Ryan Smith grew up in the DC area and except for college at Purdue University and a six-month adventure finding himself in San Francisco he’s lived here since.  Do ask Ryan about San Francisco and the return to Virginia you’ll enjoy the story as much as you’ll enjoy Ryan telling it.  Enjoyment of life is…

Jo Dees grew up Roman Catholic; and while her parents are able to reconcile their liberal values with that strict doctrine, the more Jo learned, the less she could do so. After college, grad school, and working at an LBGT organization where she identified as an “ally,” she finally began to acknowledge she was attracted…

Jiwon Kim and her family came to the United States from South Korea when she was seventeen. In her own words, she was “bright eyed and bushy-tailed” and ready for an adventure. She studied Spanish literature in college and eventually found a job with the National Library of Medicine from which she recently retired. She…

Allison Leaver’s memories of her Southern Baptist church were all positive.   The family’s social life revolved around church dinners, church services, summer camp, and social service projects.  She remembers her youth group fondly as a place where kids could both have fun and make the world better in small ways.  At college, she began to…