My favorite picture on the bookshelf in my office was taken in front of my parent’s house in 1994. My family and I are decked out in Argentina soccer jerseys and holding a VERY long handwritten sign that reads “VAMOS!!! VAMOS!! ARGENTINA!!!!!!”. We were getting ready to see Diego Maradona and the Argentina national team in the opening round of World Cup ’94. As we entered the stadium, I was amazed by the sea of sky blue jerseys everywhere and the sounds of drums, horns, and a chorus of thousands of people. Needless to say, I was hooked on soccer right then and there, and to this day there’s no time I feel more Argentinian than when I’m singing songs with fellow fans supporting La Selección!

Many of my fondest childhood memories are set in Buenos Aires. Everything was familiar enough there, but the slight differences made everything exhilarating in the same way a live version of a favorite song surprise you. I remember the playgrounds having different features than those back home, the jugeterías (toy stores) carrying toys I had never seen before, and most importantly, Argentina had dulce de leche, alfajores, mecanos, and a plethora of other sweets and treats that were unheard of back in the States.

My parents were born, raised, and married in Buenos Aires, and moved to Boston, Massachusetts shortly thereafter. My early ski days were spent on the hills in central New Hampshire, like Cranmore, Attitash, and Waterville Valley. My lift passes accumulated on my winter jackets zippers for years, getting thicker and crunchier each time another sticky ticket was layered on top. As soon as I could, I joined a ski club with friends and explored Vermont, Maine, and the other ski areas around New England. Things only accelerated from there once my friends and I could drive ourselves.

After I moved to Florida in 2010, I had to make a concerted effort to get my ski days every season. Fortunately, one of my friends had moved to Denver around that time and was a welcoming host. I took full advantage of his hospitality and began meeting him and a rotating cast of characters each year for ski adventures. I’ve spent every year since trying to figure out how to get more days on the slopes. Because my ski days during this time were so precious, I learned how to research, choose destinations, and plan logistics carefully.

Several years ago, it finally clicked and I connected the dots between two key aspects of my identity—my love of skiing and my Argentinian roots—and started skiing in South America each year. Even though I’m thrilled to get more ski days by adding a “second winter” to my calendar, I knew there was something bigger and more important that I wanted to do. I want to bring people together from the two countries I call home through my love of skiing and by sharing authentic cultural experiences.