About Me

In Beijing in front of the Bird's Nest.

WELCOME

Hey, first I want to say thanks for visiting my site. Feel free to leave a comment about a post or ask a question if you have one. Also, if you would like to write an article or share your photos on this site then please contact me.

WHY I MADE THIS SITE

I know it’s cliche but the world is an amazing place. One way or another, you need to get out and see it. Living in this globalized world of ours, travel is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity.

I want to inspire you to get out and see it on your terms, be it traveling for 2 weeks or living in another country for 2 years. More importantly, this site will show you how to do it.

HOW I GOT BIT BY THE TRAVEL BUG

I was “made in Korea.” Really. My parents aren’t Korean but my father was stationed in Korea in the 70s. My mom got pregnant with me while she was in Korea (but then I was born in the US). So you could say I was bitten by the travel bug before I was even born.

We moved back to Korea in 1979 and lived on Jeju Island for a year. Dad was a teacher at Jeju National University. If being conceived in Korea wasn’t enough to make me want to travel the rest of my life, living on a rural island in Northeast Asia as a child turned me into a true travel junkie.

When I was a kid, my friends would have posters of expensive cars on their wall. My favorite poster was a world map. I would stare at it and wonder what people were doing in different parts of the world.

My wildest dreams travel dreams finally came true when I circumnavigated the globe by ship when I was 20. I joined a study abroad program called Semester At Sea through the University of Pittsburgh. We visited 12 exotic countries in 100 days: Japan, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, India, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and Morocco.

When I got back from that trip in 1993, one thing was clear – I’m going to live abroad and work my way around the world. And I haven’t stopped since then. I studied Italian for a semester in Italy, worked in an import/export company in Prague for a year, taught English in Venezuela, crashed my former girlfriend’s father’s car in Colombia, sold olive oil in Spain, guided sea kayaking trips in Barcelona, served drinks at a beach bar on Ibiza (worst job ever besides McDonalds), lived with Mongolian nomads, guided high school students on summer study abroad trips in Mexico and China, lead outdoor adventures in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina for Outward Bound, and finally, taught English in Korea.

HOW I GOT INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AND JOURNALISM

In the fall of 2006 I trekked through Mongolia for 2 months. I bought a used point-and-shoot camera from my friend and documented the trip by posting my photos on Flickr. Some publications started contacting me asking if they could use my photos. I haven’t stopped since. My major in college was English and I took a photography course for a semester so that helped as well.

Teaching English in Korea.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MY WORK

My photographs and writing are featured in Mabuhay (Philippine Airlines inflight magazine), The New York Times, 10 Magazine, Seoul Magazine, The Korea Times, Dynamic Busan newspaper, and the Barcelona Business newspaper. I also contribute photos to Getty Images. To see samples of my published work click here. If you are an editor, I am now based in Busan, South Korea and available for assignments – especially if they involve travel.

WHY THE NOMAD WITHIN?

While I was in Mongolia I saw a van for a tour company that had the words “Discover Your Nomad Within” on the side. I think everyone has a nomad within them waiting to get out and discover the world. Hopefully my photos and articles will awaken yours.

STILL WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Wow, I can’t believe you are still reading this. I did an interview with Busan eFM about why I’m in Korea, my photography, and some good places to take photos in Busan. You can listen to the interview here.

With the Mongolian nomads I lived with for a week.

With Mexican cowboys in the mountains of Agua Puerca, Mexico.

Christ of the Sea at John Pennekamp Underwater State Park, Key Largo, Florida

At Angkor Wat in Cambodia.