Edina• Dog Walker & Small Animal Pet Sitter

I've been surrounded by animals my entire life: dogs, hamsters, and cats (many many cats). I believe a house without at least one goofy little creature is a house devoid of a soul, and I intend to add as many animals to my own household as is permitted. Right now I'm thinking a reptile, maybe a snake. Maybe two snakes. I have also worked as a volunteer pet photographer and profile writer at the Animal Humane Society, where I spent time socializing with dogs, casts, and smaller critters and took their pictures to be put on the adoption website. I also wrote their profiles, most of which ended up reading much like a dating profile! 

My farvorite dog is, ALL DOGS, but if I had to pick, I'd say the bigger the better! I like to give a lot of love to the so-called "lethal breeds" and I adore mix breeds, especially when it's hard to tell what the breeds are. As for cats, I find them evolutionarily perfect and perpetually interesting! I have two adult males, a big orange and a lithe gray, and I have vowed to always adopt adult cats. 

Without anthropomorphizing too much, my favorite thing about working with animals is I love just hanging out and realizing how similar their personalities can be with humans. Like humans, their temperament spans a wide spectrum and discovering the nuances of their personalities brings me a special sort of joy. 

I'm almost obsessively interested in the natural world: all kingdoms of life hold a very high place in my personal regard. Plants, animals, and fungi are the three kingdoms I know the most about, and ecology was my favorite class in college. I like going on walks and identifying every plant I see, and have recently discovered the glory of foraging. Everything is connected in unique and unbelievable ways and I like exploring this idea as far as it can go. I also play a lot (a big lot) of video games, mainly RPGs, and I can rock out a D&D session without issue. Big shocker, I know, but my favorite class is the Druid. 

My favorite season is Spring because it corresponds with my favorite part of the plant life cycle: budding. Second favorite is fall, because we all know fall fashion is the best. My favorite restaurant in Minneapolis is Barbette in Uptown, because the vibe is very French and you can get a $5 glass of champagne during happy hour(!). Second favorite would be Sea Salt at Minnehaha falls because it's got the best seafood and is open air so you can breathe in the air from gigantic oaks while mesmerizing yourself watching the waterfall.

My dream is to write a fantasy novel, one that gives nature the respect and honor it deserves. If I can write something that might make even one person respect the earth just a smidgen more, it's worth the effort.