ABOUT ME

I live to learn - facts, languages, interesting skills, new hobbies, about people, cultures, and life's mysteries. I believe traveling and interacting with a diverse range of people is the single best way of learning about our world and take every opportunity to do so. I'm intrigued by the creative arts (although not particularly creative myself) and try to surround myself as much as possible by literature, film, music, art, and creative people. I view every day as an opportunity for self-improvement, be it through reaching new fitness goals, taking up a new, creative hobby (I have recently begun playing the violin and will soon be taking salsa classes), or working toward being a more compassionate human being.

PHILOSOPHY

I attempt to live my life according to the Bible's two greatest commandments:
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:36-39

Interests

Traveling (of course), reading, poetry, philosophy, yoga, ice skating, learning languages, espresso, astronomy, anthropology, international affairs, politics, dancing, violin, photography, impressionist art, debate, hiking, cartography, geology, history, sailing, Eastern Europe, adventures.

• arts
• literature
• poetry
• photography
• dancing
• fitness
• yoga
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• music
• violin
• hiking
• sailing
• anthropology
• astronomy
• cartography
• teaching
• geology
• history
• languages
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy reading classic literature (especially Russian and Eastern European lit). I am particularly interested in literature that explores what it means to live a "good life" or moral dilemmas. I also appreciate reading memoirs, philosophic tracts, and poetry. Shakespeare, Keats, and Frost occupy positions of honor on my bookshelves.

My favorite books include:
Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
Notes from Underground (Dostoyevsky)
The Master and Margarita (Bulgakov)
Man's Search for Meaning (Frankl)
Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzche)
The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin (Voinovich)
Dead Souls (Gogol)
Pride and Prejudice (Austen)
Tess of D'Urbeville (Hardy)

I believe foreign films are a wonderful insight into other cultures and watch when I'm not in a position to experience the culture first-hand. I'm fascinated by films that explore the human condition and am a sucker for films that claim to be "based on true events." I love to reinforce what I learn through relatively historically accurate films. Amongst my favorite are: A Royal Affair, The Lives of Others, Remembrance, Sunshine, Les Miserables, and No Man's Land.

I am never without music and have a playlist for just about every activity. You can find music ranging from pop, country, opera, classical, jazz, alternative rock, blues, bachata, tamburica, and chalga on my Ipod. I love exploring traditional folk music as well. Andrea Bocelli, Matthew Barber, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift (my guilty pleasure), Vivaldi, and Klaus Hoffman are among my favorite artists.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hiked Machu Picchu, roadtripped across the US

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Peru, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, Scotland, United States