Doris the Explorist

wanted to move out of California, but never knew exactly where I wanted to go. While I was transitioning from LA back to San Diego in 2013, Seattle did cross my mind, but I wasn't ready. Then fast forward to 2015, I decided to look internally with my current company to see if there were any positions open in other states. I applied to a few, and got contacted by HR for a position in Seattle. I accepted the job offer, packed up my life in San Diego, road tripped up the West Coast with one of my best friends, and moved to Seattle in February 2016. I didn't always love hiking as much as I do now. I think I can pinpoint the time in my life when I started getting into the outdoors though. It was when I signed myself up for an alternative study abroad program in college in 2009. I did a month at sea in the Caribbean on an 85 ft sail boat and learned to scuba dive and rig sail lines. When the boat was docked, the captain would take us on hikes in the forests of the islands. So after that stint, I started hiking more and more in San Diego, and also exploring the San Gabriel, San Bernadino, and San Jacinto Mountains. Also, another reason I picked up hiking was because it was free haha. I also love traveling. I don't travel as much as I used to, but I've explored over 20+ countries. From family vacations in Mexico to Australia, and Japan, to my 4 month stint in Europe right after college, I have seen and done a lot. I do have to thank mostly my mom for that though. She's always had the travel bug in her, and I think she's implanted that into my brain as well. It doesn't matter how fit you are, or how much money you have, if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.