My early years were spent in the area of Buffalo. New York where I was born. My father served in the Pacific in WWII, and upon returning after the war, was determined to move to a warmer clime.

It took several years as he went to night school after working in a factory full time during the day, receiving training in electronics. We then moved to Florida as I was entering 3rd grade. My father worked full time for a propane gas company, while building an electronics repair business on the side, which became a full-time endeavor.

Even then, taking a vacation with a family of 5 was expensive. Our first vacation was an over-niter to the Florida Keys, where all five of us slept in an old Plymouth Station Wagon. Over the next few years, we purchased a tent, then two. On our vacations we traveled from park to park all over the southeastern U.S., having wonderful adventures and encounters with all kinds of wildlife including bears, alligators, snakes, hogs and skunks.

I developed a love for the outdoors, travel, and adventure. I went on to earn an AS degree in Pre-Engineering from a Community College, but decided that I wanted to pursue forestry, and changed majors, receiving a BS degree in Forestry from the University of Florida. I worked in forestry for 15 years, and I discovered that I wanted to learn more about myself, and that I enjoyed helping others.

Along the way, I received certification in Real Estate (for education in purchasing income producing properties), Health and Life Insurance, and also Securities. My work after forestry involved sales and customer service with a number of companies including AT&T, Target, Walmart, Cellular One, Burlington, Bridgestone/Firestone, and Lowe’s.

My interest in personal growth developed when I saw patterns in my life that I wanted to change, and I knew there had to be a different way, but I did not know what that looked like. I avoided setting goals because I saw no way to get there, and I did not want to fail.

My voyage during the past 21 years has included my wife, Millie, who persuaded me to move to western North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge mountains, where we lived for 8 years, and then to upstate New York, where Millie’s family lives. I could not afford to retire, so I continued to work full time.

Then our life took an abrupt turn. One of Millie’s brothers had been all around the world, and settled in Ecuador. He invited us to visit, and so we did, in March of 2022. The decision was made, and 3 months later, we moved to southern Ecuador where we live, surrounded by the Andes Mountains. Nothing like going all in! Once the decision is made, you just have to manifest it. MKE has already changed my perspective, and I am excited about what my future holds for me