My life to date can largely be summed up into three things: family, fiction, and the great outdoors!

I grew up in a small town in Northern California with a loving family that pushed me to be the best possible version of myself. They fanned the flame of my love for reading and fiction, letting me read hundreds upon hundreds of stories as a kid and encouraging me to take that love of fiction and use it to write my first novel, which is currently in the process of being edited.

My family also pushed me to take on challenges I never thought possible, like a 30-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming at age 17. Or then using that one backpacking trip, a love for the outdoors, and a whole lot of energy to get hired as a guide for Colorado State University’s Outdoor Program. I had no idea what I was doing when I got hired, but, using the same attitude I had discovered in Wyoming, in six months I learned backcountry medicine, how to rock climb, ice-climb, backcountry ski, and guide all of these activities while managing the safety and enjoyment of participants.

This avid love and capacity for learning and adventure, discovered in these learn-or-fail situations, pushes me to grow and improve in every job and challenge I take on. Most recently, working as an independents journalist in Ukraine. In Ukraine, my ability to learn and my love of stories combined in a spectacular fashion. Uncovering, pursuing, and sharing stories with the public gave me a new outlet for my creative, personable tendencies and showed me that when I given the opportunity to make a positive difference in the world, I do my absolute best work.

I know that whatever opportunities or challenges come next in my life, my growth and story-oriented mindset will help me make the most of them!