20 Questions: Ambrosia Brown

We asked. You answered.

This week: Ambrosia Brown

If Ambrosia Brown were president of the United States, she would mandate monthly massages for all citizens and weekly massages for mothers and caretakers. If that doesn’t secure your vote, know that Ambrosia loves skiing in waist deep powder, that her love for Warren Miller movies runs deep (and fast!) and that she thinks the Wicked Brew – and all the espresso therein – just might be her soul mate.

What initially brought you to Moab?

I was in the middle of my second winter in Portland, Ore., when I came to Moab for a spring break trip to visit a friend. 300 days of sunshine and falling from a cave in Hunter Canyon are the reasons I “fell” for Moab and moved here two months later.

What do you love most about living in Moab?

300 days of sunshine!

What do you dislike about living in Moab?

Climbing down sketchy sandstone. And that there are no hot springs.

What is your occupation?

I’m a massage therapist, with a practice in Moab since 2005.

If you could have any job in the world, what would you most like to do?

To host a television show where I travel across the globe getting massages in search of the very best massage therapists in the world.

Describe a typical day in your life.

I “play it by ear” every day. It almost always starts with delicious espresso. Then, anywhere between one and six hours (on occasion, more) of massage and the rest of the day is spent outside doing something fun.

Some people have bumper stickers on their car that read “I’d rather be sailing.” What would your bumper sticker read? I’d rather be…

skiing waist-deep powder.

Tell us one thing people don’t usually know about you.

Between ages of 16 and 22, I traveled to nine countries on five continents. (And was arrested for civil disobedience in Puerto Rico.)

In high school, you would have been considered the person most likely to…

do creative dance to a Hammer Dulcimer CD at the Friday night coffeehouse.

What is your favorite Moab activity?

Climbing and canyoneering with Eric, skydiving at Moab Boogie, mountain biking and hiking.

Tell us your favorite non-Moab place to visit.

Vieques, Puerto Rico

Where can the best cup of coffee in town be found?

Wicked Brew. We are soul mates, I’m pretty sure.

What do you consider your greatest achievement in life?

Being able to “pause” my life and caretake for my father during the last several months of his life.

If you were president, what’s the first thing you’d do to make life better in America?

Easy – everyone gets monthly massages. Mothers and caretakers would get weekly massages.

What superhero power would you most like to have?

I’ve heard enlightenment is pretty cool.

If you could be an animal, what would it be? Why?

A butterfly. They fly, travel far and brighten people’s day.

What is your all-time favorite movie?

Anything Warren Miller.

And your all-time favorite book?

“Three Pillars of Zen”

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

I would like to have dinner with Negro Bill, to ask him about his life in Moab and if he would prefer the canyon to be named after his last name or if ‘Negro Bill’ is a nickname that he likes.

What is your life philosophy?

Enjoy the moment.

20 Questions is featured weekly to introduce a local community member. E-mail Meredith at mereditharndt@yahoo.com if you, or someone you know, should answer our questions.