An introduction: Wilson

Hi, this is Wilson. Muriel and I are safely back from a very challenging and amazing experience on the John Muir Trail. The long and short of it is that we were able to keep our plan, putting in 10 very full days of backpacking, while covering a bit over 160 miles of the High Sierra country. A full post, with pics will be on the way in the next few days. Writing this post from Newark airport, awaiting my flight up to New England to visit my family and friends before we head.

 

As promised, I wanted to get up an brief introduction, for those that Mu and i meet along the way as well as people that might not be as familar with my interest and background.

 

Travel

Considering the travel that is in front of us, it is pretty obvious that it is a big part of our life. Travel was a big part of our lives before we met each other and we have upped our game together. Within the first couple years of being together, we had been to the 6 habitable continents (damn you, Antarctica), with extended stints on a couple to pursue graduate work. I think the crazy place we have been thus far is the Congo, which is truly a world unto itself.

 

Costa Rica - 2011

 

I love travel for a couple of reasons, first being experiencing new cultures and lifestyles, it is such a huge world and there are so many ways that people live happily and successfully. Secondly, i love seeing the beauty of new places, especially if it is unexpected. That feeling of discovery along the journey really gets my blood flowing. Lastly, I enjoy how travel is a challenge, operating in an unfamiliar language, navigating a new and confusing city, for example. In a world with so many ready answers via our smartphones, Google and the like, that feeling of uncertainty and discovery hold a great deal of personal appeal.

 

Sports/Recreation

An enormous part of my life is composed of sports and recreation. Playing sports has always been a deep part of my psyche, and that compulsion has not mellowed in as i have gotten older. An ideal week includes playing hockey, basketball, soccer, yoga, nearly daily trail runs, a bike ride (road usually, but also mt biking is super fun), skiing and several rock climbing sessions.

Mt Shasta

 

The good life in the Bay

Mu and i were married in 2007 and have been living in San Francisco for roughly the last 4 years. We love this city, with its great food, abundant outdoor opportunities and so many great friends. Living in SF, you alos get to host a ton of people visiting or coming through. SO many treausred memories, whether heading to day/weekend adventures, big group meals at our apartment, spending time with family, trying new restaurants/foods. SF is a special city and one of the best in my view.

 

Professional/Education

Lastly, thought it would be a good idea to have a brief bio about my work life. For roughly the last 5 years, I have worked in the coporate sustainability and responisblity feild. The first half of that time as a global CSR analyst at a firm called Nortel and the 2nd half as the Busiess Sustainablity Leader for Avaya. Working in this space has been an amazing expieirnce, with such diversity of challenges and opportunties. Loved having days that traversed from IT, to carbon/climate, employee communications and product compliance across a global footprint, to name a few common work topics.

 

On the education side, I hold masters from Duke in Public Policy and Environmental Management, having graduated from there in 2007. My undergrad degrees are from Claremont McKenna College in econ and history. My stuides and researcvh have thankfully taken me all over the globe, from Brasil, to Geneve to Vietnam, fueling the wanderlust that is embeeded in my DNA.