Update, August 2021: Michelle stopped teaching Zumba in 2015, and let her membership to the Zumba Instructors’ Network (ZIN) expire because teaching Zumba had become an “expensive hobby.”  Her beloved dogs Zeke, Hannah Bean and Lucho all crossed Rainbow Bridge, leaving Charlie, the Belgian Malinois, as leader of the pack.  Last year, Olive Hope, a bluenose pitbull mix was welcomed to the family, and has kept everyone on their toes.

We’ve lived through the first part of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and are hoping the delta variant stays away from our loved ones.  However, Florida is the new hotspot of infection, featuring the deadly combinations of unvaccinated and unmasked Floriduh Men/Women, lead by the worst governor in the state’s modern history.  Please get vaccinated, urge your loved one to get vaccinated, wear masks whenever you visit public places, and wash your hands throughout the day.

On March 11, 2014, “Chronicles of a 40-Something Nurse Wannabe” evolved into “Reading, Drinking and Dancing with a Chaser of Snark,” to better reflect Michelle’s blogging persona and themes of the blog.   All previous posts were saved and may be read by searching by topic.

“I don’t want to age gracefully.  I plan to fight it, every step of the way.   It will be a dirty fight, but I refuse to pull hair unless it’s grey.”  ~Michelle

Michelle was born and raised in the Republic of Panamá, graduated from Balboa High School and the University of South Florida.  Her diverse professional background includes government and nonprofit management; urban planning and economic development; editing and technical writing; virtual and personal assisting,  with an emphasis on social media marketing; and youth education and development, with an emphasis on outdoor education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for girls and young women.   Fluent in English and Spanish, Michelle enjoys helping others communicate and translated professional training materials from English to Spanish to reach underrepresented communities.

She has been a Zumba instructor, since 2008, volunteered as an adviser for an NPC women’s fraternal organization (sorority), for over 10 years, and is passionate about baseball.   She lives with her amazing, multi-talented, former US Army Sergeant and Gulf War-Era Veteran, Hubby and four K9 kids in the land of sunshine and beaches.

This blog began as a record of her trials and tribulations as she returned to undergraduate studies, attended Nursing school, passed the boards, and began a career in healthcare.  However, Nursing school was put on hold indefinitely, as of November 10, 2013.  Michelle has not decided whether or not she will return to the program.

An unapologetic progressive, capitalist Latina, Michelle was raised Roman Catholic, but embraced spiritual paths committed to equity, opportunity, social justice and equality for all.