WEBVTT 1 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:28.879 At a book. 2 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:28.959 If you'd like to be able to listen to the 3 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.000 show without ads and have full access to bonus content, 4 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:35.599 that's an option. To find out how, please go to 5 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:42.400 Dogman Encounters dot com Forward Slash Podcast. Tonight's guest is 6 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:45.760 Wiley Bureau. Wiley, Welcome to the show. 7 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:48.280 Hey, Vick, how you doing today? 8 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:51.239 Oh, if you're to Middlin, how about yourself? 9 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.200 I'm doing quite well, quite well, no complaints so far. 10 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:56.239 Thanks for asking. 11 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.159 Oh, you're welcome and that's a great thing. Wiley, please 12 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.079 give us some brief bio on yourself. 13 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.719 Sure, Vic, not a problem. My name is Wiley Bureau 14 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:12.680 and I grew up in central New Jersey. I was 15 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.840 born in Princeton, and I grew up in Hillsboro. Hillsborough 16 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:21.759 basically lands dead smack in the center of New Jersey. 17 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:25.080 If there was a Central Jersey, Hillsboro would be right 18 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:28.639 in the center. It's kind of an interesting town. When 19 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:32.520 I was a kid, it was quite rural, mostly farmland, 20 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.919 some sub suburban communities, but it was pretty much on 21 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:41.680 the border of like the highly developed New Jersey that 22 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:46.319 goes north into New York City, that like super developed 23 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:50.360 part of New Jersey. Basically stops at my town. So, like, 24 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:54.120 the northern side of my town is very developed, and 25 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:56.680 then when you get towards the northwestern side, it turns 26 00:02:56.840 --> 00:02:59.599 becomes more rural and you hit the Saroland Mountain Preserve. 27 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.039 And I grew up on a street that was like 28 00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:05.719 right at the top of the Sarland Mountain Preserve, really 29 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:10.120 beautiful property. My parents had surrounded by farmland and forest. 30 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:12.919 So I, you know, growing up in one of the 31 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:16.439 most densely populated states per capita, I was lucky enough 32 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.879 to you know, be surrounded by the outdoors. 33 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:22.199 It was like a little paradise in New Jersey. 34 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:25.680 So I didn't have like the typical childhood growing up 35 00:03:25.719 --> 00:03:29.240 in New Jersey. I didn't have neighbors and kids all around. 36 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:33.680 It was basically just me and my folks. And ever 37 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:36.240 since I was a little baby, my mom, before I 38 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:39.800 could even walk, would throw me into her backpack, one 39 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.159 of those little baby backpacks that you could hike around with, 40 00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:45.000 and she would take me hiking all through the mountains 41 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.919 and the trails just as a kid. And you know, 42 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:50.639 I really grow up. I grew up just exploring in 43 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:53.840 the forest. I had a lot of freedom as a kid. 44 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:57.560 My mom would just let me run outside. We did 45 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:00.240 have a rule though, if my mom ever whistled or 46 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:03.039 called for me, I had to come right away. So 47 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.800 you know, she had me trained really well, and you know, 48 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:08.400 I never ran into issues or anything like that. 49 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:13.520 But as a kid, my town in Hillsborough was very rural. 50 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:16.879 There was one traffic light in the town at Amwell 51 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:21.920 and two O six, and that was the only traffic 52 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:25.480 light in the town. Today, most of the farmland and 53 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:28.199 a lot of the open space has been developed. Now 54 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:31.879 there's a traffic light practically on every single street corner. 55 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:35.279 So it's really this town has changed so much within 56 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:39.680 thirty six years. I actually turned to thirty six November 57 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:44.360 twenty second of last month, and I actually just moved 58 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.360 back to New Jersey from Oregon. 59 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:50.240 In Washington. I'd been living between the both states for 60 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:51.079 the past year. 61 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:54.600 I was a wildland forest firefighting out there, which was 62 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:55.600 quite incredible. 63 00:04:57.399 --> 00:04:59.680 To back up a little bit, so, I grew up 64 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:01.639 in hill Borough. I went to the. 65 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:05.199 School systems here in Hillsboro. I graduated high school in 66 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:06.240 two thousand and eight. 67 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.560 High school. You know, in New Jersey, everyone was really preppy. 