What make our travel experiences so special are the people we meet along the way. These wonderful people were a source of inspiration to us, all living amazing lives. Some were volunteering, some were creating programs for high risk groups, some worked with children. Others simply lived from their inspiration and were found themselves exploring the world. All of their paths crossed with ours, and for that we are grateful. The one thing they all had in common was the joy they brought into our lives through our meeting.
Some of the Most Amazing People We’ve Met on our Travels………
Beautiful Roxanne, tempting us with a delicious cake.
Who could resist? (Roxanne is featured in Podcast Episode #1)
Josh was our first roommate in our apartment in Antigua.
He’s one of the founders of a volunteer tourism company called Encounter.
Chris and Katja in our living room in Antigua. We met Katja a year before in Costa Rica and Chris couchsurfed with us as his first stop when he officially moved to Guatemala .
Katja translates spanish to english in Podcast Episode #3, and Chris is featured in Podcast Episode #7.
Patrick, a beautiful soul, traveling Central and South America in pursuit of spiritual community.
Patrick is from Germany.
Juanito, our wonderful friend from Zaragoza, Spain. We spent a month with Juantio in December 2009 and he became family to us, and yes, that’s a stuffed chicken on his head. (Grathias Compadre!)
Bree! A spunky Canadian couchsurfer who stayed with us in Antigua.
Diego, a Guatemalan who we traveled with a little in Guatemala.
2 things about Diego: He love firecrackers & his eyes turn into tiny slits when he has too much Indita.
Julian is an amazing photographer and a wonderful playful spirit from Germany, we met through couchsurfing.
We met Reba and her beautiful family (the Gato Tribe) in Liberia, Costa Rica & couchsurfed with them for a couple of days. Her daughter Ama drew the Miro design on her mom’s arm so both mommies would have a Miro tattoo.
This Elana demonstrating how to suck the sugar out of the cane on her spice farm called Finca Amanecer in Costa Rica.
We met Natalia in Costa Rica, even though she was from Argentina. Infections smile and wonderful energy.
Eduardo and Calle, from Costa Rica. Miro and I couchsurfed with him twice!
Anto, Eduardo’s roommate. He’s a college professor and a great cook!
Iris was our first couchsurfer host in Costa Rica. She met us at the airport and her huge smile did not cease the entire time we stayed with her. Iris is originally from Austria. We love this girl!
Monolo in Cancun, Mexico. We mention him and Eric (below) in several posts
about Cancun and in Podcast Episode #14
Eric, Monolo’s partner in Cancun, Mexico, mentioned in Podcast Episode #14
Beautiful Cyndi, a woman who’s become a dear friend.
We met her through couchsurfing, stayed with her in Playa Del Carmen, then traveled
with her to Merida and Belize. We had such a great time together!
Another amazing photo of Juantito, in the pool in Monterrico, Guatemala.
Ingeborg!
We loved her so much from the moment we met her.
She is from Norway and couchsurfed with us in Antigua, Guatemala.
Jose is another couchsurfer, from Spain.
We also met Paul, through couchsurfing and we fell in love with his kind spirit immediately.
We interview him in Podcast Episode #14 about his adventures in Mexico.
Stijn, from Holland, couchsurfed with us for a few weeks in Antigua while he finished up his thesis.
Carla is his lovely girlfriend from Costa Rica.
Joseph couchsurfed with us & contributed to some wonderful conversations.
He is a Canadian who studied philosophy.
Juan Pablo was like family to us, for the 8 months we stayed in Guatemala.
We met via a couchsuring post looking for travel companions.
We traveled around the country for 1 month and he is a large part of the reason we stayed in
Guatemala for as long as we did and we truly miss him now that we’re gone.
My beautiful mother and close, close friend sitting, overlooking the lake in San Pedro, Lake Atitlan.
I can’t wait for her next visit, where ever that may be.
Canadian Alex, our internet cafe buddy. We became friends during our two month stay in Granada.
Jay, an ex-hippy from somewhere down south, Costa Rican transplant and riddled with a troubled past.
We met him in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and had a very intense friendship as he opened up his life to us.
Much love to Jay and hope our paths cross again!
Our friend Kyle Lapp from 42 Hitchhikers
Friend and fellow couchsurfing nomad Joe from
Episode #6, – Modern Day Nomads, Nomadic People and a World of Travelers
Friend from LA at the brewery, actually, Ronnie. He traveled through Guatemala, and we spent time together in Antigua and Lake Atitlan. This picture was taken at a music festival in Santiago.
Lainie with Italian friend and volunteer Viola in Antigua.
Lainie Liberti is a recovering branding expert, who’s career once focused on creating campaigns for green – eco business, non-profits and conscious business. Dazzling clients with her high-energy designs for over 18 years, Lainie lent her artistic talents to businesses that matter. But that was then.
In 2008, after the economy took a turn, Lainie decided to be the change (instead of a victim) and began the process of “lifestyle redesign,” a joint decision between both her and her 11-year-old son, Miro. They sold or gave away all of of their possessions in 2009 and began a life of travel, service, and exploration. Lainie and her son Miro began their open-ended adventure backpacking through Central and South America. They are slow traveling around the globe allowing inspiration to be their compass. The pair is most interested in exploring different cultures, contributing by serving, and connecting with humanity as ‘global citizens.’
Today Lainie considers herself a digital nomad who is living a location independent life. She and her son write and podcast their experiences from the road at Raising Miro on the Road of Life.
