IMAGINE INSPIRE IMPACT
Hi, I'm Mike and like many of you reading this, I too am passionate about certain things in life. In no particular order, these include but are not limited to:
Travel | Photography | Storytelling
Education | Relationships | Personal Growth
You're in the right place if you are curious to know what I'm up to and where I am going next. Sit back and relax as I share my global adventures with you through images, videos and occasionally a story or two in hopes that I inspire each of you to get out and explore our amazing planet.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ‘The City of Brotherly Love’ is famous for delicious cheesesteaks and Tastycakes, the Philadelphia Art Museum, and the Rocky Statue. Growing up on the east coast of the United States, I was fortunate enough to meet and have friends from many different ethnic backgrounds and cultures, and I believe that is what initially fueled my desire to travel and explore places that were unfamiliar to me.
During my university days I studied educational psychology (the scientific study of how people think and learn) and went on to earn a master’s degree in education, specializing in curriculum design for adult learners.
As a visual learner myself, I've always been fascinated with shapes, patterns and images so I enrolled in a black & white film photography class in college and absolutely fell in love with sharing my adventures through the images I captured.
Since that time, I have converted over to digital photography and continue my photography education through attending formal classes and workshops, and also by experimenting with my equipment on a regular basis.
Following university, I've had a wildly successful career in corporate learning and human performance. I have spent a fair amount of time traveling for work over the years, both within the United States and around the world.
My love for travel continues to be fueled on a regular basis and as I visit new places, I'm also adding to my library of travel images. Traveling for me is still an addictive, real-life education. These days when I'm not traveling I use most of my free time researching places to visit and planning the itinerary for my next far away adventure.
At some point over the last couple of years I read the following quote from Seth Godin which really got me thinking about my career trajectory at that time: “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.”
In mid-2014 I took some time off from the corporate world and pursued some personal development opportunities. I traveled to SE Asia and explored unique regions and cultures that date back thousands of years. I also earned a TESOL certificate and can now teach English pretty much anywhere in the world.
Today as I continue along the journey of making my passions a way of life, I know that to be successful I need to apply my skills and knowledge in the fields of education, photography, travel, and writing. Whether I teach English or land an education management position with an international company, I will strive to make my passions a way of life!
If I can do all of this while simultaneously fulfilling dreams of traveling to parts of the world I have yet to visit, then perhaps I might be onto something here. Thanks for listening, I have to get back to planning my next adventure!
