My roots - my large, close-knit family - whether in the Himalayan villages, or out here in the United States, are the foundation of my love of the doors. As a toddler, I followed my dad on hikes in the East Bay Regional Parks, or accompanied my Himalayan grandfather on trips back to the home country. My aunts and uncles took me on treks and nature walks all over the Bay Area. And my cousins let me tag along with them as we explored different hikes in the Bay Area. Over the years, my family has traveled to various places and exposed me to different biomes in the U.S. and across the world.

My interest in environmental studies was further strengthened on my many trips back to Himachal Pradesh in India. On these visits, it became painfully evident the population growth and consumerism were having on the pristine beauty of the Himalayan foothills. My dad lamented over the single-use Frito Lays wrappers and the Coke bottles choking the village stream. Waste management was basically absent, and instead villagers created pits where all the trash that wasn’t recyclable was thrown - and every monsoon, there was concern about the runoff from that pit. The winter rains at times didn’t come, and the hot summers became less bearable, while the heavy monsoon rains and the melting glaciers creating gushing rivers that wiped out villages along the banks. These trips, and my dad’s anguish of seeing his homeland getting decimated a little more each year, instilled a resolve to live a sustainable lifestyle.