: About Me

I love the little pleasures life brings, whatever one considers "little," like a smile from a passerby, a courteous driver letting you merge, a warm spring rain that enhances the smell of new flower blooms, an empathetic police officer who gives you a warning instead of a speeding ticket, and the thousands of other little pleasures.
I am from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania-home of Punsutawney Phil of Groundhog Day fame. It is a very small town with an abundance of forested wild areas in the surrounding area, but lacks the options of most cities in opportunities and activities. The nearest movie theater with decent titles is STILL 20 miles distant! Consequently, I developed a fondness of the outdoors; I grew up camping, hiking, canoeing, swimming in ponds and rivers, biking, etc.
I left western Pennsylvania to live in Philadelphia for a few years in order to find more opportunities. I wanted to help people. I found City Year there (an Americorps program) and served as a Corps Member for 1 1/2 sessions. We served many different purposes running the spectrum from tutors and mentors within the school system, to facilitating national/community service projects, community beautification/reclamation, to acting as public ambassadors/role models for the city. I truly loved working with City Year and will update this section to elaborate on the experience.
The urge to help people combined with the desire to spend time outdoors pushed me to spend three years living in South Florida while working for an outdoor residential therapeutic facility for at risk youth. I worked first as a counselor, then as a leader in safety and security specializing in night time operations. It was a situation enabling me to both help guide young lives and experience nature in ways most people cannot begin to fathom.
I plan to update this section as time allows, so please check back often.

Sports & Recreation > Camping Cheap camping: Get the gear you need without breaking the bank

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Depending on your definition of the word, camping can mean being in an isolated spot many miles from another person, cozied up in an RV park, or anything in between. Regardless, you need the right gear before you venture out. In this day and age, that means spending a significant sum of money, unless you know where to shop for good gear deals and what to buy. No one likes to spend more money than they have too-and everyone likes a good bargain! You must determine what you must have, depending on the type of camping you enjoy, time of the year, climate, what you are willing to work with and...

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