About Us and Casa Terza
The Spark
In 2006, after Kari and I had lived together for just two years, Kari experienced the on-set of a serious health condition, taking us both completely by surprise. We had no clue how this condition might affect her future – or our future together.
Day by day, we chose to put one foot in front of the other, to figure out how to live with our challenges, and to strengthen our commitment to each other.
Kari’s health issue, along with my lifetime of experiences as a visibly queer black woman in the US, motivated us to scrutinize our priorities and intentionally create a vision for our lives. We began working toward the goal of eventually living a different kind of life outside of the US.
Coming from modest backgrounds (think powdered milk and Christmas shopping on the 26th), we have learned and grown a lot together. While building our respective careers, our vision kept calling us with greater and greater clarity.
Why Puerto Vallarta
Our first trip to Puerto Vallarta was in April of 2016 to visit a friend who moved back to Mexico to be near family. We had no idea what we would find. At that point, Puerto Vallarta was only familiar to me from watching The Love Boat as a kid.
Just as it is for many others, we fell instantly in love with Vallarta and its vibes. The kindness, healthy food, joy, genuine smiles, fresh air, walkability, space to decompress, sincere friendliness, shenanigans, community, entertainment, live music, nature, plant medicine, architecture, beaches, public art, body-positivity, rivers, and mountains (to name a few :D) have been helping me heal for the last 10 years.
Our second trip was in December of 2016, and that’s when we decided that feeling this way only on vacation just wasn’t enough. We changed our early retirement plans from Costa Rica to Vallarta. We decided to create our version of the “Golden Girls” with our friends and the search for our future home site began.
The Evolution of Casa Terza
Over the years, our original plan, each partner building their home and a guest house, evolved into Casa Terza. I realized that I wanted to create a space for marginalized people to tap into their joy. My existence as a Gay, Black, Woman felt like 3 strikes in the US. In contrast, here in Vallarta, I know what it’s like for my soul to feel like it hit a home run.
Casa Terza’s design was inspired by new friendships that began in Mexico. In May 2022, I celebrated my 50th birthday and I invited family and friends (old and new) from Mexico. In July, I went to Cancun, MX to meet up with 100 Black women for the 1st Annual Exodus Summit Meetup. In August, I traveled from Puerto Vallarta to Veracruz, MX with a group of mostly Black women for the Afro-Mexican Festival to celebrate Gaspar Yanga’s legacy and the town's history as the first free town in the Americas founded by formerly enslaved Africans.
It was extremely impactful to be in community with liberated Black women while I entered the next phase of my life. Black women inspired me and gave me the courage to CREATE space and HOLD space for others. A space where Black women, Lesbians, and Transfolk know that they have a space to play, rest and grow.
Casa Terza Today
Casa Terza provides me with the opportunity to share the gifts that Puerto Vallarta has blessed me with. This isn’t work as it is the culmination of some of my lifelong interests: Play, Community, Daydreaming, Visioning, Architecture, Health and Wellness
I believe that the best way someone can feel more of what I felt/feel is to experience it with the synergy of community. That’s why Casa Terza was designed with groups in mind. Consider us for your girls’ trips, retreats, and group stays.
Women Only? Black Women Only?
While Kari and I welcome everyone with good vibes, it is especially important to us to create a space for Black women, lesbians, non-binary people, and trans people in particular.
With love, Terry (and Kari)
Casa Terza is proudly owned by a group of queer people, including Terry and Kari, who also manage the operations.
We like the term “queer” to include all LGBTQIA+ identities.
Casa Terza is pronounced Casa TAIR-sah (not ter-sah) and is inspired by the three terraces. Terza is not an actual word in Spanish or English but is similar to terrace and terraza.