This is my entry to Hive account@reonlouw's Share Your World Contest. If this is the first you're hearing about it I encourage you to check it out, you still have a few days left to enter! The contest itself is very straightforward - just write a post of at least 300 words answering three to five the questions he's posed on the contest post.

For my entry, I've picked the following questions to answer:

Tell us about a funny family member or close friend. What makes them funny?

Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: Hive account@suitcasemama
This little dude on my shoulders absolutely cracks me up. He's pushing two and a half and now able to use his tiny body pretty well and form some pretty hilarious sentences. He'll return to the house and shout "Welcome Home!", walk backwards and say "Moonwalk!", and of course the naked running around the house (and occasionally out of the house). He's always been a joy to be around, but these days he's getting legit-future-comedian funny, at least to

Hive account@suitcasemama and I.

What kind of weather do you enjoy the most? Why?

Approaching storm in Luena, Angola - Photo: Hive account@eoj
Growing up in Southern California, we didn't get too many great storms. Earthquakes, yes, so many of those I wouldn't get out of bed if it wasn't over a 6.0. But bone-rattling, simultaneous flash-and-boom thunderstorms were rare. As I began traveling the world chasing disasters in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, I was exposed to different types of weather and came to love loud, scary thunderstorms. I'd say my favorite weather moments are watching a massive thunderstorm approaching, preferably from the safety and warmth of some decent shelter.

What was the most fun you had as a child?

Photo: Hive account@eoj
My mom and dad would take our family on road-trips camping every summer for a week or two, normally to a beautiful National Park in the American Southwest. It felt so normal I didn't appreciate it at the time and I didn't realize that not every family did this. I loved exploring, getting dirty, making campfires, and sleeping under the stars.

As I've gotten older, the appreciation grew and love of the outdoors stuck. As a young man, I'd often just drive until I was off the beaten track, hiking and camping by myself. To this day, I don't feel I've had a proper holiday unless I'm off the grid long enough to feel unconnected to technology and reconnected with nature.

This photo was taken of my nephew, seen in the distance on top of the rocks, in San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California on a beautiful day. It reminds me of childhood camping experiences and inspires me to try to make the outdoors a part of my family's lives as well.

There's a bit of my world. This was the first time I came across the Share Your World Contest, many thanks to Hive account@reonlouw to hosting -great idea for a contest!

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Allow Me to Introduce Myself! | Husband / Father / Humanitarian / Traveler / Expat Abroad