Hola, Pura Vida! Hello, all is well!
My name is Apolonia, but you can call me Nia. I am the sixth generation of my family to carry on this rare and beautiful name, which I proudly inherit from my Mexican grandmother. I was born far north in Wisconsin, a magical, woodsy, snowy place. Living there gave me a love and respect for nature. My parents owned a restaurant and passed on their love of cooking to me as well.
My older sister, Sasha, and I grew up in Illinois then moved to Kansas for high school. In high school, I ran cross country and track and discovered my passion for art. I love creating; drawing, embroidering, sewing, water coloring and painting are some of my favorite activities.
I decided to study ecology at the University of Kansas, which means that I study the interactions between plants and animals. I then had the wonderful opportunity to come to Costa Rica to improve my Spanish and study ecology in a country that has some of the richest biodiversity in the world! That means that even though the country is small, it has a huge amount of different plants and animals that I get to explore in my classes. I want to work with farmers and the government to make food healthier and safer.
From food to nature to Spanish, Costa Rica is quite the adventure, and I cannot wait to share my journey with you! Let's go!
