Code of Conduct

My knee accident in 2003. It changed my life forever in every single way. 4 surgeries later and still in physical therapy with future surgeries on the horizon. I used to have major depression from my accident but with lots of therapy and extreme perseverance and determination I was able to mold that attitude into my every day life and make me who I am today.

When I was in the woods swinging on this long rope hanging on a tree with my "friends". I was a couple years younger and we had been taking turns swinging on it and making sure we didn't hit this boulder next to us. When it was my turn to swing they pushed me to get some momentum going but didn't stick around to catch me so I didn't hit the boulder. I smashed my leg onto the boulder really hard and my "friends" ditched me in the middle of the woods. I couldn't get up for about 20-30 minutes and had to limp back to the campsite. I learned that just because they say they're your friends and do friend things, it doesn't mean they are an actual true friend.

I was a dual immersion kid, learning in English and Spanish from K - 11th. I grew up hating being in the program; I hated speaking Spanish and I wished so badly to be in "normal school." I didn't understand why my parents put me in Las Palmas. It wasn't until high school when I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go on a class trip to Spain. I was on bus, leaving the airport, driving through Madrid, and it clicked: I can read the signs. I can understand what the tour guide is saying. I know a little about the history of this place. I was like "oooh, I get it now. This is why they did it. This is why mom and dad put me in that program." That's when my love of travel really started. That love of travel turned into a major change at Saddleback when Film didn't work out. If you like travel so much, why don't you work in hotels? That's the career path I've taken, hospitality, all because I took one trip, all because I was a dual immersion kid.

The blueprint for every perfect day: An unhurried day that never lacks for time, the presence of chosen family to thrill in shared adventures and excursions, the comfort of sharing personal stories and experiences, a celebration playing with pets or children, a wonder at how seamlessly everything seems to be happening, the joy of pausing to appreciate the perfection in accumulated moments and events.

Waking up next to my lady, in a bed that's not ours, in a town that's not ours, in a time zone that's not ours. I'm the happiest when I'm somewhere new and exciting and have an entire day to explore. Or just sit in a plaza nursing espresso and people watching.

Wake up after a perfect 8.5 hours of sleep a little after dawn but plenty before sunrise on a mountainside somewhere. Spend the morning kayaking on a mountain lake with mist hanging right above its surface but a chill in the air keeping visibility clear for miles. Write postcards to be sent to friends I haven't seen in years. Hike back into town to have either that one burger I had at the cash-only spot in Tempe or one of my mom's giant harvest salads. 25-30 mile road bike ride, ideally through something like the way to Point Bonita or the Lassen NP thru-road. Order pizza and drift off watching the Nice Guys for the thousandth timie.