I grew up in a small town in Northeast Nebraska, surrounded by corn and cows. Some neighboring towns were much smaller than ours, but in comparison to many of the people I have met throughout my life, my hometown was a little-known speck on the map. Everyone knows everyone there, which can be both a blessing and suffocating at times. I think growing up in a town like mine is one of the more humbling upbringings a kid can both endure and be blessed to experience. There were country kids, town kids, town kids that wish they were country, and the ones who longed to escape our corner of the state and see the world.

I was an adventurous little weirdo as a child (not much has changed) who preferred drawing and imagining new surroundings and life stories over paying attention in most classes [a.k.a., the kid who's teachers wished they were on ADHD meds]. I did enjoy school and performed fairly well for my attention span, but more enjoyed spacing off and forging my own educative path than listening to the droning explanation of a subject I had zero interest in. I love nature, being outside and pushing my comfort limits with experiences, heights and activities.

My mom has been my artistic inspiration since my first introduction to creativity and color. She is the art teacher in our relatively small, public school and always encouraged me to be the best artist I could be. Her work was the first I was introduced to, I loved flipping though her college portfolio. She always made a point to take me to museums and give me art history lessons whenever she could hold my attention. She experimented in a multitude of mediums in college and I loved looking through her portraits she made of friends, experimental mixed medias, ceramics, air brush paintings, and other works. I always wanted to be as good as her, and she made sure to teach me her ways at an early age. I knew the color wheel and color mixing before learning my ABCs.

My dad is a badass, hard-ass, and hard-working self-employed contractor. He's the guy you call to fix just about anything. I worked for him throughout middle and high school, doing various construction jobs; concrete, plumbing, roofing, remodels... you name it, we did it. He taught me self-sufficiency, problem-solving MacGyver skills and a love of Budweiser. I can't thank him enough for my handywoman skills and tough exterior. Both parents instilled a passion for travel and adventure in me, and I wouldn't be where I am today without their encouragement to push past my comfort zone. They were big into scuba diving for years and got my siblings and I all certified in Mexico over a decade ago. We weren't rich, but they made it a point and priority to show us what they could of the world. During the summers we spent almost every weekend camping around Nebraska and South Dakota, with a couple big trips to Yellowstone, Canada and Glacier National park. 

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After high school, I moved on to the big city, Omaha, with hopes of later continuing med school. I was recruited by the University of Nebraska Omaha track team and competed for four seasons, indoor and outdoor. I made some lifelong friendships with my teammates and fellow classmates, and came to love Omaha. As the years of chemistry, biology, immunology, labs, and interviews came and went I found myself steering further from the pursuit of medical school. I loved the scientific field but hadn't found my passionate niche, and the thought of shelling out that much in student loans and mental exasperation were causing me to shrivel on the inside. Post grad I got a job at the medical center, processing anatomical specimens and shadowing the anatomy and autopsy labs at the hospital. It was a monotonous job but I enjoyed the experience and the people I worked with and learned from. The spring of 2017 came and my mom asked if I would like to join her on her dream trip to Hawaii, to the islands of Oahu, Maui and Kauai. We had an amazing trip, and I spent a good chunk of the venture talking to others that had moved to the island, inquiring about what brought them there and what made them stay. The next summer approached and my mom wanted to come back to the islands, this time taking my sister. I talked her into letting me tag along, promising to chauffer them around the entire trip (it worked). By this time I was ready for a life change, hypothetically planning a move, but having no true game plan. A choice opportunity presented itself when my brother found out he would be stationed in Hawaii for the military, and they would be getting a larger house to live in - with room for me if I wanted to split the rent.

*manifest destiny baybayyyy*

   I had no set plan for employment when I moved out, I just wanted to go with the flow and see if I could make something feasible happen. This is not the case for most people, I am thankful for the luxury of having family alongside me for my move. It is a difficult move for most out here, and a difficult move for those leaving the island as well. Although I initially wanted to work for a dive company on a boat and get my master diver certification, with my background in pathology and lab work, I landed an amazing job as a Mohs Histology technician at a great dermatology office. I do the tissue preparation, cutting, and slide staining for our Mohs surgeon to read. Lots of sunshine means lots of skin cancer in Hawaii. It feels great helping patients on the islands become cancer free, I love my job! I still make time to go diving as much as I can (and can afford). I spend most weekends at the beach, surfing or hiking. There are so, so, so many things to do and see on this island I have not been bored yet. I have grown as a photographer and an artist, and want to continue to cultivate my craft and grow as an artist of many mediums. I will always miss Nebraska -

my first home, my friends and family, the experiences of living in the mid west, but for now Oahu is home.

contact me

IG: @ripptide.art