I am a lapsed Catholic born in the same Midwestern city as both of my parents. I raised hell as a teenager, graduated high school with mediocre grades and lived with my mom while attending community college. I married the first decent guy who took an interest in me and wound up in Alaska.

Me and decent-guy-who-took-an-interest-in-me split up. My mom died. I bought a house. I had a baby. I finished my journalism degree. I met another guy. He called me from a satellite phone high on North America’s tallest peak and asked me to marry him. I said yes.