Since You've Been Gone...

For those of you who are reconnecting after a long absence... I will try to do what I have become quite good at....
Betsy's life.zip

I think you all know me at least as far as high school so I will start from there.
In 1990 I went to University of Pittsburgh, joined the outdoors club and did all kinds of fun things like caving, rock climbing, rappelling, backpacking....most of my university friends came from the outdoors club. It was my haven, my sanctuary, and really led me into the turning point of my whole life. I started out as a dual major in Psychology and English Writing thinking I was heading towards a career as a Social Worker, but then I spent some time working in a Psychiatric Hospital with Schizophrenics, Bipolars, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Eating Disorder Patients. This was an excellent learning experience and I gained much from it but also realized that it wasn't where I wanted to spend my life. I was way too selfish to go in that direction. I truthfully resented all the energy my clients needed from me and found myself to be too empathic -- I simply couldn't separate myself from all of their problems and emotions and it was really bringing me down. During this time I began my adventures going sailing with Ben Hickman who some of you may know from 'Ham (or Pitt). We sailed around the Florida Keys, the Dry Tortugas, and crossed the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. Somewhere in there I found my true calling when I took a class with Professor Scaglion and realized I was an Anthropologist!!! I still kept my Writing major because (as those of you who know me best should know) I need to write in order to be able to breathe. Then I saw City of Joy and got this idea I was going to be a doctor and run off to India and save the people!!!!! Yes, you all know I am a hopeless romantic.... So I added pre-med to my plan and was well on my way to boxing myself into a very structured way of life that would have stayed that way for many years before I even figured out that I had choices... because I wouldn't have had time to even notice. But then, Ben decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail...

(CLIFFHANGER!! you'll have to wait for the next installment)