My passion for weather preludes even my oldest memories. I was born in San Diego, CA and have spent most of my life there. I took advantage of what weather I could find there at an early age. My parents and neighbors tell me how whenever it would seldom rain that, like clockwork, I would run outside and jump around in the rivers running down the gutters of the street. I think it is safe to say that the absence and rarity that weather was in San Diego, helped spark my interest. When it is sunny and 75 degrees from April through October, that first November Pacific storm is, needless to say, very exciting!
My first experiences with "real" weather come from my annual summer vacations to my grandparent's house in Berks County PA, and living in Arlington, VA for two years. Living in San Diego, there is little to nothing in the way of thunderstorms. So, one of my first memories is being 5 years old sitting on the front porch of our Virginia home with my father watching a swirling greenish-black wall cloud approach from the west. Although I didn't witness it, that ominous cloud in fact produced a tornado. Since then I always looked forward to leaving the monotonous weather confines that is "America's Finest City", for six weeks every summer, to experience the beauty of a good summer storm in PA. I'm sure my grandparents can attest to my induced insanity as I would run up and down the stairs from the attic to the porches to catch the best angle of the impending storm. I also like to believe that I am a magnet for winter weather, I have been on the east coast for all of the major blizzards affecting PA since I was born in 1990. I can remember digging a snow fort with my dad in the '96 storm, jumping off the second story into 6' drifts in the 2001 President's Day storm, and trudging through up to 3' of snow on the Appalachian Trail during the 2010 and 2011 winters.
My storm chasing exploits started when I would ride my bike 50+ miles out to the foothills of San Diego Co. just to get myself under a towering cloud building off to the east. If a good storm came in off the Pacific I would make sure to run or bike around in it, trying to catch some flooding or witness the churning Pacific crash against the cliffs and piers. When I finally got my license, I truly got to experience all that San Diego weather had to offer. When a monster of a storm would come down from Alaska, I would jump in my car and drive 45 minutes to the local mountains in the county. I would park just below the snowline in Cuyamaca and venture out into the blustery rainy wilderness. I would fight my way up the mountain against the relentless wind driven rain til I reached the snowline. I would punch my way into the clouds and snow to the point that visibilities dropped to mere feet and I could watch the snow accumulate on my gloves. The coup de grace of sorts would come as I came to the mountain's spine and the storm could give me all she got. Hunched over there on the precipice of a 6,500' mountain I would experience 80MPH winds, stinging snow, and numbing cold. The funny thing is... I enjoyed every bleepin' second of it!
My first experiences with "real" weather come from my annual summer vacations to my grandparent's house in Berks County PA, and living in Arlington, VA for two years. Living in San Diego, there is little to nothing in the way of thunderstorms. So, one of my first memories is being 5 years old sitting on the front porch of our Virginia home with my father watching a swirling greenish-black wall cloud approach from the west. Although I didn't witness it, that ominous cloud in fact produced a tornado. Since then I always looked forward to leaving the monotonous weather confines that is "America's Finest City", for six weeks every summer, to experience the beauty of a good summer storm in PA. I'm sure my grandparents can attest to my induced insanity as I would run up and down the stairs from the attic to the porches to catch the best angle of the impending storm. I also like to believe that I am a magnet for winter weather, I have been on the east coast for all of the major blizzards affecting PA since I was born in 1990. I can remember digging a snow fort with my dad in the '96 storm, jumping off the second story into 6' drifts in the 2001 President's Day storm, and trudging through up to 3' of snow on the Appalachian Trail during the 2010 and 2011 winters.
My storm chasing exploits started when I would ride my bike 50+ miles out to the foothills of San Diego Co. just to get myself under a towering cloud building off to the east. If a good storm came in off the Pacific I would make sure to run or bike around in it, trying to catch some flooding or witness the churning Pacific crash against the cliffs and piers. When I finally got my license, I truly got to experience all that San Diego weather had to offer. When a monster of a storm would come down from Alaska, I would jump in my car and drive 45 minutes to the local mountains in the county. I would park just below the snowline in Cuyamaca and venture out into the blustery rainy wilderness. I would fight my way up the mountain against the relentless wind driven rain til I reached the snowline. I would punch my way into the clouds and snow to the point that visibilities dropped to mere feet and I could watch the snow accumulate on my gloves. The coup de grace of sorts would come as I came to the mountain's spine and the storm could give me all she got. Hunched over there on the precipice of a 6,500' mountain I would experience 80MPH winds, stinging snow, and numbing cold. The funny thing is... I enjoyed every bleepin' second of it!
I am an extremely outgoing person who always loves to either be the butt of a joke or dole out a good helping of my own. I stick close to my friends, as they inspire me and keep me endlessly entertained. I believe your friends help define who you are, and having a great core group of friends is absolutely essential.
I am an extremely active person. I can't stay cooped up inside for too long, or I will start to pull my hair out. I am an avid hiker, I love to hike through the wilds of PA and conquer any mountain that comes in my way. I love to bike whether it be the technical switchbacks of the Cali foothills or the winding and rolling country roads of PA. I love running along the beach or at night in the forest with my trusty headlamp. I have played baseball my entire life and I won't hesitate to throw the ball around. Basically if it occurs outside I am willing to give it a try and expand my horizons. I find my active lifestyle to be my favorite quality about myself, and for that I have my dad to thank for always taking me outdoors as a kid.