Raised in Albuquerque since 1971, I have grown to appreciate the desert, the skies, the ability to see for miles. Over the years, I moved often, always wanting to explore new places – whether within Albuquerque (student ghetto to Nob Hill to the foothills) or in northern New Mexico (working for five years in Los Alamos at Los Alamos National Laboratory, spending a summer in a single-wide in Rinconada), or all the way up in Alaska (Homer, Anchorage, and Emmonak), where I housesat, couch surfed, packed up chainsaws for people living in the bush, waited tables at a Mexican restaurant, and gillnetted for salmon in the remote native village of Emmonak, where I worked for Game and Fish’s Commercial Fishing Division.

After many years of traveling, moving, and wandering, I settled back in Albuquerque when my mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Taking care of her and witnessing her death, I learned more than I could ever express. In 2001, I became a massage therapist to help people with Alzheimer’s and others who are suffering.

I try to appreciate every day because I know how short life can be. I will continue to travel – I bought a 1992 Dodge Sportsmobile for this purpose – and will add photos as they become available to me on my travels.