Born in Spokane, Wash. in the early 1980s, I grew up hiking in the North Cascades. I am a single mother to one absolutely insane four-legged, hairy dog named Sandy Pants. After graduating with a B.A. in Environmental Journalism from Western Washington University, I was pulled to explore a different part of the world. I spent a few months in Germany and on the Adriatic Coast of Croatia before ending up in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. These experiences have opened my eyes to new ecosystems and cultures, giving me a more diverse appreciation for our environment. My time away made me yearn for snow-capped peaks and yes, even the incessant rain of the Pacific Northwest. So I'm currently working on salmon recovery in Portland, Ore. with fits and spurts of travels tucked into each year.