I am Benjamin. I love to travel. I enjoy photographing unique views of places I go. I am a polyglot, and I love languages.
I am, according to Myers Briggs, an ENTJ type personality. E for Extroversion, N for iNtuition, T for Thinking, and J for Judgment. We ENTJ’s don’t take “no” for an answer; instead, use our resources to find a way to meet the challenge. That is one of the best sentences describing me. I am not easily persuaded but research my own conclusion.
I was born in March, which makes me an Aries, symbolized by a ram, a strong-willed animal. I was born in 1979, which on the Asian Zodiac, is the year of the ram. What is it that made me start traveling and learning about other cultures? The answer is having exposure to pen pals while I was growing up in the southern city of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
I have been writing to pen pals from different countries since I was 12 years old; two that I still keep in contact with are one from Japan and one from Russia. Kano, from Japan, was 18 at the time we began writing. I became fascinated with Japan its language. Evgeny, who was also 12 when we began writing, and I are like brothers now. These experiences have shaped my direction in life, along with my personality. Now, after numerous meetings, a wedding, and a new baby two new babies, I am continuously grateful for having them in my life. I truly have family all over the world.
After 22 years in Tennessee, one year in Tokyo, my first company moved me to the West Coast where I grew to love the Bay Area. Living in San Francisco has opened to me not only a diverse culture, but also a wide variety of opportunities to explore the landscape, different foods, parades, fairs, people, and myself.
My chapter in San Francisco’s Bay Area came to a close in 2005, after I decided to move to Australia to complete my master’s degree in Business. Through the downturn of the economy and a struggle to find other employment, I decided the best move for me was to move and find a new adventure–the destination was decided after my first trip to Australia.
I then returned back to San Francisco, and after my second stint there, I found that the inconvenient lifestyle of weather, downtown city living, and the hustle bustle kept me never feeling ‘at home’.
In 2011, I made another big leap, and followed my love of risk-taking and adventure, and decided to go it alone by starting Storefront Social, a shop for Facebook users. Following this opportunity has provided more than I could have imagined in finally feeling like I have found a home base in Austin, TX. The weather alone makes me extremely happy to be here, and now, living in between 2 major airports DFW and IAH, I can literally hop anywhere in the world with ease :)
My passion for exploration and travel will keep me globetrotting for many more years to come. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences.