I was born in San Diego, California in 1978, and grew up there. My mother, a language teacher and travel agent, exposed me to foreign languages and cultures from a young age. My slight interest didn't evolve into a true passion, however, until my junior year at the University of California, at Los Angeles, when I decided to study abroad in Sevilla, Spain.

Upon returning to the United States, I could never manage to shake Spain from my mind, and meanwhile began working as a UCLA Campus Tour Guide. After graduating in 2000 and spending that summer in Jerusalem on a cultural exchange, I came to Barcelona, where I expected to stay only for a few months.

Coincidentally, my first job here (when I was still an illegal immigrant) was as the Public Relations Director for a Catalan touring company, specializing in the architecture of Antonio Gaudí. Thus, my passion for culture and travel began to mix with a newfound fascination with history and architecture, specifically those of Barcelona.

To assimilate and give myself a professional edge, I enrolled in a course to learn the local tongue, and quickly became known as That American who Speaks Catalan.

In the following years, I dabbled in a diverse array of professions: from holding down jobs at two of Barcelona's largest multinational advertising agencies then at a family-run corporate gift business, to passing out flyers on the street corner, and even running an underground gourmet restaurant and inter-cultural club in a rented apartment space. Meanwhile, I continued to study the people and culture of Barcelona.

In 2003, I gave my first private tour as a freelance guide and, shortly thereafter, began working as a bicycle guide for an international company. Since then, I have worked as a guide, often in addition to my conventional (or not-so-conventional) full-time jobs, and have always preferred to offer tours of a distinct, lively, and personal nature.

In March of 2006, I created Hi. This is Barcelona in order to impart onto others my unique experience in this extraordinary city.

In my free time, I attend film festivals, concerts, and art openings, of which there is never a shortage in Barcelona. I also amuse myself strolling through the streets admiring the architecture and stopping along the way for the occasional tapa' and beer.

I enjoy travelling whenever possible, and have managed to explore much of Europe and journey extensively through Argentina, among other adventures. In each new place, I get pleasure from obtaining an authentic, hands on experience: wandering off the beaten track to scope out the alleyways my guidebooks skip over, meeting the locals, and dining in their neighbourhood joints.