Meet Carla Fountain | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carla Fountain and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
My family’s roots are from Virginia and North Carolina, but I spent my childhood in Minnesota, New Jersey, Spain, and Southern California. When my father graduated from Hampton University during WWII, the US military selected him to train as a Tuskegee Airman. After the war, he became a career officer, and so I grew up as an Air Force brat. I feel fortunate to have experienced life in different parts of the United States and abroad. Hearing about my father’s and others’ travels ignited my curiosity about the world. My parents hosted foreign exchange students from various countries at our house when I was growing up. In my junior year of high school, we welcomed an American Field Service (AFS) student from Denmark to be part of our family. My host sister and I bonded, and it was one of the best experiences of my teenage years. Through the program, I also met other young people from all over the globe. I applied to be an AFS student myself and they accepted me the summer before my senior year to live with a French family. My host family embraced me as their American daughter. We are still in close touch today and I consider France my second home. That experience led me to major in French in college, where I earned a BA and an MA in French. During my studies, I spent two years living in France and delighted in meeting people from France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Haiti, and French-speaking Africa. These experiences in my formative years sparked my interest in traveling to other countries and in learning languages.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The more honest and vulnerable you are in your work, the more people will connect with your piece. The process can be very scary and difficult, but it is worth it. I discovered that even with a solitary activity, such as writing, it takes a village to complete a project. As many years as I spent planning for my bicycle journey, I spent writing and editing my work. I appreciate the fine editors and friends who motivated and encouraged me to reach my full potential..

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
At the moment, I live in Orange County, California. My favorite places to take out-of-town friends who are here on a week-long trip are the beaches along the coast from Seal Beach to San Clemente. Each coastal community has a different vibe and geography, with its unique charm. What I love most about California is its natural beauty. If the season and the weather are conducive, I would take my friends to Anza Borrego or Joshua Tree. The desert intrigues visitors from other parts of the world who aren’t familiar with its unique terrain. I would also bring them up to some of our mountain communities and trails for a short hike. If the conditions were right, we would go up to see the snow in the mountains and then head down to the beach and walk in the sand. Perhaps we would take a dip in the Pacific. All in the same day!

I love introducing people to the various cultures and cuisines we have in this area; Chinese dim sum, Korean BBQ, Vietnamese, Thai markets, Middle Eastern food, and Mexican food. We rarely have time to sample as much as I would like! If there is a local festival or a night market happening, we would head there in the evening.

Orange County has some interesting historical areas and stories. If you know where to look, you can find them amidst the prolific recent development and strip malls. I enjoy taking visitors to the historic sections of Anaheim, Fullerton, Santa Ana, and San Juan Capistrano.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shout out to my mother and grandmothers. All three were strong women ahead of their time. They instilled in me the love of reading, art, education, travel, history, and writing.

Website: www.carlafountain.com

Instagram: carlafountainauthor

Linkedin: Carla Fountain

Facebook: Carla Fountain Author

Other: https://carlafountain.home.blog

Image Credits
Profile photo by Scott Dailey Additional photos by Dermot Begley