Years before moving to Albuquerque, I was a young student in the northeast who had a fascination with dinosaurs and fossils.
My dad took me to this annual geology fair that featured vendors of both amateurs and professionals selling everything from shark’s teeth and fossil imprints to jewelry and clothing.
I wanted to be a scientist from an early age and these places nurtured my interest in the field, particularly with the natural sciences. I took physics and chemistry in high school but my real interests were with geology. Thankfully I found a great geology program at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville after applying to colleges all over the country. Once I finished my Bachelor of Sciences degree in Arkansas, I moved to Albuquerque to be with my girlfriend. The first thing that she suggested we do during my initial weekend in the city was visit the Petroglyph National Monument. I wanted to both apply for a job and explore the site with my girlfriend. We stopped at a cannabis dispensary in Los Volcanes on our way to the Petroglyph National Monument and bought several cannabis vape pens with butane hash oil inside. This area is 17 miles of volcanic basalt and sits along Albuquerque’s western horizon. I felt incredibly lucky and grateful for getting a job at the Petroglyph National Monument. It’s terrible driving through heavy traffic on Interstate 40 everyday to get to work, but at least I get to drive over the Rio Grande River twice a day. I try to avoid using any cannabis until I get home because I don’t like driving while I’m under the influence of the plant, especially if it’s strong weed.