In the house that I grew up in we had a staircase that had a bookshelf halfway up. It was where my older brother kept his college books when he was studying biology and fisheries management.

He had severe asthma and couldn’t make it all the way up the steps so he took a break halfway up. He would get his books out and tell me all about them, what he was studying, his professors, his roommates, and how he did on exams.

I spent countless hours as a 10 year old listening to him and reading those textbooks. It was where I learned I had a love of science, the outdoors, conservation, and the environment. It’s part of the reason I switched majors from business to engineering.

Here’s to moments in our life like taking breaks, brothers, and bookshelves. May we all be blessed with inspirations that propel us forward in our dreams.