The year was 1981, the month was May, and the day was the fifteenth to be exact. On this day almost 26 years ago I came into existence in a small rural town called Gibson in Northeastern Pennsylvania. For the next seventeen years I lived relatively close to where I was born with two exceptions, a trip to Disney in Florida at five years of age, and a trip to the thousand islands in my early teens. Travel east and west of the 46th meridian was negligible. But, it was in this small town setting of Great Bend, and the surrounding areas, which I called home, that I grew to love the outdoors, from fishing and hunting to hiking and camping. The outdoors was a big part of my youth.

For the next seven years I dabbled with college and worked attaining an associates in architectural design from SUNY Delhi. After college I began to work in construction with a small family owned business. I liked creating with my hands and seeing a days accomplishments take place. In my spare time I would find myself out of doors on my grandma’s farm, or at the trout streams where my dad taught me to fish. And, the Adirondacks would often times find me in its midst. Dennis and I would take off and go explore the peaks. This was a place he introduced me to in college, and I’m glad he did.

In 2006 I decided to expand my life experiences not only to include work, college, and family, but also to experience new people and places. So, I hesitantly left my job, packed my belongings, and drove across country to Lake Tahoe California. In my short time here I have enjoyed much of the outdoors. There is endless hiking and climbing, beaches and mountaintops, biking and white water rafting to name a few activities that I have partaken in. And, as far as meeting new people, well Tahoe seems to be a melting pot for the outdoor enthusiast. I have met an interesting array of people here, and made some new friends.

Some where along the way, and I don’t know if it was in the Adirondacks or when I reached Tahoe, I realized what the outdoors meant to me. I realized what a big part of my life they had been, and I started to take a closer look on my impact on the environment. It became apparent to me that I need to change some of my habits so that future generations could enjoy the same things I have. So, in September of 2007 I will be 26, an age that when I was a young child I used to think was old, an age that I thought one was locked down to a job and set in ones way of life, I will be making my biggest trip yet. To New Zealand with Dennis and Alice I will go. This trip will be a life-changing event. We hope to raise awareness of the outdoors, and help younger people get involved with the outdoors. I hope to take in this country with all my senses and travel New Zealand underfoot where only few have before.