After moving to Portland in 1992 and while looking for a "real job" I started working for a small contractor who was restoring a turn of the century craftsman home in Northwest Portland. My new boss was a skilled finish carpenter who took great pride in his work and although I had only the most basic carpentry skills he took me on as an apprentice. Being able to stand back and look at something you have built with your hands is a great feeling and when I realized I could do that every day I knew I had found a new career.