From a young age, I was drawn to animals and the natural world. Steve Irwin was a hero of mine. The zoo was my favorite place to go. Growing up on 100 acres with more pets than I can count probably didn’t help. And as I got older that feeling of wanting to protect animals and wild places never really left.

I studied conservation biology, and somewhere in there backpacked across Europe and did some volunteer conservation work in Nicaragua, Zimbabwe, and led a trip to Ecuador. Those experiences changed me more than I expected. I was a pretty shy, nerdy kid, and somewhere between the hostels and the field stations and the strangers who became friends overnight, I learned how to talk to people. How to show up somewhere new and find my footing. For the first time I felt like I’d found a community that made sense to me, and I didn’t really want to let go of that feeling. After graduating I took a working holiday visa to Ireland, which turned into my first real taste of building a life somewhere new. That itch to keep moving is something I still haven’t fully resolved, and honestly I’m not sure I want to.

That restlessness eventually pointed me toward a masters in international affairs in Switzerland, a way to advance my career, find the next step, and actually do something good for the world. It led to work with organizations like the UN and WWF on corporate sustainability and nature-based finance. When my visa ran out I moved back to the US, which felt strange after years of always having somewhere new to go.

Travel has always been a priority, and even on a tight budget I’ve found ways to make it happen. Seventy-five plus countries so far, and I’m still going.

I’m based in Washington D.C. now and trying to build something stable here, but the pull to keep moving hasn’t gone away. Finding the balance between those two things is still a work in progress.

Whatever brought you here, I hope you find something useful.