I never wanted a simple story. It seemed so boring, so trite, so ordinary. I wanted adventure, I wanted excitement, and at the end of the day, to kiss the earth and say that I've had a full life indeed.

Almost all the interviews will include, "Tell me about yourself," or "Why surgery?" or some variation along those lines. They're like children at bedtime, wanting to hear a good story.

"Every one of you has a story," they taught us, "And you need to tell that story to your interviewer."

I've been talking about myself a lot for the past few months. And if you know me at all - and I don't mean my blog - you know that it's not exactly something that I'm naturally inclined to do. So while I've been talking, I haven't really been listening to myself. During my last interview, I listened.

And it was actually kind of interesting. A life lived off the beaten path, though it wasn't always easy, was definitely a life less ordinary. And I think I will keep telling my story deep into the night.