68 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:15.000 Everyone had like Abercrompie and Fitch, and I was sort 69 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.639 of like one of the you know, a little bit 70 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:20.319 of an outcast. I you know, I was never really 71 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:22.519 bullied in high school. I had plenty of friends, but 72 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:25.079 you know, I was really into the outdoors. And my 73 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.959 senior year of high school, I founded the first outdoor 74 00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:33.160 survival program in high school and that was a really 75 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:37.120 great experience and the club actually still exists today, so 76 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:39.000 that was really fun. 77 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:41.920 Well after high school, I. 78 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:44.720 Didn't know what I really wanted to do with life, 79 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:48.600 so and I went to a wilderness survival school. 80 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:53.480 And it wasn't like any survival school. This was an expensive. 81 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:56.920 Prestigious survival school where after completing a year long course, 82 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:00.000 they would certify you to be an outdoor survival instructor. 83 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:06.360 And the school was located in Duvall, Washington. So at 84 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:10.040 eighteen years old, I got shipped across the country and 85 00:06:10.199 --> 00:06:13.480 dropped off ten miles up the foothills of the Cascade 86 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:16.759 Mountains to go to this survival school. And it was 87 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.199 an amazing experience and I became really comfortable in the outdoors. 88 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:23.920 I learned to track animals, I learned about botany and 89 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:28.160 ecology and what plants were edible, and which plants are medicinal, 90 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:32.199 and I learned how to you know, do hunting in 91 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:35.759 a primitive style, and it was just like an incredible experience. 92 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:39.120 I learned every tree species, in plants species in the 93 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:43.360 Pacific Northwest, and I just really loved that experience. I 94 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:49.519 got to do intensive camping all throughout Washington State, Oregon, California, 95 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:53.000 and oh Man, that experience just really gave me this 96 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:57.160 confidence that I never would have gained otherwise, a confidence that, 97 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:00.759 you know, if stuff hits the fan and I have 98 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:02.839 to go off grid, I will be in a better 99 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:07.079 position than a lot of other people. So with that said, 100 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.000 you know, after the program, I ended up moving back 101 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:13.439 to New Jersey and I worked at Starbucks briefly, I 102 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:18.439 became the assistant manager, and then I decided that I 103 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:22.040 want to do more traveling, and I looked into this 104 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:26.040 program called AmeriCorps, and it was a really cool program 105 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:28.360 because you get to try all different types of jobs 106 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:31.439 and travel all over the country helping people. So I 107 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:33.920 ended up doing that for two years, which was another 108 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:37.040 really great, amazing experience. I really got to learn so 109 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:41.160 many different trades. I did carpentry, I became certified as 110 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:43.879 a wild and forest firefighter. Through that program, I also 111 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:47.439 got certified through on FEMA to do disaster relief, so 112 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:49.920 I was sent all over the country anytime there was 113 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:50.839 a natural disaster. 114 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:51.759 I got to go to. 115 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:55.279 Alabama because there are tornadoes. I got to go into 116 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:58.360 Texas due to some flooding. Then I got to do 117 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:01.439 wild and forest firefighting all over the South. I was 118 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:06.480 in Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, all really 119 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:09.879 over the west coast doing firefighting, which was really fun. 120 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:14.759 And I still hadn't gone to college yet. But while 121 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.480 I was firefighting, I met a bunch of wildlife biologists 122 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.639 that we're just so passionate about saving wildlife and giving 123 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:23.839 back to nature. And some of these people that was 124 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:27.160 getting to work with were so inspiring to me, and 125 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:31.120 like through my outdoor background, I realized, like one of 126 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.639 my passions is, you know, just giving back to nature 127 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:37.759 and doing what I can to make the forest healthier 128 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.440 because like the human race, we tend to take and 129 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:44.279 take and take from nature. And like I really noticed 130 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:47.720 like in this life, if I could give back, you know, 131 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:50.240 I feel like I'll live a good life. So that's 132 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:52.879 sort of been one of my goals whenever I'm looking 133 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:56.720 for work and just in life, you know, I love 134 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:02.200 going out into the forest, hiking, mushroom hunting, camping, and. 135 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:04.519 Yeah. 136 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:08.759 So after AmeriCorps, I ended up basically moving back to 137 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:10.039 the Pacific Northwest. 