![\"Megan](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Megan-Gibbons.jpg\")
<\/a>Some people are born with a nomad inside. The desire to get up, get out and get going is just a part of their DNA; it\u2019s an all-consuming endeavor. <\/span><\/p>\n Megan Gibbons is one of those people. Upon meeting her, an infectious smile might accompany a slightly downturned glance. She\u2019s educated, well-spoken, funny and attractive, yet she doesn\u2019t put off the vibe she believes any of that. There\u2019s an admirable streak of humility in her.<\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s why I\u2019m here. To tear down that wall of unassuming humility and introduce you to the real, adventure-loving, happy-go-lucky and only occasionally prone to bouts of seriousness, Megan Gibbons.<\/span><\/p>\n Originally born in New Mexico, Gibbons went to college in West Texas, then moved to Arizona and finally wound up in Portland a little over three years ago. \u201cMy brother and his daughter were here and I wanted to be around them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Considering she could easily be considered part of the \u201cwave\u201d of people who are moving here and transforming the Rose City, Gibbons feels no animosity. \u201cI have a great group of friends that includes natives and non-natives alike,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s based more on who I am than where I come from.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And who she is certainly is interesting. By day, Gibbons works as a project engineer for a fire suppression company. \u201cI essentially design fire suppression systems, mostly in commercial sprinklers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Boring, you say? Not to Gibbons. \u201cI get to have fun with math and science on a daily basis,\u201d she says with a smile. <\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ll take her word for it. So, with so much \u201cfun\u201d going in on the office, one can only wonder how Gibbons keeps her personal life full of whimsy. Fortunately, she\u2019s got a lot of pokers warming in the fun fire.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOver the past several years I have been trying to meet some of my travel goals,\u201d she says without hesitation.<\/span><\/p>\n One of those travel goals was recently met in Iceland, where Gibbons satisfied her inner \u201cgeology nerd,\u201d as she puts it. From volcanos to blue lagoons to artsy photos standing in front of a random business, Gibbons describes the country as \u201cunique\u201d and \u201cspectacular.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Next up for this traveler-extraordinaire? Australia. Having just obtained her diver\u2019s license, Gibbons plans on spending time swimming through the Great Barrier Reef, though she is well aware of the reef\u2019s condition.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI will see a lot less than people saw ten to twenty years ago,\u201d she says somberly. \u201cCoral bleaching is a major problem. I saw it in Hawaii. It really reminds me that I can do more environmentally speaking and really push back against those contaminating our earth and ignoring global warming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When she\u2019s not globe-trotting or at work keeping people safe from office fires, you can find Gibbons somewhere on a trail or near a hot springs or swimming hole. <\/span><\/p>\n Portland does an excellent job attracting people that contribute to this great patchwork of fun-loving adventurers we call home. These are the\u00a0PDX People<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>who are complimentary to Portland’s milieu as a great city and we\u2019re proud to have Megan Gibbons here as one of them – even if she was part of the \u201cwave.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n William Bessette<\/strong> \u2013<\/span> PDX People Contributor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Follow William on: <\/strong> Facebook<\/u><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>, Twitter<\/u><\/a><\/span>\u00a0 Connect with William on:<\/strong> LinkedIn<\/u><\/a><\/span><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>William Bessette is a journalist and freelance writer who has been covering politics, entertainment, culture and travel for over thirteen years. When he’s not profiling Portland-area restaurants and residents, you can find him reporting on national and international travel and eco-tourism through his travel brand, <\/span>Floppy Hat Adventures<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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