My first job was a fluke. I spent most of my 20's and 30's chasing adventure and my body felt it (especially now, but that's a different BLOG). I returned from 3 or 4 months in Europe kite skiing, hiking, climbing, and traveling with one achy back due to an accident years earlier skiing in Tuolemne Meadows where I slipped a disc. With a ton of skiing while carrying heavy packs it was time to sign up for back surgery. I left my job driving a Zamboni at the Squaw Ice Rink and headed to personal for "light duty". That is where I met Nancy Cushing, wife to the owner of Squaw Valley. I told her I was a conservation biologist (whatever that was) and she said "you're hired" and I was thrust into the throngs of Squaw Valley Ski Corporation! If you were around in the late 90's you would understand and perhaps that makes for another BLOG another time. I loved my job-out-of-college. I was actually working as a biologist! But things changed fast and my dream job became a nightmare when the EPA raided the valley, prosecuting Squaw for violations of the Clean Water Act (not a good time to be the only staff biologist at Squaw). My life was about to change.
I did a brief stay in Orlando. I thought if I moved all the way across the country I could dump my boyfriend. Imagine my surprise when he showed up at my door a few weeks later with a car full of stuff! A year later he stayed in Florida (got married had kids) and I went home -- back to Tahoe (1st return). One of my friends asked what I was going to do next so I told her: I'm going to rent out my house plants and plant flowers. I did. For two years. I met the most amazing man. He died. And I ran away to Bozeman, Montana. (A side note: you can still see the planters I created and had built hanging in Mama Sake's at Squaw Valley from over 10 years ago.)
I did not choose Bozeman. I fell in love with a flower garden, bought the house attached to it and stayed. I was asked again what I was going to do with my life. I looked around Bozeman at all of the lawns and thought I'm not mowing lawns so Botanika (my landscaping company in Tahoe) is out of the question! But real estate was booming. So after a 60-hr online class WHAM I was real estate agent. Money grew on trees (it is true, 2004-2006 money did grow on trees). My guy at the time kept saying: it's smoking mirrors. He was right and in 2008 the trees fell and all the money went away, along with my house (a hail storm in August 2008 claimed the flower garden). I climbed into my Subaru with an exercise ball riding shotgun and Sampson holding down camp in the back and hit the road. Everything I owned shoved into a shed at a friend of mine's except what fit in the rocket box on top of my car. Someone said I'd like New Zealand or Colorado. Colorado was simply easier to get to.
And then I got cancer. I was required to stay within hospital's distance. I never cared for Colorado. It was pretty, but pretty only goes so far. I missed my home, my family and my friends. I felt alone in Colorado and I hated cancer for making me stay. In 2012 I left for Tahoe (the 2nd time I returned). I stayed a month and a month Costa Rica surfing and zip lining with my mom before returning to Colorado to see if things would work with the guy I left there. From 2012 to 2014 I made a choice - to learn everything I could about oncology massage and working with people who are in treatment for cancer, had cancer, or are living with cancer. I absolutely love working with those touched by cancer. I love my patients. I love learning about oncology care, lymphedema, I love working with those getting ready to leave this world. This work makes my heart sing.
On August 20, 2014 I called my brother to wish him Happy Birthday. He was with his kids and our folks. I got off the phone and cried. I knew that day I could no longer stay in Colorado. When my guy got home that night, I told him I was leaving (and he decided to come too). This year ends with my final return to Tahoe (3rd time's a charm) and my commitment to well being.
On January 19th I begin grad school where I will get a Master's Degree in Health & Wellness. I have plans and goals and I can see exactly where I want to go from here. I can picture the house I live in, the flowers planted in the yard. I can see my niece and nephew playing in the woods and learning to ski. I see my mom and I romping through the Sierra's talking about how my dad and her met, how my great grandfather sold pencil-drawn portraits during the depression to put food on the table. We will talk about our next great adventure and lament about new aches and pains. My dad and I will talk about my mom and my brother. And my brother and I will talk about my dad.
Life seems so simple and so pure. It has been a long road back, paved with heartache, but grouted in wonderful memories. I would not change my life and the wind I've floated on. But I will say, it sure is great to be home. Welcome home me!
View from my parent's deck.
