Name:
Paula

Where do you live?
Pinecrest

Where are you originally from and what brought you to town?
I’m originally from Medellin, Colombia. I came when I married my husband, who was already living here. He’s from Argentina, and we’ve lived in town for almost 13 years, and in Pinecrest for 5.

Where did the two of you meet?
I was on a summer vacation and we met here in Miami. We had a long-distance relationship, and then when we married, I relocated here.

Would you share a little about your family?
It is the two of us, plus our two kids – who you constantly see. Mia is five and Thomas is eight. Our families are in Argentina and Colombia.

What keeps you busy during the week?
Work and the kids keep my busy the entire week. I’m a lawyer and also teach at the University of Miami.

What type of law do you practice?
I do cross border transactions and disputes.

Do you teach the same subject?
Yes, I teach international law and different subjects with international law – human rights, international sales, international commercial arbitration, everything that is related to international and cross border matters.

How has international law changed since you’ve been here?
I have seen the market grow and expand tremendously. People are not only coming from South America, but also from Europe. And, thanks to the weather, Miami is the place everyone wants to relocate. After the 2008 recession, a lot of people from Europe relocated due to the incentives given by the government to come to live in the US on an investor’s visa.

Are your clients typically individuals or are they companies?
A little bit of both. I work with business that go from US to Latin America or the other way around. As a lawyer in Colombia, and a licensed lawyer here in the US, I work in the two systems of law. The Latin America system has a European model and we have a different system here. I help negotiate contracts and implement US businesses in Latin America. And, when people want to come here or want to get started in this market, I work on all cross-border issues, translating from one system and one language to the other. It requires knowledge and a cultural understanding. Things are done differently all over the world, and in Miami especially, compared to the rest of the country.

How often do you come to the market?
Every Sunday.

What’s your market ritual like?
After we go to mass, here in Pinecrest, we go to the market and the first thing that we do is go to you guys. The kids love it. They wake up every Sunday and ask if we’re going. And after that, we’ll walk around the market and see what is new. And when our families are visiting, we’ll take them. They already know it is part of our ritual and every Sunday everyone goes whenever we are in town.

What are your favorite things to buy at LNB Grovestand?
My husband and I love the Rainbow Smoothie. And the kids get a Jackson or Sunrise. The Rainbow colors makes it so cute to be honest. But, also the taste. I grew up with many of these flavors and it’s good to find them again.  We also get the guacamole and the turmeric tonic. I have tendinitis in my elbows and it helps a lot. And the guacamole is just so good.

What’s your favorite thing to buy at other stands at the market?
There is the granola place and Fatima’s candles. My husband likes the acai bowls. The kids love the popcorn stand. We try to get some of the fruits and the veggies and try new things. At this point, because we go every weekend, we have tried pretty much everything.  There’s some we always do and those that we rotate when we feel up to it.

What do you think the market is missing?
More tables because they fill up quickly.  Also, a cheese stand. It’s nice to go the Sunday market to buy the cheese that you will consume during the week.

What do you like about the market?
It feels good because the kids are excited to go, they know what they like, and it is something good for them. Going every week creates a family tradition. It’s also the fact that there’s sense of community. We see familiar faces, people that start getting to know each other, recognize the other, that sense of familiarity.  It confirms why I like living in Pinecrest.

A favorite activity I enjoy with my kids?
We like going to the events at Pinecrest Gardens. In the winter, we do the lights, we go to the different shows and concerts.  The Opera for Kids is great. We’ve tried to take advantage of the Pinecrest Village life and we love it as a home.  

Most-frequented local restaurants and what dish to order:
Guadalajara – I love the Burito Norteno. It is really good. We go to Piola, which is great. And, Gaetano’s Pizza, which is very, very good.

What do you do for a special occasion?
We usually do it at home. My husband loves cooking. His mother is a chef in Argentina and she trained her kids in the kitchen. It’s his stress reliever. Sometimes at the market, he finds something new to experiment with. His Asado is unique and I don’t think there is a chef in Miami that does it better than him. Maybe I’m biased.  

What’s the area’s best-kept secret?
The German place that has all the sausages and cheese by Daily Bread. The owners are a German couple, I love them. We go there and buy their cheese and they have wine and lots of German products.

Rainy-day activity:
Maybe read and watch the rain.

What are you reading now?
The Nuremberg Trials. It’s a treatise on the crime of aggression. It’s about the history of how the crime developed and tells a lot of the history from the Nuremberg, Nazis and Japanese trials. We seem to be circling back, I guess, unfortunately.

The most romantic spot around:
The Deering Estate.

Is there a question that you would like to ask the community?
There used to be a store on US1 in Pinecrest that looked like a liquor store, but only sold oils and vinegars. They owner was a woman named Maria and she had the most incredible selections including a chocolate vinegar and other fruits. If you know where they moved to, I’d love to know.

Do you own your own business or offer a service? Would you share a pitch about yourself or company with the community?
I consult as an international lawyer for cross border and international matters and disputes. I am all ears, feel free to reach out.