For the longest time I had a hard time not being "normal." I graduated from a small liberal arts college, got a desk job, and hated every minute of it. In 2007 my life changed dramatically after hiking the entirity of the Appalachian Trail. It was a gut check in life and I'm lucky it happened when I was 27 and not 67. My time in the woods gave me a perspective on the benefits of simplicity. It was in the woods that I promised myself that I wouldn't spend a lifetime doing a job I didn't enjoy.
Thirteen years after hiking the trail I am blessed to own my own business and have never been happier. To be able to pay the bills while doing something that I am passionate about is one of the greatest things I have found in life.