Ok, here’s the deal: I’m based in Los Angeles (yes, we have capital-N Nature), but grew up on the South Side of Milwaukee, where my perspective on the outdoors was largely shaped by city parks, school playgrounds, front porches, and back alleys.

That is, until I spent a night at a summer camp operated by the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. One campfire, several strangely-named counselors, ten dirt-crusted fingernails, and twenty-four hours later, my little eight-year-old world was blown open in the best way.

I dreamt of being a park ranger, but an ill-advised forestry major rinsed my brain of that notion and instead, I became a school social worker. Then a shoe salesperson, photography studio manager, live trivia host, music journalist, alumni assistant at a global nonprofit, managing director of the first creative co-working space in New York, mistress of guerrilla marketing at an indie record label (I got to choose my title), and a music licensor.

I also appeared in The Notebook, played drums in a band, became a temporary fixture on the early 00s hipster nightlife scene in NYC, drove across the country twice, spent a year trying to earn Girl Scout badges as a grown-up, ended up on TV, and interviewed celebrities on the red carpet (and, on occasion, in their homes—yes, I have stories).

The greatest adventure of all? Deciding to quit my day job while in the middle of a long hike on the Pacific Crest Trail and throwing everything I had at building an outdoor writing career from scratch.

Over a decade later, I don’t regret a thing…except maybe choosing to use a picture of me wearing the dress equivalent of a mullet.