Vitals: I'm an easy-going guy who loves being active, the outdoors, and traveling, and I aim to make those things a focus rather than something I do in my spare time. I'm looking for someone amazing to have adventures of all shapes and sizes with.
I'm driven by curiosity and a desire to discover new things and develop new skills, and to experience as much as possible first hand. I'm always interested in gaining a better understanding of how things work. I try to consistently find ways to improve myself.
I love to create and do and interact, rather than simply consume and observe. I experiment with food and cooking; I enjoy learning to play and sing songs that I love on the guitar; I try to capture beautiful moments with my camera; when I read about an interesting place or event, I want to experience it myself. For me, a lot of the pleasure comes from being part of the process and gaining deeper understanding through it.
My professional expertise is in web development. The code itself has a beauty and art to it, and developing elegant, creative tools provides me with immense satisfaction.
Job-wise, I set out a few years ago with the goal of building a location-independent business that allows me the flexibility to travel pretty much wherever, whenever, and I'm very fortunate to be able to say that that's finally become a reality. I spent most of November traveling through Thailand and Cambodia, which was amazing. Peru, Patagonia, Eastern Europe, the American Southwest, and Barcelona are high on my list of places to visit in 2013 - but I'll go anywhere I have the opportunity.
My family is awesome, both immediate and extended. They're close enough that I get to see them with some frequency, and far enough that it's never an intrusion. Family holidays tend to be highly entertaining affairs - in the best possible way.
Stuff that makes me happy
Making and designing things. Adventures. Reaching places you can't get to by road. Getting lost. Spontaneous road trips. Wandering. Discovering new places. Encountering smells that recall lost memories. Singing. Campfires. Snowy nights. Playing board games with friends. Winter cabins. Telling stories. Surprising friends. Red wine. Self sufficiency and personal responsibility. Simplicity. Planning grand schemes that inevitably disintegrate into something even better. Integrity. Authenticity. Teaching. Movie nights. Sharp wit. Passionate discourse. Finely wrought sentences. The smell of crisp fall days. Mountains. Walking barefoot. The sea.
Stuff that doesn't make me happy
Clubs or bars where it's so loud you can't have a conversation. Self-serving rationalizations. Bad grammar. People who don't think for themselves. Catching myself in any of the above.
Who I'm looking for
I'm hoping to find someone who shares some or most of my passions - traveling with some frequency (anything from backpacking to 5 star hotels), being outdoors (especially hiking), music (I play guitar and sing with a modestly competent amount of enthusiasm), food (cooking or eating, either works), photography (well, perhaps a healthy tolerance if not a personal passion), great storytelling (films, novels, television series), and a desire to explore in all senses of the word.
I'm also looking for someone who will challenge me and introduce me to new things, both physically and intellectually; a best friend; someone highly intelligent, athletic, confident in themself and excited about life; someone who wants to do fantastic things together and be equal partners in a relationship. And I'm serious about finding someone special - I'm not looking for a short-term relationship without the possibility of long-term potential.
I'm excited/nervous/hopeful to find someone amazing to share it all with!
