Karen Bartunek is a Phoenix native and mom of two who enjoys spending her free time reading, dancing, traveling, and, of course, indulging in absurd amounts of coffee. Her family also includes Bisbee the cat and Whiskey Row, the dog. When it comes to travel, Karen dreams of exploring Iceland, Morocco, Peru — or really anywhere that sparks her curiosity.

Karen’s favorite things include tacos, coffee, and a good meal at Espiritu in Mesa. She’s a fan of Isabel Allende’s House of the Spirits and Pulp Fiction, and she’s currently stuck on Sierra Ferrell’s cover of “Years.” What she loves most about Maricopa is the mountain views, while traffic ranks a little lower on the list — although she admits she enjoys covering it when there’s a good news story involved. Her outlook on life is summed up perfectly by her favorite words to live by: “Failures, repeated failures, finger posts on the road to achievement.”