So, how far back do we start here? I was born in a cabin in the woods outside of Fairbanks, Alaska in 1980... Well, maybe I should fast-forward a bit.

In what are now my post-Peace Corps days, I'm living and working in San Francisco, trying to figure out the best way to get back to Africa as soon as possible.

I graduated from San Francisco State University in May 2004 with a degree in Journalism, and theoretically have a permanent address somewhere near Arcata, in rural Humboldt County, northern California, 500 km (300 miles) north of San Francisco.

While my Driver's License may list California as home, anyone who knows me would know that I'm a traveler at heart.

And although teaching English in Sub-Saharan Africa may be the most daring (and certainly the most unusual) move I've ever made, I've already seen quite a bit of the world, and I see the Peace Corps as a beginning on a path to something where I can continue to travel, perhaps with the US State Department, the European Union, the United Nations, or maybe an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization.)

In 2002-2003, I lived in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and Århus, Denmark, as a participant in the Europe in the World International Journalism program. This gave me the chance to live in each of these countries for several months at a time, and visit many other European nations, including the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Germany, the UK, and more. In March 2003, I traveled to the Finnmark region of Norway, 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle to write for Euroviews magazine about the indigenous Samé people, and their struggle for self-determination. Later that year I went to Greece to report on the nation's small but influential Jewish community, and their attempts to preserve their heritage.

I feel really priveleged to have had the opportunity to see the things I've seen, and explore the places I've been. Some of it has been good fortune, but without meaning to sound too immodest, I've also worked hard for it. My experiences have made me realize how important being informed is. Americans are seen, for better or worse, as pretty powerful figures on the world stage, and the absolute lack of knowledge about places we travel, or worse, invade, is stunning. I know that I can't change the entire country, let alone the world, but I hope by exploring with an open mind, I can make a start...

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