My journey to Sierra Nevada College began on a three-month trip to explore Indonesia’s bleached islands, remote villages, and mystic jungles.
I fell in love with the country and its varied cultures, so I started a yoga clothing business in Bali and volunteered teaching English in Sulawesi. By the end of the trip I was addicted to travel, and I knew I needed an education to turn my love into a career.
When I started at SNC, I majored in English because I had enjoyed my experience teaching English abroad tremendously. I thought that it would be great to become a teacher full-time. After taking a few journalism classes, I realized that I was pretty good at reporting and really liked how journalism connects you with people, getting you out into new places and involved in the community. I added a minor in Journalism.
Then I took a Travel and Adventure Writing class with Professor Ann Marie Brown. This class fit my love for travel, photography, and writing – all the pieces of my life – together into my dream career. While at SNC I have created a travel blog, studied travel photography, created a stellar professional portfolio, and co-authored a guidebook. I’m graduating from SNC with a bachelor’s degree, a 3.9 GPA, confidence in my abilities, and a gratitude for a life-changing college education.
After graduation, I will be celebrating with a backpacking trip through Colombia, Panama, and Cuba. I want to practice my Spanish and get new material for articles and blog posts. Once back in Tahoe, my goal is to get a lot of experience under my belt and build my writing skills by working at a local news source and on more guidebooks. With dedication, I hope to travel the world and write guidebooks for places like Indonesia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador: places I love.
My business, Dia Yoga Clothing, will keep me connected to Indonesia; I will be traveling to Bali periodically to work on new designs with the local manufacturer. And I’ll have a BA in English, so I would also like to teach while I’m abroad.
Update: July 2017
Hike Smart, the trekking guidebook I co-authored with Ann Marie Brown at SNC, was published in April 2017. It is selling briskly from Skyhorse Publishing and Amazon.
From the publisher:
Are you a first-timer about to take your inaugural trek? Are you a veteran hiker looking to be even more efficient when enjoying the sport you love? Are you someone in between? Then look no further than expert trekker Ann Brown’s Hike Smart, the definitive guide to efficient and enjoyable hiking for all levels of experience.
Compiling knowledge from more than thirty years of hiking, Hike Smart includes hundreds of tips, tactics, and techniques all aimed at helping you become a better hiker. Within these pages, you’ll find:
• Dozens of trail dos and don’ts
• Pointers on choosing the right gear for your hike—with an emphasis on boots and packs
• Advice on negotiating different terrains
• Recommendations on how-to deal with unexpected on-trail situations
• Stories and interviews from hikers who’ve conquered tough trails
• Beautiful color photos of some of America’s most majestic hikes
• And much more!
So whether you’re about to embark on your first hike or your hundred-and-first, Hike Smart is the only guide you’ll need to ensure that you have your most enjoyable, and smartest trek yet.