Ari came to NOLS from a background in search & rescue, as well as outdoor education and guiding, and a little experience as a medical interpreter in Honduras. She has lived in China, Thailand, India, Israel, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and reports that Tucson is a great place to live for those interested in being able to rock climb year round. After a cycling & climbing trip in Spain this winter, her current travel goal is a cycling trip across Mongolia. In her other life, she is a poet and teaches English and Creative Writing at the University of Arizona, where she has just finished researching & writing a book of lyric essays on medical trauma.