yeah I come from a fairly conventional family my my mom’s a teacher might as a
family my my mom’s a teacher might as a
family my my mom’s a teacher might as a commercial loan officer and and I’d say
commercial loan officer and and I’d say
commercial loan officer and and I’d say that my sisters and I are all ambitious
that my sisters and I are all ambitious
that my sisters and I are all ambitious like my my older sisters I just received
like my my older sisters I just received
like my my older sisters I just received her PhD from Stanford my younger sister
her PhD from Stanford my younger sister
her PhD from Stanford my younger sister as an accountant at KPMG in Boston and
as an accountant at KPMG in Boston and
as an accountant at KPMG in Boston and from what I understand well on her way
from what I understand well on her way
from what I understand well on her way to being a partner I grew up in a period
to being a partner I grew up in a period
to being a partner I grew up in a period when this was in the late 90s was my my
when this was in the late 90s was my my
when this was in the late 90s was my my high school year so it was the peak of
high school year so it was the peak of
high school year so it was the peak of the dot-com era and it seemed like you
the dot-com era and it seemed like you
the dot-com era and it seemed like you couldn’t meet anyone without getting a
couldn’t meet anyone without getting a
couldn’t meet anyone without getting a stock pick and I kind of really took a
stock pick and I kind of really took a
stock pick and I kind of really took a liking to that and then during Duke my
liking to that and then during Duke my
liking to that and then during Duke my my passions definitely shifted and I
my passions definitely shifted and I
my passions definitely shifted and I realized that maybe that pursuit was not
realized that maybe that pursuit was not
realized that maybe that pursuit was not mine
camp Carolina and the Blue Ridge
camp Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina made
Mountains of Western North Carolina made
Mountains of Western North Carolina made a big difference in it was the first
a big difference in it was the first
a big difference in it was the first time where I was having a lot of fun I
time where I was having a lot of fun I
time where I was having a lot of fun I wasn’t stuck in an office in the
wasn’t stuck in an office in the
wasn’t stuck in an office in the summertime it was such a market contrast
summertime it was such a market contrast
summertime it was such a market contrast from my summers in in high school where
from my summers in in high school where
from my summers in in high school where I had worked for the greater Providence
I had worked for the greater Providence
I had worked for the greater Providence Chamber of Commerce an internship at
Chamber of Commerce an internship at
Chamber of Commerce an internship at Paine Webber and I was like 16 I’m going
Paine Webber and I was like 16 I’m going
Paine Webber and I was like 16 I’m going to work in a suit every day which was
to work in a suit every day which was
to work in a suit every day which was kind of ridiculous in retrospect but I
kind of ridiculous in retrospect but I
kind of ridiculous in retrospect but I was just had a blast at camp and I don’t
was just had a blast at camp and I don’t
was just had a blast at camp and I don’t think then I ever I thought that I could
think then I ever I thought that I could
think then I ever I thought that I could somehow make them make a living out of
somehow make them make a living out of
somehow make them make a living out of this but I just knew that I was having
this but I just knew that I was having
this but I just knew that I was having fun and I didn’t want that to end
when I returned to school after those
when I returned to school after those those two summers I basically got the
those two summers I basically got the
those two summers I basically got the first summer I came back and I changed a
first summer I came back and I changed a
first summer I came back and I changed a lot the second summer I came back and I
lot the second summer I came back and I
lot the second summer I came back and I changed even more the following summer
changed even more the following summer
changed even more the following summer after that I hiked the Appalachian Trail
after that I hiked the Appalachian Trail
after that I hiked the Appalachian Trail and I think that is where probably what
and I think that is where probably what
and I think that is where probably what was the straw that broke the camel’s
was the straw that broke the camel’s
was the straw that broke the camel’s back it was tough for me to think about
back it was tough for me to think about
back it was tough for me to think about accepting a fairly normal existence
accepting a fairly normal existence
accepting a fairly normal existence after having had those experiences I was
after having had those experiences I was
after having had those experiences I was just having too much fun out there
the economy took a real turn after 9/11
the economy took a real turn after 9/11 and I was this was at a critical point
and I was this was at a critical point
and I was this was at a critical point my college career where it’s critical
