I shot into the world one July evening in the early eighties. For the next 17 years, I worked on my family's bean farm in Freedom, Maine with my parents and three brothers. While studying biochemistry and genetics at the University of Maine, I also learned the arts of mind control and duct tape upholstery. Shortly after entering the working world, I realized that biochemistry and duct tape, though practical, wouldn't get me where I wanted to go, so I spent two years living in Senegal, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In my village, Sare Kemo, I did my best to help families and farmers thrive on their own land. Also, I learned to skin a rabbit. During the three years following my overseas service, I dabbled in biodiesel, candy-furniture construction, welding, and then pharmaceuticals (making them, not taking them). When I tired of cleanrooms and rubber gloves, I took a six-month quarter-career retirement in South East Asia. Retirement was the inspiration for my first travel book, Backpack Like You Mean It. When I returned to the hustle and bustle of American life, I had a parasite and a plan. These days, I spend my time writing, and when I'm tired of that, I bend metal objects with my mind.