I was born July 2, 1971 in Wellsboro, PA. I'd love to say that growing up I was just your average run-of-the-mill child — but that would simply be a lie. At a young age, I started showing my love for adventure and travel. My father says that he became aware how deep this love was when I was 10 years old.

I had spent the early part of the summer reading Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huck Finn. Well, after those two books, how could any 10-year-old not be inspired to set off in search of adventure? So, armed with my Rand McNally road map, limited food (actually a candy bar or two), and a $9.95 blowup raft recently purchased at Ames, I set off on the adventure of a lifetime (or so I thought). I had masterminded a plan to float down the Cowanesque River, connect to the Susqehanna River, then on to the mighty Chesapeake Bay. After spending several days reviewing the road map, I convinced my father to drop me and another kid (who I had somehow convinced that this really was a good idea) at the river. Feeling rather prepared and ready for anything our journey began. Well, as it turned out, the trip ended in roughly 12 miles due to two factors I had some how overlooked: the first was the extreme lack of water that year; and the second was a rather large waterfall. The limited success of this trip did nothing more than whet my appetite further for future adventures.

I was 13 when one grandfather's friends invited us to go sailing with him on Lake Cayuga in upstate New York. The boat was a 21' US Yacht, and I knew instantly that I was in love with this sport. When I looked at her, I saw distant lands, new people, and ADVENTURE. This one-day love affair was so significant that I remember the boat better than I remember my first girlfriend. It would be another 13 years before I would step aboard another sailing vessel.

At the age of 20, I hitchhiked across country to Silverthorne, CO. I took a job at the Keystone Daycare Center in order to support my latest passion, snowboarding. Once the season ended (many dirty diapers later), I moved down to Boulder. It was here that my life really changed. I no longer felt as though I didn't blend — Boulder was full of adventure addicts just like myself. I spent the next several years rock climbing, ice climbing, mountain biking, and boarding in some of most beautiful places on Earth.

In 1996 while living in Alaska, I bought a 21' Toyota Dolphin camper and set out on an extended road trip. After spending several months driving around the country and rock climbing, I decided to head north to visit some friends in Bremerton, WA. Once I arrived, it became obvious that leaving was going to be more difficult than getting there. Incredibly — or maybe not — due to some poor planning and a bit too much fun, I had run out of gas and money simultaneously. So, I got a job in Seattle and started trying to earn enough gas money to head out again.

Seattle is a great maritime city. I loved sitting on the waterfront with a cup of coffee watching the boats cross the Puget Sound. Feeling that same inspiration I felt when I was 10, I set out in search of another vessel capable of carrying me to distant places. When I first saw her she was covered in dirt and tree sap, but I was able immediately see the beauty beneath. The day I bought her, I realized I really didn't know anything about sailing a larger boat and might need a book to reference. So, once again, armed with a book, limited food, and a boat I set off. I spent the next year sailing around the Sound learning as much as I could. Interestingly enough after buying Fa Vella I still lacked the gas money necessary to leave.

Unfortunately my time with Fa Vella was short and I was forced to sell her. After spending a few months boatless, I was determined to find another. After a ton of searching (roughly 3 hours), I found Blown Away. She was a gorgeous 23' San Juan that cost me my last $2,500 — the gas would have to wait.

It was about this time that I met Jeff. The two of set out on many weekend adventures on Blown Away, usually showing up salty and filthy at Paul and Lisa's in Bremerton. By the end of 1999, I had bought Tramonto, a 31' Hallberg-Rassy, with Jeff.

We had great voyages sailing Tramonto around the Puget Sound and to the San Juans. A couple of years of very hard work and a crash in the high-tech market helped me realize that the time was right for an extended voyage. It didn't take much to convince Jeff that this was the opportune moment.

As I write this, I sit aboard Tramonto in San Diego. 1,200 miles of blue water have passed under her keel recently, and I have the same feeling in my stomach as I did the day I jumped aboard my rubber raft. By the time this trip is over, roughly 14,000 miles will have passed with us aboard. That is 13,140 hours filled with opportunities to meet new people, experience new things, and hopefully leave a positive mark. And still no gas money!