Hello! Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and to catch a small glimpse into our lives. We are Miguel, Benny, and Candis Ariela, a bilingual, Latino family formed through adoption and living in a suburb of New York City. Our Costa Rican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican heritages are at the center of our culture and who we are as a family. Our family extends to a wide and diverse circle of friends and relatives whom we love, and who are an important and stable part of our lives. Our hearts are excited to welcome another child into our home through adoption and to share the abundance of love and joy with which we have been blessed. We would love to learn more about you and what you want for your child. We are also happy to share more about ourselves in a way that will support your choices and your decisions during this important moment in your life.
-Benny & Miguel
Fun Facts about Benny & Miguel
Favorite Places: Miguel has been traveling to Costa Rica since he was a child, Benny has traveled to Puerto Rico since he was a child, and together we have traveled to both places several times. Because we are deeply connected to these two places, they are truly our favorites. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil holds a special place in our hearts because it was the first international trip we took together. Japan is also high on our list because of the many wonders we experienced so different from anything we had ever seen. In the U.S., the west coast, from Seattle to San Diego, keeps us going back to visit for the majestic mountains, great weather, and laid back cultures.
Favorite Music: Benny is a big fan of 90s R&B and Hip Hop. Some of his favorite artists include Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Jay-Z. Miguel’s go-to playlists usually include 80s New Age (Depeche Mode, Bronski Beat, Yaz), Soulful Folk (Joan Armatrading, Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega), and Indie Pop (Billie Eilish, Cia, Florence & the Machine). We both love classic salsa, merengue and bachata, and generally any fast tempo rhythms that make us get up out of our seats and dance.
Favorite Foods: We eat in on most days. While we’re both pretty good cooks, we both agree that Benny is especially gifted at creating meals that titillate the senses, nourish our bodies, and comfort our souls. He is creative and somehow figures out how to make meals out of the most random ingredients. So hands down, our favorite foods are those prepared by Benny, because they are made with love. That said, of the many options outside of our home, Miguel would eat lobster, shrimp, clams and oysters for every meal if he could. Benny is all about Indian and Thai cuisines. He also collects hot sauces from every city he visits, while Miguel has a very low tolerance for spicy food. We both love sushi, Mexican cuisine, Spanish tapas, and pasta. At the end of the day, there’s nothing we won’t at least try. But when we’re looking for comfort, a simple bowl of rice and beans with some pernil (pork roast) and fried sweet plantains is all we ever really need.
Favorite Holidays: Our favorite holidays are those that are centered around family, friends and community. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and New Year’s, what excites us most are the rituals of breaking bread, celebrating life, reuniting with many of those we don’t get to see very often, and remembering what may have been lost. For us, these holidays are about sharing our blessings with others. We cook all night from sunset to sunrise, we queue up joyful and meaningful music, and we open our hearts and our home to give thanks, to feast, to laugh, and to dance.
