My story as of today; to be continued.
San Diego, California: 1990.
Born 8 years after my mom and dad met at Oregon State University. San Diego marked the spot for them to relocate after college graduation to begin “adulting”. My mom was ready to settle in more so than my dad. His Italian, beer-thirsty lifestyle wasn’t ready to hunker down to start a quiet family yet. Some of his best college buddies also made the move to San Diego around the same time which kept that college fraternity phase fully fueled. After my mom had enough of his late nights out she handed him an ultimatum, therefore he finally decided to get his act together and soon enough I was in the picture!
El Dorado Hills, California: 1990-2008.
8 months after entering the world, my family made the move to El Dorado Hills for my dad to launch his commercial real estate career. According to my parents, this tiny town was a farm country in 1990. Cows resided down the street and life was simple. The Sierra Foothills' quality of life was enjoyable with a manageable population of 6,395 people. We were at a borderline elevation where it wouldn’t quite snow, although it did happen a time or two. The Sacramento heat certainly got the best of us, and we were lucky enough to experience a heat-setting record where it was 110+ degrees for over 2 weeks straight.
I spend 18 years in a “flat land” home on Tam O’Shanter Dr. Once again life was simple in our smaller-sized home featuring a large backyard. Our backyard was my safe spot. I would spend hours upon hours outside whether it be talking with “Sally and the little girls who lived in the rocks”, hammering river rocks one after another hoping I would find a crystal inside one of them, channeling my inner daredevil throwing rocks at hornet hives, and dissecting owl poop to see if I could piece a mouse back together.
Eventually, it was time to graduate from elementary school. The days no longer consisted of playing in the backyard by myself or with my younger brother. This was just the beginning of being “cool” and having friends over for ping pong or pool parties. Middle school was about asking mom and dad for lunch money, so I could fit in at the Round Table Pizza lunch line, buy an XL cookie that was fresh out of the oven, and have a “boyfriend” that would last one class period before the next bell rang and I would break up with him. Sorry, not sorry! It was an odd time, and this was just the beginning.
Mind you, El Dorado Hills started to transition quickly. The cows down the road were evicted and were quickly replaced by $3M+ mansion homes. If you didn’t have a custom pool, basketball court, mini golf green, or tennis court at your house, it was questionable whether you were going to fit in. Some of my good friends lived on a huge lakeside property where their primary home was a casual 15,800 sq ft with a massive dirt bike track out back. For as fun as it was to be included in these mansion homes and activities galore, the attitudes were unbearable, and the thought that I still had years to live there before graduating gave me actual anxiety and panic attacks. Really though. I begged my parents to homeschool me or move to Oregon where life might be easier and people would be more accepting. Little did I know high school was going to bring a whole new meaning to life as a teenager.
Fast forward to the year 2008 when I walked across the stage at the Oak Ridge High School graduation. I have never been so excited to say adios to a town full of messed-up parents and privileged kids. It appeared that everyone’s parents were their best friends. Hosting house parties and buying all the alcohol, approving their kids to do drugs, and buying their daughter's fake boobs for graduation. Yes, you read that right. Flashback to MTV’s My Super Sweet 16 when wealthy parents would rent out the finest country club and buy a $1,000+ dress for their daughter to wear. Yes, I was able to experience just that. I was invited to fly to Vegas with a friend whose parents rented out the local country club. And yes, I sure did fly to Vegas to find that sweet 16 dress for her. Also, the number of luxury cars wrapped in bows, parked out front of the school for when that final school bell rang made my skin crawl. I tried to fit into this wealth, but my true calling was to dirt bike, jet ski, snowboard, cliff jump, and play hard outside with the crew of boys who were into these types of activities. El Dorado Hills, California was no longer my place. It hadn’t been my safe place for years and the time finally came when I could pack up my car and say vamonos.
Bend, Oregon: 2008-today.
Let me just start by saying that my solo move to Bend saved my life. I was not in a good headspace when I was finally leaving El Dorado Hills and I was beyond elated to start a new chapter. Or should I say novel? For 16 years I have resided in Bend. Almost the same amount of time I spend in the house I grew up in on Tam O’Shanter Dr. I remember visiting Bend the year before high school graduation with my family. My only recollection was the cool landscaping as you entered Bend, the roundabouts that would confuse us, and how close Mt Bachelor was to town. The only reason I was drawn to Bend was the fact that there was a college campus and a ski resort 45 minutes up the road.
Central Oregon Community College was an awesome experience. Let me just start by saying I had finally found my adult safe spot. I was part of the dorm community and quickly met friends whom I keep in touch with to this day. After 2 years at COCC, I transferred to Oregon State University-Cascades Campus which was right next door. Go Beavs! I was able to complete my 300- and 400-level courses and graduate with my bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Outdoor Leadership, emphasizing Eco and Adventure Tourism. While I was a student at OSU-C, I was involved with student government hosting all the on-campus events and activities for fellow classmates. I was also recruited to help my professors with research opportunities for outdoor recreation impacts specifically for our nearby lakes and rivers. It was a 5-star college experience and I confidently fit into this crowd of Pacific Northwest individuals whose passion was to be outdoors.
Right after graduating college, Hydro Flask offered me a customer service position. This was the most exciting thing, as Hydro Flask was the local up-and-coming company where everyone wanted to work. With just a few sized double-wall vacuum-insulated stainless-steel bottles, the establishment was just 8 people large when I was hired. When I was departing in 2021, I was close to the 200th person in the newly acquired corporate-owned company and the product line was extensive. Offering hydration products that catered from mountain biking to lightweight backpacking and camp kitchen sets. My experience at Hydro Flask was something I would never take back, even when the times weren’t the greatest. When taking a moment to reflect on everything I learned while I was there, it is astounding to see my personal growth during my time with the company. I am so appreciative of it all!
One afternoon while I was sitting at my Hydro Flask desk job, I realized that in my current position I was no longer utilizing many outdoor-related skills I had acquired throughout my college education. How could I possibly utilize these skills without a complete change in my career path? Also, how could I give back to the community that I worship? That is when I pursued a volunteer opportunity with Deschutes County Search and Rescue. Talk about another adult safe spot! After going through the application and interview process, I was 1 of 28 to be accepted into the 2020 academy. This was out of the 158 applicants. In just 3.5 short years, I volunteered 600+ hours of time, responded to 33 missions, and earned 14 different qualifications. I am so thankful to be giving back to the community I have called home for many years. Bend is full of outdoorsy, active, risk-taking individuals who truly live life to the fullest. Unfortunately, as things don’t always go as planned, I am elated to be part of an outstanding team of determined and selfless volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day so others may live.
For 15 years I have been able to embrace Bend and proudly call this town “home”. I am forever grateful for my experience thus far. Although this tiny mill town is changing rapidly and that similar El Dorado Hills vibe is slowly creeping in, I don’t have the urge to move quite yet. I hope that Bend remains a happy, friendly, outdoorsy place where it's not inconvenient for people to hold the door open for others or simply say “hello”. I hope this town is my safe spot for many years to come; To be continued…
