Derek Wallentinsen continues a lifelong journey reaching for the stars. Growing up towards the dark dome of New Mexico skies, he started sharing his love of the sky early, with family and friends using his home-built telescope in backyards in Albuquerque, then astronomy club star parties, followed by STEM teaching (astronomy, physics, chemistry, and math). He earned his Master of Science degree in Astrophysics and took a detour into the corporate world. While living in Los Angeles he worked for a major telescope manufacturer for the pro-amateur market and participated in many of the company's outreach events. A further move to the dark side began with volunteering in the National Park Service -- National Science Foundation (NPS-NSF) AstroVIP outreach program as a “Dark Ranger”. He later served as an interpretive ranger at national parks, diving deeper into the night, with many opportunities to talk with people from all places and walks of life about both day and night skies and their preservation. He retired from the NPS in 2021. Further activities have included Astronomer in Residence at Petrified Forest National Park, helping to form New Mexico DarkSky and a book, "Blue Skies, Red Sunsets and Company: The Beauty of Sunlight and the Air" Cielos claros y oscuros!