I’ve been at REI for a couple of years now. People often ask why I have two jobs and I usually respond with some joke about capitalism and being a millennial who loves to travel. I don’t often go into detail about why I put myself through sixty work hour weeks but let’s talk.

It’s retail and it’s an outdoor store yet it gives me so much more. It’s about experiences and two in particular stick out to me about customers. I met a woman who came to REI-San Francisco when I worked there. All she needed was clothing from Marmot. I looked around to find the one item after looking in our inventory. I struck up a conversation to pass the time and she turned out to be Silvia Vasquez -Lavado who climbed the Seven Summits. That conversation was an experience that helped me see that there is so much love in life.

And I remember meeting this Black dad with one of those baby blue North Carolina jerseys on. He came into the kid’s section with two young kids and I could see the worry all over his face. I walked over and told some joke to get him to laugh; he let out a sigh of relief as I asked him what I could help him find. He brought his family to California to get to Lake Tahoe or something and didn’t know much about cold weather clothing. I walked him through what his kids should wear sledding and hanging out around the mountains. Over the course of the conversation, I could see his worries fade away as he and his kids found what they needed. To teach young Black folks how to “get outside” makes my soul happy.

It’s about the other employees, too. We’re a bunch of tree-hugging, granola-loving people who like simple things. I couldn’t ask for better folks to roast a couple of Twinkies with.

I don’t know how to fully state it but I’ve met some amazing people and made some memories through REI. Now I have to ask you, are you a REI member?