| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | Many of my most memorable experiences focus around the outdoors. My family enjoyed camping and spending time in nature; teaching the importance of communication and shaping how I value spending my time even now. One year in particular we spent in the mountains supporting a horse ranch - I slept under the stars, learned to ride, the value and rewards of hard work - to this day I remember it frequently. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I most closely identify with my mother. We have always had a close relationship, staying in touch despite being geographically separate. She went to incredible lengths raising three boys (all with different personalities, interests, and skills) and I admire what she did to accomplish this. We have much in common, in particular our enjoyment of learning new things - we will frequently send little interesting trivia factoids back and forth. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Honor and self-awareness are some of the key abilities that I admire; it's always impressive to me when I run into it. Combine it with a sense of humor, as some of the best people I know can laugh at themselves which can defuse even the most tense situation. The ability to reflect, grow, and learn matters more to me than almost any other thing. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | My family lived abroad when I was young. Being a group of redheaded boys, my brothers and I were exploring the ruins of a castle when an (also) American family came up to my mother (watching from the roadside) and asked to take a picture with her 'fine Irish lads' since they were on vacation. We laugh about it to this day! |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | This is an easy answer for me - as a self-proclaimed space nerd, I would take a trip to the moon. I keep hoping that it will become possible in my lifetime, despite the issues associated with it. It was a dream of mine to become an astronaut and to step onto another planet. In the more realistic world, I would love to go to Italy - the culture, the climate, the food... |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I think some of the most important things I can pass on will be self-sufficiency, curiosity, and a sense of honor. Each of these has had a dramatic positive impact on my life, and I believe them all to be important to pass down to my future children. Making their own way in the world in their own way will be something I'll enjoy seeing and I know that these traits will make them be better people and members of society. |
