CURRENT MISSION

Do big thangs

ABOUT ME

I just moved back to Muhr-cah from Dalian China a few months ago. The plan was to learn to speak Mandarin but it went, bu tai hao. I have a car that runs on vegetable oil and currently am vegging my way across North America. It's my hobby and the biggest source of stress in my life all at the same time. Either way, for the next few months the Veggiewagen and I are camping, wwoofing and maybe doing a little surfing too. The next big experience is the pan American highway (into S. America)! That one's going to require a school bus and a few more people though. There's a huge world out there and I want to experience as much of it as possible.

edit - this is all super old, but just add in some traveling around the states and a lot of doctoral school and it's up to date

PHILOSOPHY

There was a movie it turns out most people haven't watched called "The Truman Show". Jim Carrey thought he was living an average life, but in truth it turned out his life was a giant reality show. His neighbors, wife, family were all actors, the town just an elaborate stage. For some reason this made an impression on me.

Immediately after high school I got in my car and drove straight across the United States to swim in an ocean other than the one by my house. All together my travels within the United States have put between 35,000 and 45,000 miles on my cars. Most unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and more carefree days yielded to studies. However, after three grueling years I once again intend to seize the day... albeit on a much grander scale this time around.

Interests

alternative energy, cycling, international relations, camping, writing, cars. I'm into politics but place a heavy emphasis on respecting other people's opinions. It's surprising the variety of views that are compatible shen you don't start by assuming the other person is an idiot.

• writing
• politics
• traveling
• cars
• cycling
• camping
• surfing
• swimming
• international relations

Music, Movies, and Books

Mostly read non-fiction, I like the Atlantic and the Economist. As the classics are freeeee on Kindle I've been getting into some Sherlock Holmes and other 19th century stuff too. I also enjoy starting large novels and tapering off around page 350. For TV, I'm big into Curb your Enthusiasm, Weeds, Mad Men. Also, I have to throw this out there: Bewitched season 1. Hugely under-rated. I could write a dissertation on that show. Movies... greatest of all time either Gone With the Wind or Scarface, maybe Back to the Future.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of my favorite memories that's been popping up a lot recently is driving down a small highway in Virginia in the dead of night and dead of winter. Couldn't have been more than ten degrees out. The heater was blasting, fighting the bite of the frigid air buffeting through the open sunroof. The sky was so clear it bathed the inside of the car in starlight.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a radical moderate. All of my experiences and views are placed in the context of trying to understand all sides, listen intently and convey succinctly.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, China, Israel, Japan, Puerto Rico, South Korea, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States