Geocaching is a world-wide treasure hunt for geeks. People hide geocaches (which can range in size from incredibly tiny up to very large containers) and post GPS coordinates on a website.  "Caches" can be hidden in the forest, on the beach, or even on a sign post in the middle of a huge city. Then others use those coordinates to find the container, open it, and sign the log found inside (often nothing more than a tiny slip of paper). Definitely geeky. For me, it's fun, but it's also a way to get off my computer and into the outdoors, which I miss terribly when I forget to give myself breaks. 

They say you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. I grew up in NW Indiana. We considered ourselves a Chicago suburb, because unlike most of the state, we were in the Central Time zone to be aligned with Chicago's schedule. 

But let's be real: It was rural. When I was a kid, we lived on a gravel road, and my friends and I rode horses to get around, not bikes (I never got a bike till I was married). I enjoyed the freedom of being outdoors all day, every day. I climbed trees (where I often sat alone for hours), caught salamanders in creeks, picked wildflowers on the prairie, and took long trail rides (by horse) to explore nearby forests. So life for me really revolved around the great outdoors and maximizing my time in it. I had friends, but time spent alone was also very precious to me. 

As a teen and young adult, I loved going to the beach (Lake Michigan was about a half hour away; today, it's just a few miles) and would park myself there for the day and read. I was a voracious reader, particularly enjoying science fiction and fantasy, with their wildly inventive fictional worlds.

I guess that's what led me to become a sociologist when I grew up; as social researchers, we imagine what it would be like if the world worked differently. And we work to make it change for the better. We are people of hope. 

So, I've made a career of doing social research and evaluation, and working to help bring about change, and hope. In that process, I learned that what brought me the most joy was in helping others to be able to do what I do; to help them find their joy. 

So fast-forward to today. I started Compass Consulting and Research in 2021 so that I can do that. One reason why I wanted to "be my own boss" is so that I can make my own hours, and get outside during the day when the sun is shining, instead of being obligated to be "at work" 9 to 5. And I want to help others (YOU) to make a difference in the world, through YOUR research. 

That's why I'm here. 

And if you're ever out on the Des Plaines River Trail on a warm day, you might see me there, with my minty green bike, taking pictures of bald eagles or river otters or marsh marigolds, or doing maintenance on a geocache that I've hidden for others to find!

Geocaching is a world-wide treasure hunt for geeks. People hide geocaches (which can range in size from incredibly tiny up to very large containers) and post GPS coordinates on a website.  "Caches" can be hidden in the forest, on the beach, or even on a sign post in the middle of a huge city. Then others use those coordinates to find the container, open it, and sign the log found inside (often nothing more than a tiny slip of paper). Definitely geeky. For me, it's fun, but it's also a way to get off my computer and into the outdoors, which I miss terribly when I forget to give myself breaks. 

They say you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. I grew up in NW Indiana. We considered ourselves a Chicago suburb, because unlike most of the state, we were in the Central Time zone to be aligned with Chicago's schedule. 

But let's be real: It was rural. When I was a kid, we lived on a gravel road, and my friends and I rode horses to get around, not bikes (I never got a bike till I was married). I enjoyed the freedom of being outdoors all day, every day. I climbed trees (where I often sat alone for hours), caught salamanders in creeks, picked wildflowers on the prairie, and took long trail rides (by horse) to explore nearby forests. So life for me really revolved around the great outdoors and maximizing my time in it. I had friends, but time spent alone was also very precious to me. 

As a teen and young adult, I loved going to the beach (Lake Michigan was about a half hour away; today, it's just a few miles) and would park myself there for the day and read. I was a voracious reader, particularly enjoying science fiction and fantasy, with their wildly inventive fictional worlds.

I guess that's what led me to become a sociologist when I grew up; as social researchers, we imagine what it would be like if the world worked differently. And we work to make it change for the better. We are people of hope. 

So, I've made a career of doing social research and evaluation, and working to help bring about change, and hope. In that process, I learned that what brought me the most joy was in helping others to be able to do what I do; to help them find their joy. 

So fast-forward to today. I started Compass Consulting and Research in 2021 so that I can do that. One reason why I wanted to "be my own boss" is so that I can make my own hours, and get outside during the day when the sun is shining, instead of being obligated to be "at work" 9 to 5. Heck, here in the Midwest, it's dark before 5 in the winter. And I want to help others (YOU) to make a difference in the world, through YOUR research. 

That's why I'm here. 

And if you're ever out on the Des Plaines River Trail on a warm day, you might see me there, with my minty green bike, taking pictures of bald eagles or river otters or marsh marigolds, or doing maintenance on a geocache that I've hidden for others to find!