Attending the Community of Writers workshop proved to be a foundational and significant cornerstone in my development as a writer. I can trace back to the exact date in that valley high in the Sierra, when I came to recognize myself as a writer, surrounded by poets who would later become some of my closest friends. It was there where I realized the importance of building community and where I cemented my identity as a writer. The community of writers is indeed a community and over the years, it has felt like family. I’ve grown tremendously and I owe a lot of the credit for my first three books to that community in the valley. Maybe it’s the mountain air that makes that place so special, that rejuvenates me with a renewed vigor to keep writing. I know I will keep coming back for many years to come.