I was not thrust into this world with a silver spoon in mouth nor born with amazing talents wired into my DNA. No, instead I was given two amazing role models who have taught me hard work really does prosper in this world and that if I really want something bad enough I’m going to have to work at it hard enough. My parents have shown me that by their work ethic and lifestyle. My parents aren’t the only people in my life that have given me gifts that have built me to who I am today; my brother has taught me a great gift in patience. It may not seem like a gift, but in learning to get along with him and in learning to share as in our fights over beloved toys, I realize he has given me something I can use in all situations and yet take years to master. My greatest influences may not be super heroes, rich or famous but they are who made me who I am today, my family.
I was not the most agile creature as a child which became a bad pairing with my strong nature for seeking out adventure; that became clear by the time I began to walk. My mom is a strong woman for enduring all the heart attacks I’ve given her. Running away from home for a day, standing in front of a semi in the middle of the road, almost drowning in the pool, trying to jump of a cliff, and exploring the forest without anyone knowing. Life was a continual adventure for me and a continual panic attack for my mother. My mother and father completed each other in the qualities they lacked. While my mother would give me a dose of reality to bring me down from my cloud or exploration and imagination, my father would tell me of his trips to Europe and California and his missionary endeavors.
My eyes would grow big and bright as he told me stories of pick pockets and hostiles. I knew traveling would be my one way ticket to adventure and life and was sure life would not end in my small town Chesterfield, Missouri. I never knew it would end so soon either though. After we moved to Chesterfield five