island of Puerto Rico; an island filled with salsa music and banquets of food. Watching my dad work at the restaurant and learning all the chef tricks behind the kitchen with my grandfather ignited a very special spark in my heart. My grandmother would always say that the way to someone’s heart is through good food. (Little did I know, she was talking about me!)

As an artist, I’ve had amazing opportunities to work on projects around the world, one of my favorite moments being the cultural exchanges I’ve shared inside a kitchen. Although I turned out to major in music, my passion for food and hospitality never ceased; sharing lots of stories and connecting with strangers through a cup of coffee while working as a barista.

Food brings people together and it conquers all, from language barriers to cultural differences. As part of the Host Team at The Table Less Traveled, my mission is to provide you with an interactive safe space for cultural exchange, learning, and a fun time at the heart of your kitchen.

I used to cook traditional Mexican recipes with my grandma when I was younger, and it instilled in me a love of food that I will always be grateful for. As I got into the workforce, I took a job at a gelato and pastry shop and learned how to make and appreciate so many different desserts. From learning the difference between French, Italian & Swiss Macarons, to making tiramisu and cannolis from scratch, I had a whole new world opened up to me. Since becoming an adult I have been fortunate enough to seek out many different experiences across the world such as hiking through the Himalayas, camping with elephants, and visiting a few European Christmas markets.

Being a part of the Table Less Traveled team allows me to meet so many chefs all over the world, and share my love of food with them and so many other people that I get to see in the online classes.

My love of food began with the smell of sauteed butter and garlic in my grandparent's kitchen and still anchors me wherever I am in the world. Over the past five years, I've been lucky enough to experience many non-conventional ways of traveling – from working on farms in Italy, house-sitting in Mexico and Guatemala, co-living in Portugal, and car camping from Spain to Romania and back two summers in a row.

Throughout all my travels, there is nothing that warms my heart more than encountering a connection between beings, like an act of kindness between strangers or the sharing of food and stories between old and new friends. I love finding my feet in the kitchen to dance, learn, sip, and taste with others.

I'm passionate about working with a company like the Table Less Traveled to provide others with culinary and travel experiences that embrace the beauty of humanity, cultural exchange, and of course, incredible food!