| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | When I was young, my family of eight made a few epic trips in the family van, packed to the gills with people and gear, to my grandfather's house. It was really more of a pilgrimage, a 1000-mile trek (each way) rife with sibling discord, mechanical failures...it was nothing short of a miracle, in retrospect, that my parents got us there as an intact family unit each time. But they, I'm sure, would view this as worth it. For the opportunities to bond as a family- this happens, I believe, through good experiences and bad- to see our grandfather, and to see new places were priceless. I will always remember the natural beauty and the vastness of the scenery (to the surprisingly appropriate tune of Enya playing from my sister's boom box). I'll always remember what it was like for sleep to elude me as my little sister slept on my left shoulder and my brother on my right. I can't forget the simple pleasure of spaghetti dinners catered by my grandpa as we carefully eased our sunburned bodies into chairs around a crowded table. Such things leave an indelible mark. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | My brother and I have always been close. In recent years, we have lived very different day-to-day lives. He is the struggling stand-up comic, traveler, and even dairy farmer literally on the other side of the world. I'm the school employee, attempting to understand the young minds of some of the most challenging children, hoping to improve their lives and their mental health. And yet my brother and I have discovered over the years that our bond is, in fact, unchanging. We talk and email as though time has not passed since we last did so and miles have not separated us. It's an amazing thing to go from playmates of convenience, to realizing someone is perhaps the most like-minded person you know and may always be. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Patience and open-mindedness probably top my list of most admirable traits. I respect the person who defers to another, who acknowledges that his or her time is only as valuable as another's and is willing to wait to hear that person out. I try to understand a person in his or her full context before I make conclusions, but I've learned this is a certainly a continual commitment. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I've had my share of embarrassing but funny stories. One of my favorites occurred at a camp at which I spent four summers and a volunteer year as a counselor. I learned lots of new things from the Midwesterners at this camp- that water fountains can be called "bubblers" and that soda can be called "pop," for example. But I was shocked when I first heard that some ants, if you're daring enough to consider them a delicacy, actually have a pleasant taste. "Like a lemon drop," I was told. So, in a misguided effort to impress and earn the respect of my new charge of middle school boys, I decided that I'd give it a go. Unfortunately, I had not yet learned to carefully discern the species of ants at this point. As it turns out, carpenter ants were thriving on the grounds of our camp that summer, and just happened to be in my vicinity when I boldly proclaimed to my campers that I was undaunted by this silly habit of eating ants. That ant eluded my bite and instead made a bite of his own- firmly latching his pincers onto my uvula (the "hangy ball" as my campers called it). I was able to hide my mild panic until, hours later, I realized that little ant was going nowhere, despite my best throat-clearing and fluid-drinking efforts. I'll spare you the details of the removal of that ant from its beloved target- I'll say that it involved a painful trip to the camp nurse and a pair of pliers- but, needless to say, the event did not go as planned. To my surprise, however, my bravery impressed my campers even more than if I'd simply eaten an ant! |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | If only I did have the time and money to travel freely! Traveling is truly a passion of mine. I have been to East Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and nearly every state in the U.S., but only feel more driven to see new places and experience other cultures- the more different from my own, the better. As such, I'd love to escape to India, to see Machu Picchu, or to climb Kilimanjaro. I'd love to use all of my senses to take it in and savor those experiences. I really believe those moments of transcendence are worth every penny. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I want my children to be themselves. I would hope to guide them and protect them- to set them up for success- but not to mold them according to my personal hopes and dreams. I look forward to discovering my child's strengths and weaknesses and then reflecting those upon them, so they find clarity toward their self-determined purpose in life. Sure, I'd love to coach my kids in the same sports I played, talk with them about the same books I read, etc. But of course, I can't predict their passions in life. So I guess, most importantly, I'd like to simply help my children enjoy their interests to the fullest and take them as far as they'd like to take them. I would do my best to instill in them the values I've found to be important- the importance of discipline, dedication, perseverance through hardship, optimism, being mindful of the moment- but I would hope to learn from them too. |
