Freebird08

“Let’s go to Australia,” Shauna has been saying to me for over 2 years. I of course have always wanted to see the magic of Australia (Oz for short) but I have always been obsessed with South America. I decided to backpack through Central and South America until Justin and Shauna convinced me to come to Oz. “Let’s do it!” I didn’t actually think I would go to Australia. Most of the time I use the power of attraction by thinking and speaking it into existence but this time I could not envision myself in Oz. Then I realized my obsession with Oz died when my BFF Steve Irwin died in 2006. I grew up watching Stev-o and always imagined working for the Australian Zoo. That’s it! I could not give up on 14 year ... read more

When I was 14 I made an extensive list of things I must do in my lifetime. One of the items on the list was to get a Master’s degree. I have accomplished a lot of my childhood short-term dreams but I still needed to get a Masters in something. It had been 6 months since I lost my job at the San Diego Zoo, so I figured what better time to go to grad school than now. I put my all into playing the role of grad student, yet something still did not feel right. I pushed myself for months justifying why this program was the best decision for me. Then one day I couldn’t stand it anymore and I snapped. I learned 5 credits and $4,150 too late that the program I was ... read more

It was 8-8-08 in Chinatown in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Breena and I jumped off the bus with a mission to join in on the Chinese New Year celebration on Nu’uanu Street. The streets were crowded with street performers; acting out old Chinese folklore with vibrant costumes and floating dragons. It felt like a scene in a movie where the character had been slipped a drug and was now wandering around a world that could only come from a Dr. Suess book. After passing Horton and the Cat in the Hat, I somehow squeezed into a tiny shop filled with trinkets and a random tarot card reader. I stared in her direction as though she was hypnotizing me and I had no control of my body. I had to go to her. As I walked to her ... read more

Once again I have decided to pick up and leave for another new adventure! This is not my first time. Apparently turning my life upside down every 6-24 months is in my blood. My parents were gypsies who constantly moved me around as a child. Chasing their dream for the perfect job and their persistence was passed on to me. Growing up I learned to adjust to a new city, home, and school every 6 months to a year. The hardest part of my nomadic childhood was making new friends with the exception of my 4th move back to Iowa in the 2nd grade. Looking like Stephanie Tanner when “Full House” was in its prime had its perks! I would walk in a classroom and all of the kids would run up to me asking ... read more