Later that evening, curled up on my couch, wrapped in a blanket while ignoring the Midwest winter that angrily whispered just outside, I began reading what would become one of the greatest influences on my life.

I will never forget how proud I was to see her walking, see her signing and then talking. She loves to read. She loves to learn. She wants to be a teacher just like her mom. She loves to dance. She now walks in her local Buddy Walk each year. She’s sweet and a little sassy. She’s inspiring. She’s my friend; my buddy.

Teachers are incredibly resourceful people. They see scrap bits of fabric and think of a project for their students. They look at egg cartons and see a science lesson in the making. They see possibility in what is normally considered trash, often out of necessity.

At one time or another, nearly all of us have faced the dreaded job search. Filling out applications, typing up cover letters, and perfecting a resume, all in the hopes of getting to the anxiety-inducing interview process. The entire process is so stressful that just writing this makes me want to hide in my van for another year.

When we began traveling at the start of this year, North Dakota was one of the few states I hadn’t visited before. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I figured there would be plenty of flat farmland, stretching as far as the eye can see at times, and that proved true. But its western end was a gorgeous crumpled landscape

An old man was simply glad that it was close-by, making his walk there a bit easier on his high-mileage legs. None of them lamenting that they'd end the day with zucchini, kale, and melons instead of corn chips, cookies, and candy.

It's not hyperbole. When I recommend a book, I'm opening up my soul to another person. When I give someone a book, especially one I've had with me for many years and has interwoven itself into the very fabric of my being, I'm giving them a part of me.

A vast state still teeming with wildlife, immense forests, imposing mountain ranges, and a dearth of roads. Much of the state is inaccessible by vehicle, and seemingly inaccessible full stop. A land of summer days that last months, and winter nights that last just as long. It can feel untamable at times. A place not fit for man, just beasts.

This is exactly the kind of place where I would have happily spent my entire summer when I was younger. Honestly, it's the kind of place where I would happily spend my entire summer now.

Because of varying amounts of ignorance and hubris, we've brought plants from all around the world to our continent. These plants often don't have anything to naturally keep them in check, so they spread unabated, ruining landscapes and wilderness in the process.

It's our mistake as humans, and so it's our responsibility to do something about it.