Technological Introductions

Technology amazes me. Today I received an introductory email from one of my host families. I also received a facebook posting with some information about one of my vocational days. Technology has allowed easy correspondence before my arrival. I am so looking forward to my trip!

I read Chris’s post and appreciated his introduction. I am still playing with the layout of this blog a little and wanted to post mini-bios about the team somewhere easily accessible on the main page. As a temporary fix, I can say a little about myself here. I am a park ranger at Stones River National Battlefield, a site of a significant American Civil War battle. My job is versatile: I give tours and talks, work with educational groups, and tell our visitors about the history of the site. I also work with our ecologists at the park, maintaining the ecosystems by removing invasive, exotic plants. I am finishing my Masters degree at Middle Tennessee State University in Public History. I study cultural landscapes, places where humans and their environments meet. I am interested to see how humans impact their surrounds and how humans’ surroundings have impacted history. I particularly enjoy studying cultural landscapes at battlefields of different sorts. I have lived in Tennessee for three and a half years, the longest I have ever lived in one spot in my life. My dad serves in the military, so I grew up an “Army Brat,” traveling with my family all over the United States and even parts of the world. I am blessed with a job that I love, living in a place that I enjoy.

I guess that about sums up my life. My schooling consumes most of my “free” time right now. I will post this and then start working on my thesis writing! I cannot wait to visit England.