1. Where was your photo taken: By the Luna Cafe in Salzburg, Austria in 2005. I’m drawn to anything with my name on it.
2. Where do you live now: Philadelphia, PA. Home of Brotherly Love, the Liberty Bell, and the Eagles.
3. Scariest airline flown: A US Navy C-2A Greyhound airplane used for Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD). An aircraft carrier runway isn’t long enough, so the craft has to be catapulted off the deck from rest to about 150mph in under two seconds. I rode one once, and it wouldn’t have been so bad except the seats face the rear of the plane and I didn’t buckle my restraints tightly. The force hurled me a good six inches off of my seat before the straps held me back.
4. Favorite city/country/place: My favorite country (besides the US) is Germany. Munich, in particular, since I love strolling the Theresienwiese and hitting the beer tents during Oktoberfest.
5. Most remote corner of the globe visited: Somewhere in the Pacific aboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). It was so remote; I have no idea exactly where we were.
6. Favorite guidebook series: I don’t really have a favorite series since I tend to pull information from multiple sources: word-of-mouth, internet, and tea leaves. Though, I’m sure I have more books from Lonely Planet than any other guidebook company.
7. Languages spoken: English, German, and a number of unsavory phrases in Tagalog. If they count: about a dozen or so programming languages.
8. Worst hotel experience: Oh my. I crashed with a roadtrip buddy in a Motel 6 somewhere in Wisconsin. The room smelled of sweat and failure. I passed out on the bed, and when I awoke in the morning, I realized that the pillows smelled of feces. Here’s the kicker: the smell attached itself to me, and I couldn’t shake it for the rest of the day.
9. Connected or disconnected (re: phones, computer): I have to have my computer, digital camera, cell phone, and iPod with me whenever I hit the road. I suppose it’s the nerd in me.
10. Person you’d most like to interview for Gadling? Ernest Shackleton. He’s my hero.