When I was growing up, my parents took in foster children. From a young age, I learned that there are a lot of children in need.

Religion is something that is very well intentioned, for all intents and purposes, for everyone around the world, but sometimes it can start to get warped.

I'm not too modest of a person. I've got a pretty blue sense of humor.

So, it was really important that I go do the necessary research. In doing the research, I spent time with a lot of medics and women down at Fort Bliss. I went through an intensive medical course there, with other medics. And then, I really sat down with all of the women that had been deployed, or were getting ready to deploy again. The common thread for them was family, and what a struggle it was for them to come home and face their children and flip a switch.

My parents have worked their asses off their whole entire lives, they still do, and I never felt like anything would be handed to me. I never felt sorry for myself. I felt like, "Wow, this is incredible. I'm able to do this for myself." I think once you have that sense of empowerment at a young age and you allow your children to have that empowerment, it will fuel them for a lifetime.

Everything looks more beautiful in retrospect.

I really love the festival circuit.