138 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:13.799 I was living in Washington State. I gained residency. 139 00:09:14.039 --> 00:09:17.559 Then I went to the Evergreen State College and I 140 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:25.799 studied wildlife biology and basically forest management, and I got 141 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:27.960 my degree, and I ended up moving back to New 142 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:33.480 Jersey again, and I started doing tree work because it 143 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:35.480 was just a job I had landed, and it was 144 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.639 a really interesting job because it was somewhat on science based. 145 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.200 When I got hired, I learned to climb trees and 146 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:44.480 prune trees properly. And then I also got into the 147 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.360 plant healthcare aspect, where I was going around in treating 148 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:51.000 plants and trees for certain diseases, and I also did 149 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:56.159 a bunch of invasive specie removal. So after being an 150 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:59.879 arbors for five years in New Jersey, I really got 151 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:03.679 out on living in New Jersey and just being like 152 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:05.600 this job really just made me feel kind of stuck. 153 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:11.120 So I just manifested moving back to Oregon to the 154 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.080 Pacific Northwest. 155 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:14.279 So This was about a year ago. 156 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:17.639 I moved back to the Pacific Northwest as an arborist. 157 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:19.840 But I knew that when I want when I got 158 00:10:19.879 --> 00:10:21.679 back to the Pacific Northwest, I want to do fire 159 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:24.320 fighting because that's a really way you could It's a 160 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:27.639 really good way to help you know the forest and 161 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:30.919 help people, and it was just like something I've always 162 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:31.960 wanted to get back into. 163 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:35.440 So a year ago I moved back. I moved into Portland. 164 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:39.759 I did treework for a couple months, and then I 165 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.200 found a job as a wild and forest firefighter and 166 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:44.080 that's what I continued to do the rest of the 167 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:48.679 year in Washington, in Washington and Oregon basically, but I 168 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.519 was based out of Salem, Morgan, So all summer I 169 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:54.679 was out in the mountains fighting fires, running chainsaws, and 170 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:57.000 just doing everything I can to like basically save the 171 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:01.559 forest out there. And it was an incredible experience. So 172 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:06.200 right now it's the off season, I'm not doing any firefighting. 173 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:08.919 I'm still on call for any disaster relief that happened 174 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:11.919 in the country, and in fact, right now I just 175 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.960 want to put my best wishes out there to everyone 176 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.639 in the Pacific Northwest, and I just hope everyone's safe. 177 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:21.080 And because there's major flooding going on right now, it's 178 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:24.679 super unprecedented. So my heart goes out to everyone out 179 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:28.159 in Pacific Northwest right now. I was actually in Washington 180 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:32.399 State one week ago, so I missed that storm by 181 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:35.519 a week. I actually just moved back to New Jersey 182 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:41.600 a few days ago. So that's basically a little brief 183 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:42.600 bio on myself. 184 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:47.519 Pick Holy cow, wile Y, you sure have lived an 185 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:48.559 exciting life. 186 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:52.200 Oh yeah, thank you so much. Yeah, I try to 187 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:56.200 not stay stagnant. I really love adventures and I love 188 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:59.240 the outdoors and uh yeah, I just I like to 189 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:02.679 I'd like to do different things and try different jobs. 190 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:04.320 Yeah, so thanks Vick. 191 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:08.039 Oh no, you're welcome. Yeah, they can make a movie 192 00:12:08.039 --> 00:12:10.080 about you, about that life you've lived. 193 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:13.600 Yeah, maybe they could. 194 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:16.919 And speaking of work, from what I understand, you're looking 195 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:19.639 for employment right now. Would you like to put a 196 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:21.399 plug out for that? Oh? 197 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:24.320 Sure, Vic, that would be an incredible Yeah. 198 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:29.080 So I am a certified wild forest firefighter and I'm 199 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:32.679 unemployed right now, but I'm looking for different work, something 200 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:36.919 a little less physically vigorous and a little safer. But 201 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:40.919 I'm in the field of forest management and wildlife biology. 