I am an American and very proud to be one. From an early age I was fascinated by science – all of the natural world especially biology, paleontology, psychology, and all new technology. I was a teenager when the first personal computers were being introduced and I immediately realized the life changing impact they would have and digital tech would have on the world and began studying it. As a result I have been self-employed working as a website developer and photographer since 1995. This has worked well my passion of international travel and the internet gives me the freedom to work from anywhere in the world! As a result I have lived outside of the US for extended periods of time. Travel is the best education for true learning.
I enjoy freshwater tropical fish with a particular interest in Amazonian species. I have swam in the Amazon river while exploring the Brazilian rain forest. Travel is clearly one of my passions and I have visited 25 different countries thus far living more than a year in a couple of them. My partner and I lived in Brazil for a year (probably the most amazing year of my life thus far) and 7 years in Argentina. It was fascinating to live long term out of your home country rather than just visit as a tourist short term. It really is a totally different experience which I highly recommend if you have the opportunity to do it. As such I consider myself a citizen of the world and I see that borders are just lines on paper we call a map and are only a concept in our minds (as everything ultimately is).
I was fortunate enough to grow up when the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie (saw him when I was 18) and Pink Floyd were releasing music NEW music which is now classified as “Classic Rock”. I was a teenager during the punk rock years (I saw the Ramones, Iggy Pop, Devo, Patti Smith also at 18), so yeah, the music was GREAT! The personal computer was created when I was a teenager so I enjoyed that revolution and was a part of it from the start. I experienced the entire digital revolution in music (albums to 8 track to cassette to cd) to information. I was part of the first generation to have a portable cellphone and a personal computer. For the first time in human history jet travel was affordable and I was able to travel higher in the clouds and longer distances than any other humans before me.
So YES, I have lived at the height of human existence because of all these advances and I could not be happier to have been there for it. I am saddened by the rapid decline that we are experiencing currently but it makes me appreciate having been at the peak and will ride the wave downward now. I feel sorry for the younger generation who will never know of the freedom that came from growing up without a screen in your face 24/7 and who actually could read books and appreciated being alone with their thoughts. Maybe finally read 1984 or Brave New World so you will have a clue about what is happening right in front of and to you!
