The world of birding came upon me gradually, beginning as early as I can remember listening to and imitating the calls of Cardinals in the backyard. As a child I remember paging through a dusty old field guide in amazement at all the colors and varieties of birds. Family camping trips with my birdwatching relatives fueled the slow burning ember. At about age 18 I purchased a field guide for my Dad who was wanting to start a new hobby. I couldn't put the book down. I absorbed everything I could read. I happily identified birds in my backyard and on my many outdoor hikes and fishing trips with my family. Fate brought a birding mentor into my life who introduced me to a whole other side to this hobby. My first Big Day brought me 70+ life birds, fanning the flame into a blaze. I have been passionate about birding ever since. I've traipsed through chigger-infested grass, climbed the bluffs of the Ozarks, gotten stuck tire-deep in the mud of the Arkansas river bottoms, and have ventured to Florida, Wisconsin, and Arizona with many states in between to bird with my sister and cousin. I look forward to this lifelong passion that will bring many more adventures.