202 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:43.799 And yeah, if anyone. 203 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:46.720 Knows any positions available, I'm flexible, I'm willing to move. 204 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:52.320 And yeah, I have an amazing sense of the outdoors 205 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:57.279 as far as reading the landscape, tracking animals. And yeah, 206 00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:00.120 I'm a very hard worker doing treework and firefighting. There's 207 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:03.879 I'm happy to work long, long hours and there's no 208 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.679 job that I'm not afraid to do. So if anyone 209 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.200 out there has any jobs in mind, please keep me 210 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.360 in mind. So thank you for that. 211 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:15.159 Vic, Oh, you're welcome, glad to do it. And if 212 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.480 anyone listening does have an employment opportunity for Wily that 213 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.200 you'd like to contact them about, then if you go 214 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:23.960 to the description for tonight's show, you'll find a link 215 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.639 to his Facebook profile that'll make it really easy for 216 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:29.440 you to reach them. If you've had a dog mean 217 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.000 encounter that you'd like to speak with me about, whether 218 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:35.519 in private or on the show, please go to Dogmanencounters 219 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:39.399 dot com and submit a report. Let's get into your 220 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:42.360 encounters now. Please give us every last detail that comes 221 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:42.799 to mind. 222 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:49.000 Okay, Vic, So I'm gonna rewind a couple of weeks 223 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:51.799 before the encounter, just to give some background up to 224 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:57.360 this that leads us up to the situation. So basically, 225 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:01.399 about two weeks maybe three weeks before this encounter, this 226 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:04.759 situation happened, I was on a camping trip in Florida. 227 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:08.000 I did a seventeen day long camping trip. I was 228 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.200 working as an artist at the time. I'd been working 229 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:14.639 for about three years, and I had a bunch of 230 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:18.799 vacation times saved up. So we were coming close to January, 231 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:21.519 and my vacation hours weren't going to roll over. So 232 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:24.720 if I didn't use the vacation time, I wouldn't I'd 233 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:25.200 lose it. 234 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.759 So I took full advantage. 235 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:30.120 Of that and I went on a seventeen day camping 236 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:34.799 trip in Florida. So I had a partner at the time, 237 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:38.480 and this girl was like the love of my life. 238 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:41.159 I wanted to marry her and I wanted to have 239 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:43.759 a family with her, and that's that was our plan. 240 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.440 So she was about seven months pregnant at this time, 241 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:51.960 and I was under an assumption that it was my boy. 242 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.399 I was supposed to be a boy and I was 243 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:01.039 expecting a son. So, you know, going on this camping trip, 244 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:05.799 she completely encouraged. You know, she she was living at 245 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:08.480 her parents lived right across the street, so she was 246 00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:12.000 totally fine, and she worked from home, and so it 247 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:13.799 wasn't really a big problem for me to go on 248 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:20.080 this vacation, and she was totally encouraging of it. But like, 249 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:24.759 I don't know, fourteen days into the vacation, she called 250 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.559 me and told me that she was done, and she 251 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:30.480 moved me out of the house, which caught me off 252 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:33.879 guard because of the day before, she left me a message, 253 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.559 you know, telling me that the baby was kicking. And 254 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:39.879 I don't know, anyway, to make a long story short, 255 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.399 I was living with her, and I hadn't lived at 256 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:47.159 my folks house in probably ten years, so I was 257 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:51.080 thirty two at this time, and she broke up with me, 258 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:54.039 moved all my stuff out of our apartment while I 259 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.200 was on vacation into my parents' house. Didn't give me 260 00:15:57.240 --> 00:16:01.519 any reason why. Obviously, I was trying to do everything 261 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:03.600 I could to fix this because I was, you know, 262 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.399 thinking we were going to have a kid, and so like, 263 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:09.679 I ended up moving back in with my parents, and 264 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:12.039 it was like I was so depressed and I felt 265 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:16.519 so defeated, and I was heartbroken, and I didn't understand 266 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:20.120 what was going on because I had done everything. 