I am a 60 year-old geophysicist with the US Geological Survey. I am part of a USGS team funded by USAID that assists developing countries by responding to volcano crises with technical assistance and expertise, and by training and institution development. This has provided me 30 years of (mostly) interesting experiences. I hope to use the Playa residency to get these down on paper and find if I can convey the human part of this experience in a way that is satisfying and true.