It is what you love that defines you.

I love God. I am a very spiritual person. I believe it is important to be healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually, and each are equally important. My spirituality makes life much more endurable and much more beautiful. I am empowered with a contagious optimism that I am proud of. I overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I love the mountains. As a child, I grew up exploring and treasuring the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I thrive in the mountain landscape. The mountains bring me peace. I am a free spirit. I am home.

I love music. Music has always been a very important part of my life. I have been dancing ballet since I was four and playing the violin since I was ten, and I will never stop. 

I love to write. Writing is my escape. I disappear into my own story, and I can choose how it ends. I like to think of myself as a decent story teller. In fact, I have recently begun my first story in attempt to be published, eventually. We shall see.

I love giving. Giving is my getting. I can feel no better when I know I have bettered someone else in some way. I have come to realize, especially over this past year, that one of my greatest gifts is my love for other people and my desire to better each one, even if it means simply bringing them a smile.

I love tea. There's simply nothing better than to cozying up with a good cup of tea. Your stress melts away, your senses awaken. Indeed, tea is the cup of life.

I love to run. When I run, I am so free, so alive. Running is natural. It is direct and elegant. It is my own two feet. And I am encompassed by a beautiful day.

I love life. I praise everyday of my being for life is beautiful, and I am blessed.

I love listening. People are fascinating, their stories included. I always love to hear what you have to say.

I love dancing. Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts. It is the song of the body. I am always dancing, whether it be in the rain, in my living room, or on a stage. You can dance anywhere, really, even if only in your heart.

I love wine. To sit with a glass of good wine in hand; ah, there are few things better! The smell of wine is so delicate, gratifying, celestial, delicious.

I love people.  I love people more than I love myself. I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help.

I love skiing.  I learned how to cross country ski the same year I learned how to walk. To disappear into mighty snow dusted mountains is like getting a glimpse of Heaven. It is so peaceful.

I love soil. The love of soil is among the earliest of passions, as it is the latest. Mud-pies gratify one of our first and best instincts. So long as we are dirty, we are pure. Fondness for the ground comes back to a man after he has run the round of pleasure and business, eaten dirt, and sown wild oats, drifted about the world, and taken the wind of all its moods. The love of digging in the ground is as sure to come back to him, as he is sure, at last, to go under the ground, and stay there.

I love praying. I give thanks every morning and every night. I pray all the time in my head, for passer byers on the street, for friends, for family. Moments I spend quietly praising or seeking or loving are moments well spent.

I love Mineral King. Mineral King is the most beautiful place in the world.  It is where I said "I do" to my best friend.  I have spent many a summer exploring this gem. It is where my best stories and memories lie, and it is where I seek when I long for escape.

I love Dad.  My dad is my biggest hero. He doesn't even know it. He is the most humble, most thoughtful, most caring, most inspirational man I will ever know. My dad is an amazing person.

I love star gazing. The night sky is truly magical. Every night envoys of beauty come out, the city of God revealed, and light the universe with their admonishing smile. It is a perpetual presence of the sublime. Each time I am in awe.

I love the elderly. You can learn a lot from your elders. They have such great stories and many wise points to share. I dedicate much of my time to helping older folk. From the special friendships and priceless wisdom I gain, it is time well spent.

I love the sunrise.  Dawn is my favorite time of day. It is a rejuvenating and golden moment. With the first gleam of morning rays, the view is a prism of a thousand hues refracted in tiny does of crystal dew, a dazzling quilt of mellifluous colors covering the sleeping world. The stillness of the early morning scene enables me to take in and enjoy many things which pass me by during the bustle of the day.

I love organizing. I am a perfectionist. I write checklists and rewrite checklists, I will straighten that crooked frame, I will vacuum even though I did it yesterday, I will color code my twice typed notes, and I will ensure all stacks of paper are perfectly parallel on my desk.

I love Marjon Drive. Marjon Drive is an older residential loop hidden amidst the majestic trees in Nevada City, California. It is where my beloved Grandma Jo and Grandpa Jim had their humble wooden home on the hillside. When visiting Grandma, I would run around that loop every morning as she sat on the porch and watched me go. Grandma was my favorite friend. Even though Grandma passed away a few years ago and her house radically transformed under the hands of a money-lusting city man, Marjon Drive will always be my childhood Heaven.

I love simplicity.  I love the quiet. I like to be alone. There is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power. This is what I strive for. After all, my value is found not in what I do but in who I am.

I love agriculture.  I represent the fifth generation of a farming family of the San Joaquin Valley. Until I moved to Davis for college, I lived in a small country home tucked deep within the citrus belt of California, falling asleep to the lullaby of the windmill. Agriculture is a beautiful art. I have a passion for the land, a love for the farmer, and a respect for nature.