Amanda's love for traveling and surfing may have begun when she was an adult, but her love for water and the ocean began when she was just a young child. California native, Amanda, became a competitive swimmer at age 4 and swam competitively until she began working as a lifeguard in her teenage years. While she attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo University earning her degree in Public Health, she managed to travel to and surf in 20 countries. After graduation, she moved from California to Puerto Rico to continue her love of surfing and her passion of surf instruction. When this surfer girl finds her human legs again, she enjoys eating as much local food as possible, learning local dances and music, and most importantly interacting with local communities in the places she visits.

Amanda has a firm belief that traveling and vacationing are not the same thing. While backpacking in Japan, she booked a few nights at a small hostel. The first night, a cockroach crawled on her foot, keeping her awake all night. The second night, she caught and threw out another cockroach. By the third night, she simply flicked it away and went back to sleep. Though she still dislikes cockroaches, she was surprised at how quickly travel changed her mindset. During her travels, she pushes herself to try new things, trust local advice, and embrace discomfort. This mindset has allowed her to experience a multitude of things including but not limited to sleeping on an active volcano in Guatemala, diving with sharks in Costa Rica, and surfing during a monsoon in Thailand. While everyone needs a vacation every once in a while, Amanda encourages others to step outside their comfort zones and see how travel can change them.