During my senior year of high school, I was sponsored by the Rotary Club to live in the delightful country of Denmark. Through the Rotary Youth Exchange, I lived for eleven months on the small but picturesque island of Ærø. This adventure was a definite coming of age experience that changed me forever, for better.

As my language skills grew, thanks to my kind host-families and Danish friends, I plucked up the courage to participate in a musical called Askepop—produced by the island’s ungdomsskole, or youth school group.

But rather than walk into the dance studio, I accidentally wound up at the acting auditions! What’s more crazy is that the director, Sven Jørgen, cast me in a supporting role, despite my not-yet-fluent Danish. This happy accident laid the foundation for what eventually shifted from a mere pastime to an all-out passion.

After graduating with a degree in Health and Physical Education, I was extremely lucky to land a teaching position in my Wisconsin hometown, where one can also find Theatre on the Bay. At this university venue fueled by community members, I was generously given many opportunities to hone my acting skills and make lifelong friends.

The culmination of my time at Theatre on the Bay came in the form of stage play that I wrote, produced, directed, and in which I played a principal role. But I’ll save the rest of that tale for the next section, as it was the start of my career as a writer . . .