267 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.480 In this relationship. I had already set. 268 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:24.519 Up a whole nursery for the child, I had time 269 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:27.759 taken off from work, I had family members sending me 270 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:31.720 baby gifts, and my main employer had given me all 271 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:35.039 this stuff from their baby who was just born or 272 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:38.080 who was born a few a couple of years earlier, 273 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:42.440 and so like, when this happened, it was a huge embarrassment. 274 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:46.759 But after I moved back in with my parents, the 275 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:48.960 girl was still having me come over and cook dinner 276 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.559 and do all this stuff for her, and she really 277 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:56.120 was just taking complete advantage of me. So one day 278 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.480 I was at my parents' house feeling really depressed, hoping 279 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:02.639 that there was a chance that we would get back together, 280 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.039 and she called me one night and said that, yeah, 281 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.079 I decided I don't want the baby to have the 282 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:10.920 name you chose, and your name's not gonna be on 283 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:13.680 the birth certificate. And I had I was like, what, 284 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:18.279 that's extremely hurtful, and then she i'm fessed up and 285 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:22.319 said I'm so sorry it's not yours. And a bunch 286 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:25.720 of red flags came came up in that during that time, 287 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:28.920 because like when I thought about it like it kind 288 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:32.400 of made sense because yeah, I don't need to go 289 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:34.440 into more details, but it ended up not being mine, 290 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:39.200 and I was very upset. My family was upset and disappointed. 291 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:40.519 You know. 292 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.640 So many years later now, like I realized that the 293 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:47.160 whole situation was a blessing in disguise. I wouldn't have 294 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.960 been happy in that relationship, and it would have you know, 295 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:53.480 it never would have worked, and it wasn't my kid anyway. 296 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:58.039 So I'm at my parents' house and I'm really mourning. 297 00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:00.759 This whole situation. It was really hard my parents to 298 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:03.880 accept at the time. You know, a few weeks after 299 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:07.440 the fact, they totally were on my side and we're 300 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:10.799 happy that the situation happened the way it did because 301 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:15.720 they really never liked the girl at all. So my 302 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.079 parents' property, like I said earlier in the interview, is 303 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.480 kind of in a rural area of New Jersey. We're 304 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:26.160 surrounded by farmland and forest and this this is my home. 305 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:28.599 I grew up hiking out here. I know, like every 306 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.160 square into the forest. 307 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:30.680 Behind my house. 308 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:34.960 I've hiked all in the farmland and all the forests 309 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:38.799 around the farmland, and I really feel comfortable out here, 310 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:42.519 Like it's my second home. And you know, after living 311 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:46.559 in Washington State for a long time, the forests out 312 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:50.400 there are so dense and expansive, and you know, they 313 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:53.559 can really give you a foreboding feeling when you're out there. 314 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:56.519 So like, you know, coming out here, I just feel 315 00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:59.200 like I'm kind of like top predator king of the forest. 316 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:04.160 And I was having one of those mourning moments, like 317 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:08.079 a morning situation, Like I was upset and I wasn't 318 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:11.720 thinking irrationally at all. And typically when I go into 319 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:14.000 the forest, I keep a clear head. Being out in 320 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:16.279 the forest for me is like gives me a sense 321 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:19.200 of peace and it's i that's one of the reasons 322 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:22.160 why I love hiking. But and typically when I'm in 323 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.720 the forest, I have like a really calm, collected mindsetting. 324 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:31.160 But in this situation, I was crushed. I was heartbroken, 325 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:36.599 and I really went outside. You're like in a blurgerent state. 326 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.880 I wasn't thinking rationally. I went out without a flashlight. 