Amy in Charlotte NC here. Wound up in the industry six years ago by happy accident, after getting laid off at Christmas from a big hardware retail chain (thanks, orange box... cough cough). Best thing that could have ever happened to me, in retrospect, elsewise I'd never have wound up here! Wound up working for a very small distributor that caters to cleaning and disaster restoration here in town, slowly growing to serve a larger area (and I'm ok with slow, because it keeps things one-on-one and I get to keep all my guys on a first-name basis). I love the industries in which I am now engaged and can't imagine being happier than where I am now.
Started out as a vet student at NCSU (degrees in Microbiology and English, because I love language), intended to stay in that industry after I reached Technician status but unless you're the doctor you can't make a living at it. Considered going for LPN or RN but am too tender-hearted to ever lose a human patient. Losing critters was bad enough!
In my spare time I experiment with cleaning and restoration projects, read everything I can get my hands on, listen to music and play classical piano, and spoil my Maine Coon cat. I also rescue injured box turtles (an extremely vulnerable species here in the Carolinas) and raise Isobel zebra finches.
When I've got the funds I also fish, spelunk, and enjoy hiking and climbing. Best experience ever was a six-week-long dry camping trip all the way through Alaska and back, truly a life-changing event.