“I think when people look at me, the glasses imply I am smart, the messy hair that I am carefree and my clothing shows my inner geek. Still, when people look at me they don’t see the hardship and struggle that life has thrown my way nor the endless effort to improve and reach new heights each day. My earliest memories [were] a blur of new schools, new houses, new places to live- never holding still long enough to plant roots and create a home. When I first moved to Colorado I decided I was done moving and I knew that if I didn’t plant myself I might forever be at the mercy of... Read More

I found it hard to write the EmpowerGen article these past couple weeks (Last article here). As I stand on the precipice of one of the most significant rites of passage as a parent, the emotions swirl within me like a tempestuous sea. The moment has arrived to bid farewell to my 18-year-old daughter, Summer, as she spreads her wings and steps into the world. The cliché “they grow up so fast” reverberates through my thoughts with an intensity I could never have fathomed. In this chapter of EmpowerGen, I invite you to join me on this emotional journey, as we explore the profound transition... Read More

I summited Half Dome last week. And, while I want to sit here and boast about my pride in reflection of that accomplishment, the truth is that it’s been bittersweet. Yosemite National Park had been the number one spot on my bucket list since I started climbing just over a year ago. Unfortunately, traveling solo leaves this rock climber without a perma-belayer, so I chose to enter the daily lottery for the Half Dome hike, a rather stringent process that allows only a select few applicants access to the summit by way of cables. And, well, I won. Stoke was too high. Really, I was itching to get... Read More