“FINALLY, I WAS CHALLENGED AGAIN.”

my heart knew immediately that I wanted to give it a try. I packed up yet again and moved into my crusty barracks on the Inyo National Forest. In this position, I was able to advance in my federal career while contributing to a legendary program. All of our work had to be set in pumice (which, although technically rock is pretty much just a liquid). It needed to be suitable for dozens of mules to walk over daily and withstand feet of snow and continuous snowmelt in the spring. Finally, I was challenged again.

I was constantly sunburnt and breathing in pumice dust, but the ability to laugh and cohabitate with my crew, construct large-scale structures, and build relationshipsintentionally again was beautiful to me. I loved the intensity of the work. What I did not love was where I was living, and the constant upheaval of my life and daily routine. I was tired of roaming around out West. I missed the South. I missed the warm creeks, humid, 90-degree afternoons, watching the light filter through deciduous trees. I longed for the days of being up to my elbows in soil teeming with biodiver- sity. I missed my family and friends. While in California, I had also applied for a permanent position with the U.S. Forest Service. I was hesitant about it because I knew that it would put me farther from daily fieldwork, but when a Recreation Management position on the Pisgah National Forest was offered to me, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. The rocks and dirt would be there for me to come back to.

That’s how I ended up where I am now: managing dispersed recreation and trails in the Appalachian Ranger District. The work is very different. The tasks at hand are often daunting, but I remind myself of the lessons I learned at SECC: to be patient with myself as I adjust, to practice grace and humility, and to allow space for mistakes from myself and others. To retain my passion for affecting positive change—both on the landscape and in people’s lives. To work hard, have grit, and to laugh. Most of all, I think of the people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside, and I am deeply thankful for that 5 a.m. drive to Chattanooga that changed the trajectory of my life. D