I was raised among artists and performers. And I loved going to work with my parents. As a kid, I got to help my mom with the printing of Nickelodeon Magazine (and see each edition before any of my friends). Despite the noise, I often fell asleep next to the printing presses, dreaming of the day my own work would pass through their hands.

With my dad and stepmom, I found the stage - but even though I spent a lot of time up there, I preferred to stay behind the scenes. They owned a dance studio and, rather than recitals, we did three major productions every year. From Peter Pan, to Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Arabian Nights... Nutcracker happened annually, of course. We worked closely with dancers from the NYC Ballet. My house was basically a prop studio. We had a pirate ship in the den and Cinderella's carriage in the dining room. We were always the first to arrive and the last to leave and I loved it. Even when I had to do the janitorial work.

My dad manages print shops so, naturally, we did all the marketing design ourselves. We would stay up half the night designing posters and stapling programs together. That was my favorite part. While the dancers were telling a story on stage, we had a story to tell on paper. And paper is where I've found comfort in my life - from reading under the covers with a flashlight as a kid, to the mess of notes across my desk as I spend my adult life writing.

Along with writing books, I also paint. Another thing I'm grateful to have had guidance in as a kid. My grandmother was an artist and after she passed, my uncle (a pottery teacher) helped keep that passion alive - along with my dream of living an adventurous life. My uncle always loved the idea of couch surfing... bringing along his guitar and a blanket and some art supplies. That was all he needed in the world and it inspired me.

So I sold most of my belongings and decided to travel the country in a camper van. My partner and I gutted an old cargo van and built out the interior - complete with a bed, stove, fridge, hot water shower and composting toilet. Building it was a blast. But from day one on the road, we had engine problems. Our travels only lasted a few months before we had to change our plans and settle down a bit. Someday we will get back on the road, but for now we're embracing apartment life until we find our next adventure. And I'm embracing the time that I now have to write and create without chaos.

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