Military Wild
Spain
Meet your Spain Team
Ana Sanchez
Expert Member
Hi! My name is Ana. I was born and raised in Venezuela, which allowed me to spend so much time outdoors. However, my love for hiking was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes, you read that right! Las Vegas offers many opportunities to explore the great outdoors, like Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Lake Mead, Mt. Charleston, and Valley of Fire State Park.
My favorite thing about hiking is the peace it brings to my soul. Breathing the fresh air and seeing the natural creations is like therapy. Now, I explore the outdoors with my husband as we embrace military life. In Virginia we got to explore Shenandoah National Park. And now we are excited to explore Spain and its terrains.
Favorite Adventure: My two closest cousins and I did a road trip to Arizona. In Sedona we did the Devil's Bridge Trail in the morning, and in the afternoon, we wanted to do cliff jumping to cool off. So, we decided to go to The Crack at Wet Beaver Creek; this hike was a mentally challenging because of the summer heat, but the finish line made it totally worth it, and we had so much fun. We finished off our road trip with a pit stop at Grand Canyon National Park, which was absolutely breathtaking!
I always pack a first aid kit, emergency blanket, headlamp, layers depending on the weather, and extra snacks because I get hangry really fast.
Ariel Rose Jasper
Expert Member
What up! My name is Ariel, & I’m a Navy spouse. I was born & raised in Bend, OR, but I’ve been lucky enough to call Spain my home for a little over a year now with my husband & our new cat, Zhuzh. Bend is an outdoor mecca, & I was fortunate enough to take advantage of its colorful landscape & wide variety of activities. My favorites were SUPing, hiking, skiing, bouldering, & cycling (both road & trail). I also did a short stint working at a bungee bridge- high adrenaline sports aren’t usually my thing, but I’ve been known to try them here & there. I grew up riding horses, climbing trees, digging in the dirt, & swimming in the lakes. Since moving to Spain, I’ve enjoyed spending time swimming in the ocean, cooking on my Traeger, walking along the beach, riding my fixed gear around town, & going on random adventures with my new crew of peeps. I’ve also enjoyed hosting get togethers, like yoga on my roof! I’m a professional Jack of All Trades who is currently doing hair sparkle installs through my home-based business, Lucky Locks Rota. It was a big transition to go from multiple jobs, fast-paced work environments, & a town located not only in the desert but also on top of volcanic ground to a sleepy small beach town, but I’ve really learned to love slowing down. I do miss the cold glacier melt water of the PNW, & we do eventually plan to move back to somewhere with four seasons, but we’ll take the adventures the military has in store for us as they come!
Favorite Adventure: this is a tough one…either rafting the Grand Canyon for 23 days, circumnavigating the Three Sisters & Broken Top in the Cascade mountain range outside of Bend, or white water SUPing the lower Salmon outside of Riggins, ID.
I always pack a pair of my Xero sandals because I prefer to be barefoot or at least in barefoot shoes whenever I can.
Amanda Heriford
Expert Member
Howdy! I’m Amanda – a Texan currently residing in Monterey, California while my husband
learns Spanish in preparation for a move to Rota, Spain. We have three beautiful kids: Ryder
(12), Ellie (2) and Ever (1). Travelling and exploring the world around me is my jam! Especially
anything that has to do with water + sunshine.
Favorite Adventure: During the lockdown of 2020 we were living in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. I
was pregnant with our first daughter and my husband was deployed. It was just our son and I at
home. Two raging extroverts. Alone. Going crazy. We would watch the tides and run for the
paddle boards any chance we got. It was on one of those extra lonely days, we were greeted by
manatees in the water. They circled, splashed, played forever like they were meant to cheer us
up. Of course, this is one of few times I didn’t bring a phone or anything. To this day we joke
that if both of us weren’t there to see it, we wouldn’t believe it!
I always pack sunscreen, a bathing suit, lip balm, and water!
Abby Pitts
Ambassador
My love for the outdoors started with all of the camping trips we took every summer growing up. Then getting to hike in Colorado, Montana, and Greece during college solidified the love and respect I have for finding those little pockets of natural beauty in our world. And while every adventure I have had is unique, I still can't find another park that feels like home quite as much as Glacier National Park.
Favorite Adventure: My husband and I took a trip to Chiang Mai Thailand for our Anniversary and it was the best trip of my life. We stayed at an Airbnb with a million rescue animals. Went to a elephant sanctuary, climbed all the mountains, enjoyed multiple yoga studios and ate all the food! And we did that all on a Scooter!! It was an experience I will never forget.
I always pack a baton, Pepper Spray, Gloves, Sunscreen, Bug Spray First Aid and Water!
Favorite Trail Snack: Trail mix, fruit, and beef sticks
This Could be you...
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