Welcome to my little home on the web.  I’m an American-born man in the twilight of my twenties who has received a wide range of appraisals, from “idealist” to “dreamer” to “grumpy old man.”  Indeed, I sometimes see a bit more of myself in Larry David that I’d care to admit.  But deep down, I’m a happy and lucky guy.  In the past six years or so, I’ve had the great good fortune to see the world and experience interesting cultures first-hand.  Professionally, I work as a teacher and a freelance writer.  I enjoy wearing these hats, but I try not to let them define me. More than anything, I consider myself a student of life.

This site is, first and foremost, a place for self-expression.  I enjoy writing and have found over the years that nothing beats a personal website for sharing one’s most authentic work with a general audience.  My wide range of interests include philosophy, travel, music, spirituality, politics, and the cultures and religions of the world.  Above all, my priority is to live a rich and meaningful life.  Thus far, my approach to that end has been to try to learn and experience as much as possible about our fascinating world.  As I approach 30, I’m transitioning to a new stage, where I hope that service, and community will take on some new importance.  When my life is over, I’d like to be able to look back and say that I contributed to making the world a kinder place.

I was born in 1991 in the small city of Scranton, Pennsylvania in the United States.  I was always a curious child with a strong interest in finding “the meaning of life.” I studied Philosophy (B.A.) and Secondary Education (M.S.) at the University of Scranton.  Since finishing my Master’s in 2015, I’ve spent the great majority of my time abroad – most of that time working as a teacher.  After a short visit to the Netherlands after graduation, I studied for a CELTA English-language teaching certificate in New Zealand, and did a brief seasonal contract teaching adult students in Australia.  I’ve since taught in the Czech Republic (2016-2017) and South Korea (2018-Present).  It was in Korea that I met the love of my life, a wonderful Canadian woman named Emily who has been living a similar kind of life, teaching in Asia since 2012.  Within the year, we will move on to a new phase in our lives in Canada, but we plan to take our sense of adventure back to North America with us.

As a freelance writer, my work has been featured in a range of publications, from a widely-read positive news website, to online travel guides, to a popular South Korean expat magazine. When I’m not writing or teaching, I enjoy spending time in nature.  After writing an article and giving a public talk on environmental issues in South Korea, I started a small ecology club at the Gwangju International Center.  So far, we’ve organized several litter cleanups and a vegetarian food festival.  I also enjoy playing around on the guitar and singing with my wife:  mostly old folk and rock tunes.  I’m a voracious reader and audiobook listener, and take the most interest in non-fiction books that help me to live a better and more meaningful life.  Subjects likely to be up my alley include philosophy, world religions and psychology.

Thanks again for taking the time to visit my website.  I hope you’ll enjoy reading the content I share here.  If you are interested in working with me as a freelance writer, I’d be glad to hear from you.  Feel free to browse some of my work in the links below.

Last updated: October 10, 2020