Laura grew up in the flatlands of Florida, but moved to North Carolina to work as a whitewater raft guide immediately after graduating from high school. She has considered the mountains of Western North Carolina home ever since. When she’s not working as a NOLS Wilderness Medicine Instructor, she works for National Geographic Expeditions as the program manager of their active travel line which takes people on hiking and kayaking vacations around the world. Her passion is whitewater kayaking and she loves traveling both domestically and internationally in search of new rivers. She is also an avid mountain biker and skier and enjoys pretty much anything that involves being outdoors. She currently resides with her husband and their two dogs in Bryson City, NC.