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My mom & dad met in college, and never lived far from their hometowns in Pennsylvania, except during a few years when Dad was in the Navy. During that time, my brother and I were born on a U.S. Naval base in Rota, Spain. Although we moved back to Pennsylvania when I was three, there was no staying put in one place for me! The Navy calls Rota “the Gateway to the Mediterranean.” For me, Rota had opened a door to the entire world! Just knowing that my start was so different from the rural town where I later grew up was enough to inform my thinking in ways that my family found amusing and sometimes strange.

Now, I want you to realize that strangeness isn’t a bad thing! If nothing were ever strange to me, then I would never learn anything new. This interest in new things serves me well as a person, and as a designer. Design is a tool for taking an existing message and reconfiguring it in a way that makes it easier to communicate, to motivate or to inspire action. Good design can introduce a new concept or give people a fresh perspective on products or ideas they have been acquainted with for years. Supported by research, observation and innovation, design has the capacity to simplify complex ideas and achieve results. Traveling has taught me how to adapt the way I use this tool to each situation.

Observation is one of the aspects of travel I find most compelling. I have always been fascinated by people who are different than me, cultures that have different customs, and places far far away. My love of exploration has led me to some great adventures over the years! I took a bus to New York City with a suitcase and a sleeping bag and stayed for a full year. After that I spent six months teaching English in Peru and a few years working in Washington D.C. Then I got a job as a flight attendant and my travel lust really exploded!

In addition to the excitement of new foods and old buildings, travel has given me an opportunity to observe people in many parts of the world; what they like, how they think, and why they value what they do. I believe that travel educates us in ways that no other experience can. It opens our minds to various ways of approaching a situation, and multiple methods of solving problems. My diverse background enhances my ability to empathize with various types of people—a valuable communication tool I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Just as travel brings people together—physically and figuratively—my design centers around human interactions. I always consider how people will use my design to enhance their relationships and experiences with others. My personal style is an eclectic representation of the world from my perspective. I take the old and infuse it with something new. I draw by hand then integrate that into computer generated artwork. I mix influences from several different cultures into one design. As you traverse my design portfolio, think about it as a journey around the world and through my life. I believe that you will find the trip informative and entertaining. So sit back, relax and remember that like travel, my design is also about having fun!

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