I'm a first-generation Californian. However, my roots are in Appalachian Ohio and West Virginia. I think I can officially claim to be a Son of the American Revolution and there is a rumor that someone in the family was a passenger on the Mayflower. At the end of the day, for better or worse, I'm a typical mutt of European descent with all of the pride and guilt associated with that.

Much like my DNA, my life has been and is a mishmash of interests and exploration. I've worked in factories, managed retail, own(ed) several businesses, been a mountain search and rescue volunteer, flew a small plane poorly a couple of times, and have been to Disneyland enough to work as a Plaid. I've been to a few countries—I think Canada counts. I also realize that Buckaroo Banzai got it right when he said, "No matter where you go, there you are." I know enough about a few things to be fairly competent at them and just enough about a lot of things to occasionally break things.

I spent the last eight-plus years as a Creative Director for a cutting-edge space technology and Earth observation company. I had the joys and challenges that come with leading a team of creative designers and developers as we strove to make the complex simple and compelling. I'm was fortunate to be a part of an organization that works to make the world a more transparent and better place.

My time is currently spent, parenting, making, side-hustling, and content creating. I have more hobbies and interests than time or money. I design, 3D print, woodwork, machine, laser-cut, dabble in electronics, shoot photos and video, make electronic sounds (with synthesizers), and code things with microcontrollers to do things. The best word I've found to describe myself is multipotentialite. When it comes to tools, my philosophy is "better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it." I've also been a mentor on a robotics team and teach design, programming, and web at the local junior college and high school.

This should provide some insight into what drives my relationship status and why it's almost impossible to get me out of the house.