my college career where it’s critical
my college career where it’s critical that you get a good internship this the
that you get a good internship this the
that you get a good internship this the summer before you graduate and that sort
summer before you graduate and that sort
summer before you graduate and that sort of lines you up it gives you some good
of lines you up it gives you some good
of lines you up it gives you some good experience it makes you some connections
experience it makes you some connections
experience it makes you some connections a 9/11 happen and the economy just sort
a 9/11 happen and the economy just sort
a 9/11 happen and the economy just sort of tanked my class got sort of stuck
of tanked my class got sort of stuck
of tanked my class got sort of stuck there are a lot of students like myself
there are a lot of students like myself
there are a lot of students like myself who suddenly the those opportunities
who suddenly the those opportunities
who suddenly the those opportunities that we thought we had when we when we
that we thought we had when we when we
that we thought we had when we when we were enrolled into Duke and and to other
were enrolled into Duke and and to other
were enrolled into Duke and and to other institutions suddenly went wow this is a
institutions suddenly went wow this is a
institutions suddenly went wow this is a now a different environment and when I
now a different environment and when I
now a different environment and when I was a freshman there were kids and this
was a freshman there were kids and this
was a freshman there were kids and this was normal to get five or six job offers
was normal to get five or six job offers
was normal to get five or six job offers and you know we all thought that we were
and you know we all thought that we were
and you know we all thought that we were going to have the same situation when we
going to have the same situation when we
going to have the same situation when we were older and on the verge of
were older and on the verge of
were older and on the verge of graduating so yeah 9/11 certainly
graduating so yeah 9/11 certainly
graduating so yeah 9/11 certainly limited the opportunities I had and that
limited the opportunities I had and that
limited the opportunities I had and that sort of gave me an excuse to say well
sort of gave me an excuse to say well
sort of gave me an excuse to say well you know if the opportunities aren’t
you know if the opportunities aren’t
you know if the opportunities aren’t here now maybe they’ll be here next year
here now maybe they’ll be here next year
here now maybe they’ll be here next year and in the meantime I’m gonna go have
and in the meantime I’m gonna go have
and in the meantime I’m gonna go have some more fun and I just I never really
some more fun and I just I never really
some more fun and I just I never really came back
I think that was actually the agreement
I think that was actually the agreement with my parents is that I could it would
with my parents is that I could it would
with my parents is that I could it would let they would allow me to go hike the
let they would allow me to go hike the
let they would allow me to go hike the Appalachian Trail if assuming the summer
Appalachian Trail if assuming the summer
Appalachian Trail if assuming the summer afterwards that I would get I’ll get a
afterwards that I would get I’ll get a
afterwards that I would get I’ll get a real job
I ran in high school in college was a
I ran in high school in college was a cross-country and track f runner and we
cross-country and track f runner and we
cross-country and track f runner and we used to talk about there being two types
used to talk about there being two types
used to talk about there being two types of guys in the team there were racers
of guys in the team there were racers
of guys in the team there were racers and then there were runners and the
and then there were runners and the
and then there were runners and the racers were the guys who just who
racers were the guys who just who
racers were the guys who just who trained to show up to the starting line
trained to show up to the starting line
trained to show up to the starting line and to go beat people and then there
and to go beat people and then there
and to go beat people and then there were runners who practice every day
were runners who practice every day
were runners who practice every day because we needed to run it was so a
because we needed to run it was so a
because we needed to run it was so a part of us that it was our our therapy
part of us that it was our our therapy
part of us that it was our our therapy session and whenever we were injured
session and whenever we were injured
session and whenever we were injured we went stir-crazy and I was a runner
we went stir-crazy and I was a runner
we went stir-crazy and I was a runner always have been around I still run
always have been around I still run
always have been around I still run today and I think that you know with
today and I think that you know with
today and I think that you know with this with this adventure stuff it’s the
this with this adventure stuff it’s the
this with this adventure stuff it’s the same thing that this for me it’s therapy
