I love travel, adventure and experiencing as much of the world as possible. I'm from Colorado (well, sorta...I moved around a lot as a kid but Colorado is where I call home) but just moved to New Jersey a couple months ago for work.

I love most anything that allows me to be outdoors, particularly skiing and scuba diving. My perfect life would involve spending winters in Colorado and summers off diving somewhere exotic.

I like people who are genuine and sincere and not afraid to just be themselves. Bonus if their genuine self just happens to be a bit goofy!

I am a Research Advisor with a biodiversity research and conservation management organization called Operation Wallacea.

I graduated from Lehigh University with a double major in Biological Anthropology and English Lit. After working for a couple of years at a law firm I decided to go back to school to study Bio/Chem a bit more in depth. It was during my first semester back that I got an offer for the job I now hold, which I absolutely love.

My company coordinates biodiversity research at different sites in the tropics, which means that over the summer I get to work at one of our marine sites teaching students about reef ecology and helping our academics with data collection. Working at our marine sites means I get to go diving just about every day, which it seems to me is pretty much the key to happiness.

Probably my willingness to make a complete fool of myself, especially if it makes someone else laugh or brightens their day.

I'm also told I have a great smile :)

Books--
Mostly postmodern lit--Kurt Vonnegut and Toni Morrison are some of my favorites. Right now I'm reading a lot more non-fiction though...mostly news/science articles and the occasional book on any topic that piques my interest (a lot of archaeology and neuroscience lately). I also just started reading James Michener's "Caribbean" which is a brilliant melding of fact and fiction.

Movies--
I like a wide variety of movies. I typically rank dramas at the top of the list (American History X, Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, King of Masks). Followed by classic funny movies (Dumb and Dumber, Wedding Crashers, etc.) and of course I can't forget the occasional Disney movie that I watch when I'm feeling nostalgic (Beauty and the Beast, Lion King). I'm also a sucker for period pieces or historical fiction.

Shows--
Really into Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy, Daily Show, and Californication these days. Just started getting into Game of Thrones. Also a big fan of Shark Week and I don't know if anyone remembers Freaks and Geeks or Trigger Happy TV but those were two of my favorites that were cut off before their time!

Music--
I'm all over the place with this one. I'll listen to just about every genre from pop to rock to folk to classical. I suppose I have a soft spot for the stuff I grew up listening to--The White Stripes, Pearl Jam, etc. I'm a pretty big fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Train, Muse, The Killers, The Black Keys as well as some folksier stuff like Blitzen Trapper and sometimes the Decembrists.

Food--
Anything spicy! I'm a particularly big fan of Thai and Central/South American and West Indian.

In no particular order...

1. My dog
2. My friends and family
3. Sparkling water (my favorite luxury)
4. Spicy food
5. Sunshine
6. The ocean

A lot of random, unrelated things...

like whether it would be possible for karma to be quantified in a way that works out mathematically...the net effect of human technology on our environment and, accordingly, ourselves...how my friends and family are doing...recipes I would like to invent or modify when I next have time to cook...places I would like to see...what I would do if [random disaster] were to occur and how I would awesomely survive it ;)

A few years ago (5...6?) I had an accident that damaged a major nerve branch leading to my right arm. I had to go through 2 years of physical therapy and a total of 6 surgeries on my spine, and I was told I'd never have a fully functioning arm again. But here I am today with everything in working order. My recovery was so remarkable that my surgeon is publishing my case study!