| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable childhood experience is from when I was about 6 years old at my grandfather’s house in France. My grandfather bought a 15th century extension to a medieval castle in a small town. He spent his lifetime restoring it as close to the original as possible. There are underground tunnels and some secret passageways through buildings that would allow tax collectors to safely travel to the castle from the edge of town. One summer, my brothers and I saw a French movie called "Les Visiteurs" and decided to re-enact the scenes we liked in the courtyard for our family to watch. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I have always identified closest with my maternal grandfather because we share the same birthday, name and we are both left-handed. We also shared a love of the traditional arts. He passed away while I was a teenager, but he spent a lot of time showing me how to woodwork and garden and many other worldly and artistic tasks. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire people who are reliable and do the things they set out to do or committed to doing. I also admire people who are selfless and compassionate. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I can't recall the funniest thing that has ever happened to me but there have been many laughs. I have always been drawn to anyone with incredible wit and I have trouble meeting people that can keep up. A story that makes my friends laugh is when I was around 14 years old and my very first girlfriend was having a birthday party. I bought her some flowers and started walking through the neighborhood to find her house. I called her because I couldn't find it and her father came to pick me up on his motorcycle. I had never ridden on a motorcycle before so i put the flowers in my mouth and wrapped my arms around my girlfriend’s father. At a stop sign he awkwardly said, "I have handles you know". So, I remove my arms from around his waist and grab his love handles. After arriving and getting off the bike, I noticed some leather straps for the passenger to hold on to. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to France more often to take in my roots. I would also really like to go to Japan as I have a lot of respect for their culture. My next travel destination will be Hawaii because I love tropical places. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would like to pass on to my children any wisdom I have acquired throughout my life. I would also show them all the useful skills I have acquired and all of the artistic skills as well. Most importantly, I would pass on to them to love and care for people and to accept everyone for who they are. |
