When I was 15 years old I started jumping off bridges. These weren't measly little bridges, these were skin bruising bridges, quite literally. I wouldn't recommend it. But the truth is, I had (and still have) a fear of heights, and I was dead set on proving to myself that I could do it. I've always had an interesting sense of adventure with generous dashes of naivety and stupidity – my mom and dad can attest to this. The free fall going into the water was always scary, but the rush when I hit the water was awesome. However, the real reason behind my decision to jump was to build confidence in myself by pushing my boundaries.I've generally taken the unconventional route to things. Boring has never been my thing. This has likely caused my parents (and me) many sleepless nights, but still, they've always been supportive of my non-linear approach to life.

When I was attending the University of Oregon, journalism was a natural choice for me. I envisioned traveling the world and reporting on current events.

As I was preparing to graduate in 2005, I remember my journalism professor standing up before the class and delivering one last motivational speech about how journalism was a difficult profession, but a noble one that would give us the opportunity to impact the lives of many people through storytelling. She also kindly reminded us that we should get comfortable with eating boxed macaroni and cheese and Top Ramen for a few years because the wages would be low and the hours would be long.