Looking Back

At a young age, my parents always encouraged me to be outside. I rode my bike to meet up with friends, played in the sand box and definitely didn’t watch a lot of TV. I hiked and camped with my family and was introduced to backpacking at five years old when my dad also taught me how to climb and kayak. My parents dragged me down trails, up rocks, down rivers and deep into the woods. When I joined Boy Scouts, I traveled the country backpacking, sailing in the Bahamas and gaining a huge lust for adventure.

Navy Days

At 18 years old, I joined the US Navy just a few months out of high school. I re-enlisted and served for eight years, traveling Europe and serving in the Middle East. It was because of the Navy that I saw things I thought I would never get a glimpse of, except from movies and books. I loved what I did for the Navy and I was proud of myself, but something was missing. I worked a lot. I had a lot of responsibilities because I was young and in the military.