Personal
Always up to something new and interesting, this is a collection of creative and adventure projects.
100 Days of Drawing
Jan 2020 - Dec 2020
Before Covid era (BCE) I attended the Seattle Interactive Conference where I was inspired by UMSI alumni Tiantian Xu to complete a 100 Days of Drawing Creativity challenge. While 2020 was a challenge, I was able to keep up with the challenge and completed a number of drawings, primarily using a ink and watercolor medium. The goal of this project was to embrace failure. By trying something I was new and intentionally practicing something difficult to see improvement over time.
The entire project is documented on Instagram and includes all 100 drawings, from terrifying to terrific.
Along the way I learned the importance of color, two point and one point perspective, linework, abstraction, and the joy of documenting and focusing on the present with elements of daily life.
Getting the Fastest Known Time on the B2B Trail
May 2021
43 miles, 69 kilometers
An adventure right in our backyard, the Border to Border (B2B) Trail is a 43 mile trail from Ypsilanti, Michigan to Chelsea, Michigan and crosses all of Washtenaw County. It is also a part of the Iron Belle Trail . I completed this hike in 19 hours and 54 minutes, getting the Fastest Known Time on the Trail, hiking 44 miles in 19 hours and 54 minutes. Highlights included good food along the way from Ypsi Food Co-Op, wild turkeys, sandhill cranes, and watching the sunrise and the sunset on the Huron River.
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Yakpacking the Huron River
April 2018 - October 2020
167 kilometers, 90.1 nautical miles
The Huron River Water Trail is a 167 kilometer path from Milford, Michigan to Lake Erie. Over the course of 2.5 years me and a small group of friends kayaked different sections of the river, including camping overnight along the way.
We learned the importance of keeping car keys in dry bags, project planning implementation with the challenging logistics of kayaking sections as a group, and the value of sunscreen and friendship.
Directional Map for Delivery Drivers
June 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 residents in our apartment complex were stuck at home with a shelter in place order. I observed approximately 10/10 delivery drivers get lost when trying to deliver packages, pizzas, pad thai, and insomnia cookies. With a background in data viz and design, I created a custom map for our apartment complex. After feedback from the HOA board in support, I printed out maps and placed them in 6 locations in the complex. They turned out to be so popular that the board printed the map off on a fancy sign at the front of the complex.
Tour du Mont Blanc
July 2019 - August 2019
100 kilometers
In the summer of 2019 before beginning grad school at the University of Michigan, I hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc with my significant other and a couple of friends. The trail goes through Italy, France, and Switzerland and circles Mont Blanc (White Mountain), the highest point in all of Europe. The trip of a lifetime, the highlight of the trail is all the unique villages and towns you pass through where you can eat Swiss chocolate, drink Italian espresso, and consume French baguettes and artisanal cheese.
Waterloo - Pinckney Trail
February 2018 - March 2018
36 miles
In 2018 I set a goal to get outside every Sunday for the year with friends and family. We dubbed it Sunday Funday. Our first project of this new year's resolution was to hike The Waterloo - Pinckney Trail, a trail just west of Ann Arbor near Chelsea, Michigan.
We learned the importance of long sleeves, the joy of winter hiking, and how much fun it can be to strap a go pro to a puppy.
Portland to Portland on a Tandem
May 2011 - August 2011
2500+ miles
In 2011 as a young Sociology and Global Studies student I thought it would be a good summer challenge to bike from the Atlantic Coast in the United States from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon. We camped, stayed with people from WarmShowers, and friends and family along the way.
We learned the joy and generosity of strangers, that butterflies fly faster than a bike at times, and the importance of planning and communication.
