Andres & Max

About Andrés, by Andrés:

Born in Medellin, Colombia I moved to the United States with my mother at age 8. I learned English and adopted the attitude that if others could do it, why couldn’t I? Joining the Army after high school allowed me to pay for college and give back to the nation that provided so many opportunities. Achieving the rank of Captain, I earned a Bronze Star for accomplishments during my service in Afghanistan. My post military career involved a decade of managing construction projects for global corporations.
Meeting Max 8 years ago marked a turning point. With him I began sharing my story on social media, discovering the power of connecting with an audience. This led me to redirect my curiosity and drive toward painting and content creation. Expressing my emotions through art is what brings me joy. I eagerly anticipate guiding a young individual to explore life, express their feelings, and absorb knowledge. Witnessing them find their path and providing unwavering support is a role I look forward to embracing with enthusiasm.

More About Andrés, by Max:

Andrés is a brilliant, gorgeous and brave individual who values culture, work ethic and authenticity. His former lives as a soldier then engineer evidence his diligence and dependability. Garnering half a million followers on social media testifies to how fun he is. Leaving his stable job to pursue a life in the arts showcases bravery to follow his passion. I can’t wait to see Andrés become a father.

Meet Max, by Max:

My name is Max, I’m a writer who explores other media; acting, directing, producing, music, influencer work, even modeling. I’ve been self employed in the creative arts since my time at The University of Miami, where I graduated with a BFA in performance/directing. At first it was very difficult to make a living this way, but with the rise of social media came new opportunities to make independent endeavors more sustainable. For the last decade I've been using Platforms like Instagram and YouTube to give life to the projects that I write. So far I've produced two novels, a feature film (with fifty percent of profits donated to homeless youth shelters) several web series and even partnerships with brands like Tiffany, Tom Ford, etc. This has left me with the freedom to explore many other passions in life. My parents instilled my brothers and I with a strong appreciation for culture, art and diligent work. I see these traits being passed down to their children and plan to do the same for mine.

More About Max, by Andrés:

Max’s primary love language is acts of service, which he shows through subtle and significant gestures. From shoulder massages to helping friends move cross country, his life revolves around showing up for others. Max’s generosity, which I find truly inspiring, is what will make him an outstanding father. On top of his creative talents, Max is practical and disciplined, ensuring projects reach completion with determination and efficiency. His work ethic and organizational skills keep our house in order, minimizing stress by addressing matters before they escalate. This commitment is crucial in creating a stable and nurturing home.

Hobbies and Interests:
We are a curious and enthusiastic pair whose hobbies and interests are only limited by the number of hours available in a day. Whether jumping on the trampoline with our nieces and nephews or fully immersing ourselves in a foreign language abroad, we believe that experiences are the true form of wealth and do our best to make each day memorable. Our “around the house” hobbies include painting, cooking, guitar, gardening, language learning, biking, volleyball, ping pong, and so much more. We engage with friends through food, games and physical activities. It’s important for us to create a sense of community in our home, since we live in a city full of transplants who often struggle to feel grounded. As a result, we now have friends all over the world with whom we love to visit.

Our Home / Community:

It’s easy to brag about our neighborhood, Pacific Palisades is easily the best area in Los Angeles. Although only a few minutes drive to places like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Hollywood and Malibu, the Palisades is totally surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains State Park and has an upscale, small town feel. Beyond its extensive roster of celebrity residents, our neighborhood boasts some of the lowest crime rates, most walkable areas and best schools in the entire county. Our home is less than a mile from several hiking trails, surf spots and humongous parks. We are walking distance to both the local elementary and high schools (both of which, ridiculously, have ocean views). Since LA often has a reputation for being a lonely place, we make sure to foster a sense of community for our friends and loved ones by regularly hosting volleyball days, backyard BBQs, game/movie nights, etc. Many of our closest friends are also in the process of starting their families, so we have a wonderful support network in place to aid us on this journey.

Our Dog:

As mentioned earlier, we have the best dog in the world (no offense intended to other dogs). Sergeant Pupper (AKA Sarge) is a six year old Husky mix we adopted as a puppy from a shelter in downtown Los Angeles. Although it’s not a competition, his Instagram account @sergeantpupper has twenty thousand followers. One of his litter mates, Zab, was adopted by our friend/neighbor and is currently the mascot of a popular hot sauce brand which shares his name (available at Whole Foods).

Our Family:

We have family in several places. On the east coast is Max's family's home base: four siblings, their partners and a total of five gorgeous nieces/nephews under the age of ten. They all reside within an hour of Vero Beach, Florida. In the Southwest: countless uncles/aunts, cousins and half siblings reside in LA, the Palm Desert, Nevada and Arizona. We usually get to see each group a couple times every year. Although not as geographically close, we are also very close with our extended families who live in New England and Colombia. Our Los Angeles chosen family is just as important as our genetic relatives. A huge chunk of these friendships date back well over a decade. At least half a dozen of these friends are in the early stages of starting a family, so our child will be in excellent company. Despite everyone being from outside CA, we’ve assembled an incredible village in which to raise a child. Whether sharing babysitting duties, hosting dinners or just showing up, our local community is built upon mutual support and trust. This was a huge factor in helping us decide whether or not we were “ready” to start our family.

Thoughts On Parenting:

We prioritize values such as compassion, empathy, authenticity and hard work in our family. Although we’d love to share all of our interests and passions with our child, we will make sure to foster their sense of independence so that they always feel encouraged rather than forced. Ideally we’d like to adopt two children, even twins would be fantastic, as we feel that there’s a huge benefit to growing up with a sibling. Although not a requirement, we’re hoping for an open adoption. We believe that a person’s story should be an open book from day one. If you’re open to it, we feel that maintaining a relationship and communication is best for everyone. One of the great things about being members of the LGBTQ community is that we don’t make any assumptions about what a family structure “should” look like. We are very grateful to live in a time where we can build our family in a way that can include everyone.

In Closing:

Thank you very much for taking the time to get to know us. We sincerely hope that you find a match who is the perfect fit for your hopes and values, even if that’s not us. As excited as we are to be starting our family, we are fully aware of how challenging this time can be for you. It takes an incredible amount of strength and maturity to be making this choice, and you deserve an adoptive family who is aware of that and fully supports you. Please feel free to reach out if there’s anything else you’d like to know about us. It’s an honor that you might be considering our family for placement. We hope that this is the beginning of a long and supportive relationship!

~ Andrés & Max