Finding your purpose
A journey across America shaped by difficult decisions, personal sacrifice, and the courage to choose an unconventional path.
Understanding the Weight of Choices in the Industry
As I look back at my career as a scientist in the blue-collar industry in the United States, I think about all the choices I’ve had to make along the way—the choices between being a good mother or a good employee, a good wife or a good soldier, a good friend or giving the advice people truly need. I could go on, but I digress.
I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some incredible souls—alongside some, not so incredible. I started in Kennerdell, Pennsylvania, loaded up my Bluebird 444, and off we went. I made the choice to go.
Everyone told me I was crazy. Everyone said it wouldn’t work. Everyone said it wasn’t good for my kids. Everyone said it was just a pipe dream. Sit down, shut up, sit still, look pretty. But something about that didn’t feel right for me. So Trevor and I traded pink slips for a 1999 International Bluebird 444. We gutted it and upcycled the inside as a “Skoolie” that we lived in for almost three years.
Early in my career, my boss—Trevor—had paid for a SiriusXM radio subscription for the control room. It was a highlight for all of us, having music anytime at our fingertips with no rules or regulations. Our boss would even come in and jam to Lana Del Rey or AC/DC. Every once in a while, you’d hear some good thumping coming from the control room. I digress.
Music has shaped my career and helped me make countless choices along the way. From a young age, I was musically inclined—saxophone, violin, viola, trumpet, flute, clarinet, guitar…not super great at piano, but I loved it. And the thing about music is, I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it. Music has always been my way to connect with others. It helps us understand how each other is feeling and how we can support each other—sometimes just based on the playlist of the day.
As we made our way across the United States, we landed in Sweet Home, Oregon. Wow—just wow. Sweet Home, Oregon, is exactly what you imagine: a small logging community in the Pacific Northwest that held me close when nothing else felt safe.
We stayed at an Airbnb with our family in Sweet Home, where we found liberation. My husband and I fell in love with Salem, Oregon, specifically. If it were up to us, we’d still be there today. No doubt about that. I digress.
It was time to find some money, so we bought land in Elko, Nevada, and pursued the gold standard. My husband stayed home with our two young children and created the most epic hideaway in the middle of the high desert, surrounded by the most beautiful rainbows and mountains you’ve ever seen.
I got my bar card and decided I needed to make money, so I worked third shift at the casinos as a cocktail waitress while going through 15 interviews with the gold mines. Fast forward six months—I got an offer. Thank you, God!
I remember driving home that afternoon in my beat-up 4Runner, sobbing with gratitude for the opportunity and reflecting on how hard I had worked to be part of the gold mines. It was one of the most amazing jobs I’ve ever had the privilege to hold.
Times got tough. It was time to move back to the Midwest—Jefferson City, Missouri, to be specific—where my husband was born and raised. We decided it was a good place for our kids: happy, thriving, and with the network we had always needed—but had to fight for.
As I reflect on this journey, I keep coming back to choices and the weight they carry. Everyone has choices to make, and sometimes, nobody understands when you’re choosing between what’s worse and what won’t kill you.
Thank you to those who have provided me with opportunities and choices that have made me stronger, kinder, wiser, more resilient, and just downright tough. I appreciate you. Godspeed.
