I was born in Sacramento California where I lived until I was six. My dad was in the Air Force, so we got the news we were moving to Aviano, Italy where we lived for the next 9 years. I absolutely loved growing up in Italy. I went to school on base, so I still mostly spoke English, but my parents did a great job at immersing us in the culture.
Aviano is a small country town at the foothills of the Dolomite mountains and only a 45-minute train ride from Venice. I was lucky enough to travel throughout Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia while we lived there. At the age of 15, we moved back to California where I graduated high school before then ending up in OKC.
Growing up in Europe during my formative years truly shaped the person I am today.