Why I Became a Park Ranger

JMS ep 367 why park ranger

“Sometimes the most meaningful path isn’t the one that looks right on paper. It’s the one that makes you feel most alive.”

When David Bossert turned the tables and asked me three questions I didn’t expect to retrace my professional steps. But it was a lot of fun looking back at how much life has changed in great ways after some big risks. I used to be a financial analyst at a commercial bank. On paper, it was everything I had worked for. I got to use my degree, had a stable job, a new house, and a clear career path. Life was neat, predictable, and comfortable.

And then my grandmother passed away.

On the flight to her funeral, I caught myself wondering what my work really meant. If I did everything perfectly, what would change? Maybe a few shareholders would be a little richer. But nothing about that felt like it mattered. Not in the way her life had mattered to me.

At the time, I spent every evening hiking until dark. I felt alive when I was on a trail, surrounded by quiet and trees. So when a neighbor mentioned the state parks were hiring rangers, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. By the time I carried the last moving box into our brand-new house, I knew I was going to walk away from banking and chase something entirely different.

That decision changed everything. It wasn’t easy. I had to go back to school at night while still working full-time. I had to start over. It meant risk. But it also meant purpose. As a park ranger, I got to watch families pass down traditions, see kids fall in love with the outdoors, and witness people rediscover who they were when the noise of life faded. You can’t put that on a spreadsheet. Sometimes we get so busy chasing the next thing that we forget to ask ourselves why we started, what grounds us, and what still makes us come alive.

The most meaningful path isn’t the one that looks right on paper. Pay attention to the one that makes you feel most alive. If you’re standing at a crossroads, be aware of the places where you lose track of time. There’s a reason your heart feels at home in those moments.