Growing up all over the country I spent a large part of the time in California and the southwestern United States. I feel fortunate to have grown up on the tail end of a generation that spent the majority of its time growing and recreating outdoors. As a child I moved quite a bit and the positives of that include my acceptance of new places and later my appreciation for all parts of our country. From my many moves, before, during and after the service I was grateful to have finally rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Stumbling upon the VetsWork program with the Mt. Adams Institute (MAI) and AmeriCorps came at just the right time in my life. With my supportive wife and the team at MAI, the internship called my name and it was now or never. I am excited to continue learning and to further ingrain myself in the community.