Born in 1985 and raised just outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my passion for traveling goes back to some of the first books or rather, journals that I read. As a kid I often lied about reading books whether how much or at all. They were always too long winded and boring for me, possibly like my blog posts… I became a master ‘skimmer’ at a young age, which I’m ashamed enough to admit followed me all the way through Graduate School and really helped through most of my “required” readings. In any case, the readings I found that fit my attention span were inside of National Geographic magazines. In these magazines I first laid eyes on amazing beautiful places and animal species in nature that I had never seen before or even knew existed! This amazement & curiosity fueled my desire to travel and see the world to which I began doing on my own in 2008. My first stop was the Grand Canyon, then Rocky Mountain National Park, so on & so forth. Sometimes I travel with a companion. More often I travel alone.
Traveling and hiking in remote places awards me a peace & freedom I often do not find in society. I also have the pleasure of watching animals in their natural habitat as they were meant to be seen. All this has fueled my passion for photography as well. Similar to my work as a Therapist & Coach, I am able to use my keen abilities in observation to capture some of the most beautiful moments that nature blesses us with. I’ve been a keen observer of others and my surroundings for as long as I can remember. It has fueled my abilities to work in various trades such as being a lifeguard, swim coach, photo developer, anthropology undergrad, martial arts instructor, photographer, & therapist. Inversely, my experience in each of these trades has helped my abilities in focusing on various perspectives through observation over time as well.
There are beautiful moments all around us all of the time. Each beautiful moment in time requires its own unique perspective which is subject to the eye of the beholder. Some moments are large and everlasting like the Torres del Paine mountain range or Grand Canyon which formed over millions of years. Some moments are small such as a butterfly on your fingertip and some moments are quick like a dolphin that briefly jumps out of the ocean for just a second.
Whatever the case, these beautiful moments in life that take place in nature or inside our heads is what I focus on through my work as a Therapist, Coach, Traveler & Photographer.
My name is Tony. The kids I’ve helped over the years refer to me as Mr. Tony. This blog contains various chronicles from my life & travels. My purpose in writing these blogs are to reflect upon where I’ve been, what I’ve learned and to ultimately inspire you to get out there, travel, & experience a more meaningful part of life for yourself as well.
Safe travels? No. Get out there, make mistakes, push yourself past your limits & learn more about yourself than you’ve ever known. Then you’ll have stories of your own to share.