327 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:44.880 So my parents on one side of the road is 328 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.279 I live on East Mountain Road, and on one side 329 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:50.440 of the road is the Sourland Mountains And basically you 330 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:52.359 cross the road from my parents' house, and it goes 331 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:54.400 straight up a hill into the mountains and it's all 332 00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:58.119 forested and there's mountain esque features. It's a tiny it's 333 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.640 not even a real mountain, it's more of a but 334 00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:04.039 there's a lot of mountain esque features, like giant boulders, 335 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.039 and there's like spring fed creeks, and one of the 336 00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:11.400 creeks is called the Roaring Rocks because like when you 337 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:13.640 find the mouth of the creek kind of near where this, 338 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:16.640 you cross over the street from my parents' house, and 339 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.960 you could see the creek and you follow the creek 340 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:21.880 and the rocks, and the creek get bigger and bigger 341 00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:24.119 and bigger the further up the hill you get, until 342 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:26.119 you can't see the creek anymore, right, but you could 343 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:28.119 hear the creek under the rocks, so they call it 344 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:33.000 the Rumbling Rocks. So a lot of these like really 345 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:36.920 special like mountain esque features are off trail and a 346 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:39.079 lot of the people there's hiking trails all around there. 347 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:40.599 There's a park and a lot of the people that 348 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:43.079 go to the hike up, but the cirlands don't know 349 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:47.400 of these like secret spots with giant boulders. And there's 350 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:51.880 this one spot called Devil's half Acre and there's no 351 00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:54.559 trails that lead to it. I feel like I'm probably 352 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:56.720 one of the few people that actually know where. 353 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:01.920 Devil's half Acre is. So it's not that far from 354 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:02.759 my parents' house. 355 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:06.559 Like you cross the street and like five six seven 356 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:10.759 minutes walking up into the forest. You maybe ten minutes 357 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.960 and you're at Devil's half Acre, which is this boulder 358 00:21:14.039 --> 00:21:16.279 field in the middle of the forest where trees can't 359 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:18.720 really grow in the middle because the boulders block the 360 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:22.720 trees from growing. And there's all these little crevices and 361 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:26.880 caves that you could crawl into, and there's definitely animals 362 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:27.319 living there. 363 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:29.359 It's a really interesting place. 364 00:21:29.480 --> 00:21:32.119 Every time I go there during the day, I see vultures, 365 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:35.640 so there's like a vulturnist that lives there. Every time 366 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:38.319 I've gone there, I've seen a vulture. It's really strange. 367 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.079 And one of the last times I went there, I 368 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:43.240 saw baby vultures, which was really kind of cool to see. 369 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:43.960 Is they were. 370 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:47.880 Super cute baby vultures. Yeah, I've never seen baby vultures before. 371 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:51.319 But there's all types of animals that dene up in 372 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:54.599 these like rock crevices, and you could some of these 373 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:57.559 boulders are twenty feet up in the air, like when 374 00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:02.200 you're climbing on them, your rock scrambling. It is really 375 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:04.480 fun and it's a really cool spot. A lot of 376 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:07.839 people that grew up in New Jersey, in Hillsbury, New Jersey, 377 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:11.119 have no idea that this even exists in the town. 378 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:16.920 So it's one of my little, happy, quiet, secret spots 379 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:20.440 that I don't really tell many people about. So anyway, 380 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:24.759 to get back to the story, I'm really upset and 381 00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:29.640 I just it's nighttime and I decided to go into 382 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:33.920 the two Devil's half Acre the Roaring Rocks across the street. 383 00:22:34.680 --> 00:22:36.960 In the wilderness school I went to when I was eighteen, 384 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:39.279 we would do a lot of night hiking and we 385 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:42.920 wouldn't use flashlights because if you use flashlights, it ruins 386 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:46.440 your night vision. So I often will go on night 387 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:50.359 hikes without flashlights to try to train my night vision 388 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:53.319 to be as the best it can be. So this 389 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:57.119 time I didn't grab a flashlight. I didn't have any weapons, 390 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:59.960 no self defense. It was just closed on my back 391 00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:03.920 and me. So I'm going out into the forest at 392 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:06.559 night and I crossed the street and I'm making my 393 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:09.240 way over Devil's half acre and I'm heartbroken. 394 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:11.119 I'm so upset, and I. 395 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:15.240 Basically have a why me moment, and I just laid 396 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.839 on one of the rocks, yelling up at the universe. 397 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:19.640 Whymy. 398 00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:21.960 And it was just like kind of one of those 399 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:25.240 moments I'm sure all of us has had in our lives. 400 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:30.440 And I was just thinking, like I also like I 401 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.240