same thing that this for me it’s therapy
same thing that this for me it’s therapy it’s what I want to be doing it so it’s
it’s what I want to be doing it so it’s
it’s what I want to be doing it so it’s a central part of me yeah
I wouldn’t say I’m lonely only because
I wouldn’t say I’m lonely only because I’ve spent so much time out there now
I’ve spent so much time out there now
I’ve spent so much time out there now that I feel it feels pretty natural to
that I feel it feels pretty natural to
that I feel it feels pretty natural to me to be in that environment I sort of
me to be in that environment I sort of
me to be in that environment I sort of developed this rapport with the
developed this rapport with the
developed this rapport with the landscape as sort of crazy as that sound
landscape as sort of crazy as that sound
landscape as sort of crazy as that sound like every place has sort of its own
like every place has sort of its own
like every place has sort of its own character and there’s this this
character and there’s this this
character and there’s this this relationship with with nature at least
relationship with with nature at least
relationship with with nature at least that I convinced myself of because you
that I convinced myself of because you
that I convinced myself of because you know in reality probably nature doesn’t
know in reality probably nature doesn’t
know in reality probably nature doesn’t care and it’s a it’s going to do what it
care and it’s a it’s going to do what it
care and it’s a it’s going to do what it wants to do and my existence doesn’t
wants to do and my existence doesn’t
wants to do and my existence doesn’t really matter to it but it’s helpful at
really matter to it but it’s helpful at
really matter to it but it’s helpful at least in my mind to think that nature
least in my mind to think that nature
least in my mind to think that nature and I are sort of going back and forth
and I are sort of going back and forth
and I are sort of going back and forth here that there’s a sort of this
here that there’s a sort of this
here that there’s a sort of this connection I I think there are a couple
connection I I think there are a couple
connection I I think there are a couple of different components of it and I know
of different components of it and I know
of different components of it and I know it’s not just one single thing that
it’s not just one single thing that
it’s not just one single thing that partly its aesthetics I mean I get to
partly its aesthetics I mean I get to
partly its aesthetics I mean I get to see incredibly beautiful places and
see incredibly beautiful places and
see incredibly beautiful places and oftentimes they’re far from trailheads
oftentimes they’re far from trailheads
oftentimes they’re far from trailheads and far from rails not places where you
and far from rails not places where you
and far from rails not places where you can access easily or driving a car up –
can access easily or driving a car up –
can access easily or driving a car up – and I’ve also found that by getting
and I’ve also found that by getting
and I’ve also found that by getting these places under my own power that
these places under my own power that
these places under my own power that there’s it’s somehow much more rewarding
there’s it’s somehow much more rewarding
there’s it’s somehow much more rewarding to to experience it that I that I earn
to to experience it that I that I earn
to to experience it that I that I earn this view or this experience part of it
this view or this experience part of it
this view or this experience part of it is also cultural of being able to go
is also cultural of being able to go
is also cultural of being able to go into villages and towns that I’ve never
into villages and towns that I’ve never
into villages and towns that I’ve never been into before make friends learn from
been into before make friends learn from
been into before make friends learn from them that’s also the rewarding aspect I
them that’s also the rewarding aspect I
them that’s also the rewarding aspect I love the challenge about that physical
love the challenge about that physical
love the challenge about that physical and mental challenge basically to see
and mental challenge basically to see
and mental challenge basically to see how how far I can push myself and what
how how far I can push myself and what
how how far I can push myself and what my limits are but I think the biggest
my limits are but I think the biggest
my limits are but I think the biggest thing for me is that when I’m out there
thing for me is that when I’m out there
thing for me is that when I’m out there I I feel alive I feel like I have 80
I I feel alive I feel like I have 80
I I feel alive I feel like I have 80 years on this planet to do something and
years on this planet to do something and
years on this planet to do something and when I’m out there I feel like I’m
when I’m out there I feel like I’m
when I’m out there I feel like I’m taking advantage of at least some of
taking advantage of at least some of
taking advantage of at least some of those years
this is primo it doesn’t get any better
this is primo it doesn’t get any better than this
”
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