I was the kid back in the day who had to knock my wooden Mariners Bat Night souvenir on a rock outside a few times, just so I could live the sensation of crushing a pitch and sending a broken bat splintering into the air as I cruised to first base at the age of 6. Cheating? Nah. Resourceful? You bet. Who doesn't want to feel like a big leaguer at some point? I didn't want to wait.I was the kid who tore money in half in the name of friendship. In kindergarten during the U.S. History unit, we all had to bring in something that was pura Americana. I brought in a dollar bill. My neighbor at our table had forgotten to bring something and she felt left out and sad. So I ripped my dollar in half and gave half to her! Boom. Now we both had something! We've now been friends for 18 years. Doing the right thing and building relationships have been paramount in my life since day one. With good values in my back pocket, I went off to school and earned two degrees. Oddly enough- the university forced me away. WSU forced me 5,268 miles away to be exact. It drove me to speak a different language as well.While studying in the south of Spain I learned to have a profound appreciation for living slower. Walking everywhere, noticing my surroundings, and talking to strangers provided me with more applicable knowledge than any lecture could. Experiences like these have guided my decision making throughout life and molded me into the unique person I am today.I am a student of the world and I go by Darren Zemanek. If you managed to get through that- drop me a line and say hello. I'm always in for a cafe con leche!