I would say that I am, at heart, a storyteller, an adventurer and a consummate player. I also enjoy writing, love to read and suppose I would call myself a lifelong learner. I try to learn something new every day, and love meeting new people around the world who can teach me things that I don’t know, I don’t know! I spent half a decade working in the “high-powered” ad agency world in Boston, MA, only to find that the corporate life-style was not for me. In 2007, I kicked my grey cubicle to the curb, and don’t ever intend to visit him (or any of his relatives) again. While giving up the traditional 9-5p (or 9-9p) life can sometimes offer some interesting challenges, I’m sincere when I tell you that it has been worth – every second.
To put food on the table, pay the bills (and many student loans) and fund my insatiable need for exploration, I work as a freelancer in film and video production, as a professional voice over artist, and enjoy speaking engagements as a Play Speaker and Certified Laughter Yoga Instructor. I also run and write for Playful Trekker and am working on my own feature-length doc about Play in modern society, *(a recent shoot :)). While I may not have a “day job,” my family and friends will tell you I rarely sit still. If I’m not working on one of my many projects, I will usually be found playing outdoors, lindy-hoppin’, playing guitar (or trying to), practicing yoga and tai chi, rock climbing, slacklining, making DIY art projects (lately it’s been with 16th and 17th century old atlas maps & lots of decoupaging), cooking beautiful food or exploring some far off (or little) corner of the world.
By the time I turned 28,
I had lived in 47 places,
including 7 places on 1 street.
By the time I turned 28, I had lived in 47 places, including 7 places on 1 street, (but, to be fair, it was a long street)! Most of the ol’ childhood, though, was spent in Agawam, MA,a little town in the Southwestern part of the state, named from the Native American tribe that lived there in the early 17th century. (It is also the home to an amusement park dating back all the way to 1840!, so maybe all those playful yips and yaws got into my bloodstream at a young age? Just a theory. :)) Due to all the moving, sometimes I think a life of frequent travel may have just been inevitable, (though no complaints here)! I find that I can make anywhere feel like home, and have really become quite the minimalist. I gave up television in 2006 and never looked back, and everything that I own can now fit in an 8×6 cube, which makes me smile huge when I say it! There’s a wonderful quote by William Morris: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” This is pretty much my philosophy, and I have found that having less has afforded me so much more. And, of course, lots of room for PLAY! (My most recent adventure was learning how to FLY an airplane and it was a hoot)!
Though I adore exploring anything and everything, I actually didn’t go on many family vacations as a child. In fact, I didn’t fly in an airplane until I was 18 years old. My first flight was to France and the pilot actually let me come right into the cockpit with him, (something that would of course never happen in the airline world today)! I spent my college years in Boston at Northeastern University, and put myself through school by serving late nights at a live jazz martini bar, doing promotional gigs, working in radio and dressing up in a big Dunkin Donuts cup costume, with big orange shoes and 4-finger gloves. (Don’t knock it though, I made $62.50/hr. which is not too shabby for a poor ol’ college student! 😉 Photo evidence avail.).
My First Real Adventure:
My first real adventure in travel, though, happened at the wee age of 18 when I took off to backpack Europe by myself. I then caught what many travelers refer to as “the itch,” a condition I don’t ever expect to kick. “The itch” to travel really became a part of me, and my day-dreaming, goals and plans always somehow lead back to traveling and exploring some place new. I’m just as happy exploring some back alley or some abandoned structure in the middle of nowhere, as I am riding through the streets of Paris or trekking a glacier in New Zealand. My love of exploration and appreciation for the importance and power of play has afforded me some extraordinary experiences, and has allowed me to get to know some amazing people and places along the way.
Some Random Facts:
I have lived in 47 places (so far), including Boston, Providence, a backpack, Cape Cod, my car (for 4 months exploring the ol’ USA), the Gold Coast of Australia & Lafayette, LA. My favorite places ever visited are Prague, New Zealand and San Francisco.
Though I am left-handed, I play guitar righty.
I secretly want to be an astronaut, and if given the chance to go to adult space camp – would totally take it.
I have sky-dived, snorkled reef, sang under waterfalls, swam in volcanic craters & tried my hand at trapeze.
I most value in another generous philanthropy, and hope to create multiple organizations to do so, when my wildly successful career makes me loads of dough to share. <wink/grin>
I love jokes, but will, no matter what, tell the punchline at the wrong place. This includes knock-knock jokes.
At any given time of day, I will always be found craving chocolate & adventure.
I took up rock-climbing in 2010 and would now borderline classify it as… an addiction (but a healthy one). 🙂
Among my minimal treasured possessions is a collection of different old keys. Since childhood (and still) I like to imagine the stories that might accompany each one.
I once got lost on an island, in a rainforest, trying to make my way to a secluded beach I read about.
My weaknesses are good food, indie film, lindy-hopping & fearlessly silly people.
I adore being creative, but also secretly love lists.