What do you want to be when you grow up?

Dream it.

One of the most common questions an adult asks a child is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Children give a variety of answers to this question. The first answer I remember making was, “A naturalist.” I wanted to learn about nature and the world around me.

Live It.

I was in a unique position that I had two grandmothers that loved either nature or arts and crafts, or both. I grew up visiting two different types of farms. One was a sheep farm. The other was a dairy farm. I was exposed to bugs, snakes, turtles, birds, porcupines, deer, foxes, coyotes, frogs, fish. If it were in nature, in the pond behind our house, in the woods and fields around the farm, I got to see it, hear it, learn about it, and sometimes even touch it.

Grow it.

Growing up, my answer to the “big question” only changed once. For quite a while, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was also very good at a variety of arts and crafts. What did I draw? Animals, horses, wildlife. What did I paint? Wildlife, nature scenes. Everything I did always seemed to come back to nature, animals, environmental awareness. My senior year of high school came. It was time to decide where to go for college. I applied to two different kinds of school. When it came down to the final decision, I chose to go to school for environmental science and later changed my degree to adapt to Environmental Education. I was well on my way to becoming the naturalist I always said I wanted to be.

Life’s Setbacks

Things happen. Some things in life are unforeseeable. My life took me in different directions from my childhood dream. Health issues, family issues, a variety of different life choices and challenges. For a while I taught preschool. Then I worked for myself and made handmade cat toys and pet items. Then I became a mom and also learned how to use a camera.

Moving Forward

Seeing the world through the lens of a camera changed my life and the way I see the world. The more I photographed, the more I wanted to learn more. I wanted to learn more about photography. I wanted to learn more about the little things in life. I always was afraid of spiders. The view through the lens of the camera showed me things about spiders I could never have imagined! Who knew that spiders have paws! I never would have guessed it! Jumping spiders have adorable faces with almost wonderstruck expressions. Why didn’t I know that growing up? So I learned. I practiced. And I grew.

What next?

Achieve the dream. I always wanted to be a naturalist. Today I realize that you do not have to travel long distances to do just that. All you need is a backyard, a park, nearby natural areas, a journal, a few books, and the desire to learn and to share what you learn with others. With my camera in hand, I will take you on a journey of backyard discovery. With my body broken and my eyesight fading I will show you and the world that it is never too late to achieve your childhood dreams. Come join me in my adventure and we will see how far it will take us!