Tara Downing

Background

About Tara Downing

I grew up in Utah Valley and spent many hours playing in fields and hiking through the desert. I spent many summers in Utah deserts; hiking, exploring, climbing, writing, reading, philosophizing, discussing life, discovering wildlife, and nature. In 1994, I traveled with my family (3 sisters and 2 brothers) to Costa Rica. Through necessity I was able to improve my Spanish speaking skills without delay. I attended public high school, picked and dried coffee, spent time at local disco techs, and traveled the country visiting volcanoes, beaches, and rainforests. I traveled back to Utah. I moved to Colorado and worked for a few years before returning to College at Metropolitan State College of Denver. I graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors degree with a double major, Anthropology and IDP: Community Service in a Geographical Context. Shortly after graduation I traveled to Peru for the first time. I took with me my grandmothers wedding ring and visited some of the places that she had lived and met an uncle I didn’t know I had. I chartered a small plane and flew over the Nasca lines in the desert. I crossed the border into Bolivia and ate fish from Lake Titicaca in La Paz. I survived a transit strike in Cuzco where our taxi was attacked by strikers with rocks and knives. Last but not least I set eyes on the ancient and magical city of Machu Pichu. I returned to Colorado where I worked in a day shelter for women and children. I was a women’s resource advocate and spent much of my time helping women in crisis find resources for every day survival. I live in Salt Lake City with 2 fantastic daughters and 2 neglected guppies.