My dreams include motorcycling 6,092 longitudinal miles from San Antonio to Ushuaia, Argentina by way of the Pan-Am Hwy; cage diving with carcharodon carcharias in Gansbaai, South Africa; commercially orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph; and hiking the first leg of the Appalachian Trail with my Father, encouraging his dream to finish it.
I’ve travelled to 44 of our 50 states, walked in 10 Nations on 4 Continents and lived in 7 States from the West Coast to the East, and abroad in 3 Countries from North to South.
I bring two things on every travel; my vintage Reno t and my black Northface backpack.
Landscapes are what I am most inspired to capture in my photography. I build and design based on nature and my environment.
The architecture and composition of my imagery drawn literally from building on the designs and constructs found within our surroundings. From micro-tablescapes like the pristine, wind-swept close-up appearance of arctic white fondant icing swathing a wedding cake, to larger scale backdrops of the physical environment like the Atacama desert and Valle de la Luna where the vast wind-swept plains of water starved Earth look eerily familiar to the microcosm of a decadent pastry.
Speaking of pastries, I am addicted to Panera orange scones and hazelnut coffee; speaking of hazelnut, I am a Nutella addict.
I had an unhealthy relationship with Nestlé milk chocolate morsels for twelve months and three cavities in 2011.
Spiritual study is important to me. Knowing what we believe is fundamental but understanding why we believe it, is foundational.
I experience God through the religious contexts of scripture, study, dialogue, and prayer with an open respect and awe of the supernatural. Books on Christianity, the Bible, Buddhist-Judeo Christian philosophy, apologetics, the Holy Spirit, faith, leadership, Latin American politics & economics, and the biographies of Che Guevara and Violeta Parra, the writings of Jose Mariátegui and Mario Vargas Llosa, the lyrics of Victor Jara, and the accounts of Rafael Trujillo and Pinochet’s Los Desaparecidos decorate my library.
I am an AllProDad. Loving my wife despite the craziness of life is the most important thing I can do for my son; it is also the most important thing for my marriage. From the romanticism of our December engagement story written by the milieu of a mariachi serenade below her Miami balcony from the waterfront gardens below, to serenading her heart & soul, our December-born boy, with the same games of Old Maid and all the virtues with none of my vices.
Family is at the core of who I am. Raised on sit-down dinners and armed with evenings of ConnectFour, Old Maid, Monopoly, and Pickup Sticks, my parents taught me the values of respect, integrity, character, and family; establishing the virtues of faith, hope, and love.
Knowing that we are loved and cared for in this world is the beginning of knowing peace, one reason why I believe that serving others within our community changes lives.
Putting down the smartphone and picking up the leadership role at home is my biggest responsibility.