Welcome to Stomping Ground, a short series covering the everyday lives of a small Philadelphia community. Each episode will interview a new member of the neighborhood and discuss their lives, occupations, struggles, and insight.

Heath lives at the end of my block. She works as a grief counselor and assists mourning family members of in understanding, coping, and transitioning. In this episode we discuss her job, its toll on her, and how to truly take advantage of your time on earth.

Alex lives two doors down from me. He works as a substance abuse counselor and helps mainly mothers or pregnant women in overcoming their addiction and prospering after the fact. In this episode we discuss his job and work history, the struggles of counseling, and the tremendous life lessons he's learned on the way.

Rona lives one street over and I've been visiting her house since I was a kid. She works with refugees as a coordinator for HIAS PA, a non-profit that provides a multitude of services to immigrants. In this episode we discuss her job, how she got into it, and how closely immigrants and the american dream are related.

I always remembered where Ray lived by the fact that we had the same deep red colored door - or at least used to. Ray was one of the founders of TLA video which put a spotlight on alternative and LGBTQ cinema like never before. In this episode we discuss his journey in the film industry, his experience being gay, and the importance of being out and proud.

Jody and her kids have been coming over for years now. She works as a freelance graphic designer and teacher at Drexel University. In this episode we discuss her job, her love for all types of design, and the simple beauty of the world around us, that we often fail to notice.

Al lives at the other end of my block and has been there all my life. He owns his own mail and parcel service and has lived in the neighborhood forever. In this episode we discuss his history in Philly, his and his father's business, and how important it is to just pause sometimes and engage with your community.

In a city, your stomping ground is anywhere you choose, but what really matters isn’t the location, it’s the people. I’ve spent a year listening to and learning from my surrounding community and can easily say my stomping ground is one of the best around. Here is a collection of their advice and my goodbye to my old stomping ground.