I was born Hollie Akiko McGough in July of 1982, in the old Hilo hospital, on the Big Island of Hawaii, to my parents, Leilani and Kevin McGough.  I grew up in Hilo for a few years, during which time I started practicing Aikido at the age of five, and my brother Ryan was born in fall 1988.

 We moved a few miles out of town to the Keaau area just before I entered the fourth grade, and we spent four years there, during which time I started to take horseback riding lessons and I got my first pet, my cat Kiko, who stuck with us for 15 years thereafter.  We then moved to my parent’s hometown for a breif year, on our way out to the Kohala area. 

We moved to a new aikido dojo in Kohala, and I attended Kohala high school for a year before deciding to home school the remainder of my high school career.  I then went to work, I started working as a wrangler for a horseback riding outfit close to home, and at 15 I bought my baby Delight, who was still a youngin at the time.  If you’ve never met Delight, she is my beautiful paint mare, who I’ve just recently had to sell since I moved to Oahu, to some very dear friends who let my visit and ride her often. 

 Just before my 17^th birthday, I headed to horseshoeing school in Oklahoma to become a farrier.  I came home and started horseshoeing all over west Hawaii, as well as continuing to work as a wrangler, though at a different outfit.  I headed for Colorado in May of 2000, after picking Colorado State University as the place I wanted to go to school, primarily for their excellent Animal and Equine Science programs.  Just before I left I took my Shodan (1^st degree black belt) for aikido, days before I had knee surgery to correct and injury I aquired getting bucked off a horse (or, more accurately, hitting the ground). 

So I hobbled off to Colorado with a shiny new belt and a gigantic knee brace in tow.  I worked for the summer as a wrangler in Estes Park, up in the Rockies.  I spent five years in Fort Collins, during which time I made some friends, attended classes regularly (ok, usually), and of course meeting my soon to be hubby.  My orgional intention had been to continue on to Vet school, but upon arriving I quickly learned that was not the direction I wanted to take, I did continue in my course of study in Animal Science however.

 I also spent quite a bit of time working as a farrier, as well as picking up other farm jobs, one in particular that lasted three years, to help pay the bills.  I also bought my second horse, Maverick, and sold him again.  It was in my third year of school that I met Nate in our Japanese language class.  We live together for almost two years before I decided I was not happy with my work there, and with Nate’s support, took my parents up on their offer to come and work for them at thier macadamia nut farm in Kohala.  I spent three years working for them managing the farm, during which time I also passed my Nidan exam, until I moved up to Oahu…finally…in August of 07.