About

Who I am distilled into three words…

 
 

🧭 Explorer

I may not pack a wagon and vanish into the wilderness for years at a time like Lewis and Clark, but I value taking the road less traveled, discovering the unknown, and forging your own path.

Yes, I love to get lost in nature, wandering through the woods looking for wildlife or anything interesting—even some of my earliest memories are me searching for salamanders under rocks at my friend’s family cabin.

But, that’s only one side of the coin. I also love to explore ideas and philosophies. I am always thinking, tinkering, building, and exploring the boundaries of ideas and concepts. It’s these fringes of possibilities, not the black and white, that I find most fascinating.

🎒 Essentialist

While a minimalist may try to limit all of their possessions, I don’t shy away from items or activities that I’ve decided truly add value to my life.

My camera equipment, for example, fills an entire closet, and I’m okay with that. I use all of it on a regular basis, and it’s something that I love to do.

The opposite is also true. I expel as little energy as possible on things I don’t value. I don’t value fashion (no shade on those that do), and that becomes painstakingly obvious when you realize I wear the exact same shirt every day.

Of course, this applies to more than just “stuff”. It’s core to how I think, and translates to everything from my hobbies to my approach to design.

💭 Idealist

Rarely do I simply accept things the way they are without a second thought. My mind naturally lives in a world of “what could be”, not “what is”. Just because something is or has been a certain way, doesn’t mean it should be that way.

As you might expect, “good enough” doesn’t sit well with me. I understand that there are scenarios that warrant it, or that make the most “business sense”, but none of them will ever get me excited.

I believe that as people we can almost always do better. We should consider what’s possible, and set the bar high. Challenge yourself (and others) to do what’s best, not just what’s good enough.

 

Interests

🚴🏻‍♂️ Urban living

I favor urban density over suburban sprawl for a multitude of reasons. It’s better for the environment, walking and biking are more healthy than driving (and safer), and good urban design directly impacts human happiness and mental health.

🐍 Wildlife

As long as I can remember I’ve had a passion for all types of wildlife. I was the kid flipping rocks and looking for snakes and salamanders, or catching bees with his bare hands. And some things never change; I still do all of those things to this day.

◾️ Minimalism

While my critter collection and camera gear might convince you otherwise, I’d consider myself minimalist in most other areas in my life. While minimalism is widely recognized now, it was Joshua Decker that introduced me to the concept long ago.

🛖 Community

Community is a keystone for a happy and healthy life, but it takes effort. While we used to live in tribes, we can now live our entire lives on the couch with everything delivered on demand. I’m curious how this is affecting us in ways we don’t yet understand.

🐼 Conservation

There’s no denying that the ever increasing human population is having a devastating affect on the natural world, and species are going extinct every single day. Preservation by commercialization helps, but the crux of the issue is habitat loss.

✈️ Travel

If my year abroad taught me anything, it’s that the more you see, the more you know there is to see. And I wish I could see it all, from the most remote wildlife, to the densest of urban centers (and maybe a few beaches for my girlfriend).

🪴 Gardening

Gardening in an apartment downtown has its challenges, but it hasn't stopped me from having dozens of planters with everything from cacti to carnivorous plants. Now if only we had a community garden in the park next door I’d be set.

💈 Small business

Large and small business both have their benefits, but I prefer to support small business whenever possible. I like to support people willing to face risk to live their dream. I like the hometown pride. Not to mention the benefits to the local community.

📸 Photography

I didn’t get my first “real” camera until I was in my 30s, but I was hooked immediately and have been shooting consistently ever since. For me it’s mostly birds and bugs, but naturally I appreciate and follow the work of all types of photographers.

🏡 Tiny houses

Tiny houses combine my love of design and minimalism into one (livable) package. With so little space, you have to be extra creative to nicely fit everything you want. I will watch tiny house tours on YouTube simply to see their genius design ideas.

⛺️ Camping

Nothing beats walking along the water’s edge with my camera during the day, and sitting around a campfire with friends at night. Camping is one of the only places I can truly relax, disconnect, and ignore the constant pull of technology.

💨 Formula 1

It’s the only sport I follow, and perhaps not what you were expecting to see in this list given everything you’ve read to this point. I love speed (and anything adrenaline inducing), and jumped at the chance to get into a single seater for myself.

 

You?