¡Hola! My name is Alyssa. Mother to Eva+Zé+Benicio+Matías. Wife to Mylton. Gringa. Latina in spirit. Travel junkie. Fierce friend to all. Optimist by choice.

Yo Soy Spanish has been a lifetime in the making. My love for the language and culture began at 19 years old when I traveled south of the border for the first time. I went on a 2-month surf trip to Costa Rica+Nicaragua+Panama. The waves were epic but learning to navigate the myriad of cultures, the language, meeting the locals, and trying new food is what changed me forever.

When I was 20, I lived and worked just north of Puerto Vallarta for 6 months. This was before Google translate and smartphones so I used to walk around with a notebook jotting down words that I heard or signs that I read…then look them up in the dictionary at night.

Upon attending college, I had every intention to become an elementary school teacher but the only class I looked forward to was Spanish. So I decided to study what I really loved and that’s how I graduated with a BA in Spanish Language and Culture!

Fast forward a few years to raising 4 bilingual children in a bicultural home, I just couldn’t shake the desire to live down south again. I told myself, while they are young, it´s now or never. We fell in love with Medellín, Colombia and without any plan B, we made it our home. After a few years and during the pandemic, we unexpectedly relocated to the beach in Mexico. THE BEST EVER. I’m still fantasizing about our return but for now, we live in Cardiff-by-the-Sea until our older ones graduate high school. I am often asked, “Why did you choose Colombia? How did your kids do with school, moving, etc.? Wasn’t it hard?” And yes, while it wasn’t easy and downright maddening during the transitions, I wouldn’t change a thing. And neither would my kids. All our adventures have allowed us to proudly be who we are today…adaptable+understanding+street smart+aware+bilingual. The qualities my children have acquired were formed by stepping outside their comfort zone and being exposed to the Spanish language culture in all shapes and forms. This is what I aspire to teach and share with the students of Yo Soy Spanish. Through a fun+diverse+challenging curriculum, I hope to inspire a passion for learning+language+adventure.

¡Bienvenidos a Yo Soy Spanish!