𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬'𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠 #𝟏 | 𝙼𝚢 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚘𝚜𝚝

     Steemit seems like quite an interesting and innovative way to gain new information about other people's lives while sharing your own life and insights with other members that may find the content informative and entertaining. As I'm new here, please bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of the platform and community.
     I find the concept exciting and look forward to participating as an active member. As well, I'd like to thank everyone that has commented and followed me so far especially @JustinParke who has been kind enough to introduce me, mentor me through the process and send some introductions around the community.

     I'll try to give the highlights of my life and the experiences that have shaped me into the individual I am today. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, which I was happy to escape from at the first opportunity. Looking back on that time, however, I could say that it was a pretty good childhood and I was quite fortunate to have grown up in such a safe setting, although I did feel a lack of cultural stimulation at times.

     After graduating from university in Business Administration in the Appalachian Mountains of western Maryland and kicking around the DC area for a few years doing administration jobs I joined a cycling advocacy group.

     I had already been into cycling around quite a bit, having gotten into it in university. In the advocacy group I met and became friends with a bicycle messenger. At this time I was working for a non-profit law firm in downtown Washington DC and commuting to work from the inner suburbs daily by bicycle. The only part of my day I truly enjoyed was cycling.

     My new friend offered to get me a job as a messenger. I had already (directed by him) acquired a proper road bicycle and the bag and gear needed to be a messenger. So I decided to try it. The first day everything felt so natural I was amazed they were going to pay me to do what I would do for free. And so that continued on for 10 years, 4 cities and 2 continents.

"𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲."

     I was already what I considered a radical thinker and living outside of the norms of society. This job and lifestyle allowed me to go even further and not have to conform for employment. I could really be myself and live in almost any city in the USA and as it turned out in Vienna, Austria as well.
     I had traveled around USA quite a bit previously, hitchhiking and other means of transport. I read "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac and I was gone on my first adventure. Having grown up in the east of USA, the west always held a bit of a promised land for me as for many others as well. But yet I never really felt comfortable there. In 1999, I got my first passport in San Francisco and flew to Thailand with my girlfriend at the time.

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐤, 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐱𝐢 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞."

     20 years later, I'm still here although I've lived in other places in the meantime such as Poland, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. For 10 years I lived every year on the beach in India with various travels around the country. After 5 years in Poland teaching English I returned to India 2 more times but India has changed drastically, as have I in some ways.

     I seem to keep returning to Phuket, Thailand, however, as it feels the closest thing to a home these days. Beautiful beaches, vegetarian food, and more than large enough to do some fantastic cycling and easy to avoid the tourist areas.

     I've always enjoyed writing as it gives me an sense of calm and enables me to express myself in ways that I'm less willing to do vocally.

     @justinparke, who runs "Khmerican Family Abroad" and #SteemComic, recommended I check out some friendly communities like @ecotrain, @naturalmedicine, @reggaesteem, @innerblocks, @vegansofsteemit, @qurator, @creativecoin, @crowdmind, @steemterminal and @travelfeed. I will be sure to do that, and I look forward to this Steem Journey.