Introduction

I am a United States Navy corpsman. I throughly adore my job and it has been the most unexpected adventure I have ever embarked on. I am originally from Eugene, Oregon. I adore the Northwest and despite my many travels I always seem to find my way back there. I love being outdoors and active whether it is running and hiking or playing rugby and rock climbing. I always find clarity outdoors. I spend a lot of time working, I tend to work between a 12-18 hour work day and when I am home I can be found either reading or playing with my dog. I got my dog in North Carolina on New Years Day when someone threw her out of a moving van. She is my greatest friend and the best companion through my ventures. I am a avid reader which is where my dog gets her namesake from. Her name is Atticus Finch, named after the lawyer in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" which just happens to be my favorite book. I found Atticus accross from a field called "Mockingbird folly" so I found the name not only poetic but fitting as well. I love history and whenever I find myself in a new place I find it necessary to learn the history of where ever I may be. I think it gives us a sense of connectivity to know where we come from.

Mhm, how to be reflective? I think that to me family is one of the most important things in my life. It grounds me, and in the work that I do it is very easy at times to feel your morality slipping away so it's good to have a solid foundation upon which to live your life. I think the quote in the Act of Valor sums up how I feel the best.

"You live your life by a code, an ethos, every man does. It's your shoreline, it's what guides you home. And trust me, you're always trying to get home."

I think that without my family I would be lost as sea, they are my lighthouse which guides me away from the jagged shoreline in storms, and point the direction to a safe harbor in rocky seas. I would be no where without them.

 I am hoping someday to go to medical school so that I can work overseas with impoverished countries offering medical care. We'll see how that goes.  However, until then it's just one big adventure....