SPACEPORT AMERICA: PIONEERING THE FUTURE

My time in New Mexico began after I watched my last Arizona sunset in my Jeep’s rearview mirror. It was the first night of my cross-country road trip from Phoenix to Tampa, Florida, and I crossed the state line beneath a clear, darkening sky, arriving in Las Cruces shortly thereafter. Looking back now, the town’s name could not have been more fitting—I can still remember the weight of the proverbial cross I was bearing on my shoulders as I headed east.

I was in New Mexico because I had been fired from my job—I had never been fired before!—after a year living out west. The shame of being let go consumed me, and inspired me to run away