A view of Los Angeles, home for 4 years where the importance of time in nature was solidified.
In October of 1992, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes, insulin-dependent, a diagnosis that caused significant impacts on every aspect of life and has impacted my philosophy. In the third grade, I attended a diabetes camp organized by the American Diabetes Association and hosted at Camp Crestfield. Here, all the campers and most counselors were type-one diabetics, and we all felt normal there. This has impacted my life with lifelong friends, a support network, and skill building; most importantly, I understood what a community of people with a similar experience was like.
Secondary to a community connection was the time spent in nature and the outdoors that impacted my development. Notable time was spent at diabetic camp and trips with my father on father-son trips that involved camping and times at residential camps, but also was that I grew up in an area with accessible green space. Compared to times in oak savannas, deserts, and the redwood trees of California, this space was small, it was a green belt behind the houses in the neighborhood, but it was the grandest forest I have ever experienced.