Cartography is one of those jobs you probably didn't think about as a kid. Kids imagine being doctors, firefighters, athletes, astronauts, and cowboys, but cartographer isn't usually considered. So it was with me, even though I always loved maps. I also liked math, projectiles, and Grand Unifying Theories, so I went to study physics at Princeton. Even more than that, I liked racing (by foot or by bicycle), so after college I joined the traveling circus that is professional bicycle racing. Like any endeavor that requires you to navigate an unknown land and which is intensely influenced by elevation, slopes, urban/suburban development and views of natural beauty, cycling throughout North America and Europe developed my appreciation of maps.
After coming home from a year of racing in Europe, and knowing that I wanted to learn a trade other than physics, my brother shed light on the possibility of mapmaking. He told me what GIS is and that there was a course on it at the local community college. Since then I have enjoyed studying and working in GIS and the overlapping fields of cartography, graphic design, and computer programming.