Some say you never know what's going to happen until you put yourself out there and try. I would say that this rings true for my story.
I grew up in a suburban town outside of Baltimore, MD in an amazing family. My mom and dad worked hard to provide us with a traditional upbringing that focused on family. Being the youngest of four children, I seemed destined to figuring things out for myself from early on as a way to make sure my presence was known. I loved sports - swimming, softball, field hockey, and lacrosse - and recognize that without these, and a solid family, I would have been in a lot more trouble.
While growing up on the East Coast provided a lot of fun opportunity, when I was 19 I realized that there was a whole lot of territory that I had not seen or experienced so I moved to Durango, CO on nothing but the recommendation of a dear high school friend. It didn't matter that I had never seen Fort Lewis College, or hadn't ever been to Durango (or even Colorado for that matter!), I just needed a new adventure. Little did I know that 32 years later, I would be raising my own family here.
So here I am. Living my dream. I have my own beautiful family that mean more to me than ... well you know. I hope they know too! I have some of the most amazing friends that anyone could ask for. Everyday I get to teach art to a whole new generation of creative thinkers and they never cease to inspire and amaze me. And I have been on more adventures in and around this place (and far beyond!) than I could have ever imagined. I would have never guessed that when I packed up all of my life belongings into a Subaru station wagon and drove 2,000 miles away from everything I knew, 32 years later I would have all of this. I can't wait to see what more awaits.
I grew up in a suburban town outside of Baltimore, MD in an amazing family. My mom and dad worked hard to provide us with a traditional upbringing that focused on family. Being the youngest of four children, I seemed destined to figuring things out for myself from early on as a way to make sure my presence was known. I loved sports - swimming, softball, field hockey, and lacrosse - and recognize that without these, and a solid family, I would have been in a lot more trouble.
While growing up on the East Coast provided a lot of fun opportunity, when I was 19 I realized that there was a whole lot of territory that I had not seen or experienced so I moved to Durango, CO on nothing but the recommendation of a dear high school friend. It didn't matter that I had never seen Fort Lewis College, or hadn't ever been to Durango (or even Colorado for that matter!), I just needed a new adventure. Little did I know that 32 years later, I would be raising my own family here.
So here I am. Living my dream. I have my own beautiful family that mean more to me than ... well you know. I hope they know too! I have some of the most amazing friends that anyone could ask for. Everyday I get to teach art to a whole new generation of creative thinkers and they never cease to inspire and amaze me. And I have been on more adventures in and around this place (and far beyond!) than I could have ever imagined. I would have never guessed that when I packed up all of my life belongings into a Subaru station wagon and drove 2,000 miles away from everything I knew, 32 years later I would have all of this. I can't wait to see what more awaits.