MEET THE ADVENTURERS
Alexander is a traveler, an athlete, a statesman, and an engineer. Raised at the family business, Alex became an entrepreneur from the start. In elementary school he was catching lizards and selling them to his teachers. By the end of high school he had saved enough to travel the pacific coast from Cabo to Alaska and back; surfing and couch surfing the entire way.
After settling down in Santa Fe and working at the local ski resort for 4 years, Alex found himself drawn to higher education. Seven years, four schools, and three degrees later, Alexander holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Texas, a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from St. Edwards University, and an Associate's degree in Political Science from Austin Community College.
During his educational marathon, Alex spent time rebuilding boats, cars, trucks and motorcycles as a hobby. The academic and mechanical skills he developed during this time allowed him to cheaply and efficiently travel Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. During his Master's program he traveled to Uganda and taught motorcycle mechanic courses at a youth development center in Gulu.
Since graduating in May 2015, he has spent his time finalizing projects for veteran’s mental health policy initiatives, grant writing for international think tanks in the area of technology entrepreneurship, and pursuing any future career or adventure opportunities that ignite his passion.
Most recently he was a Dockmaster for Nautical Boat Club, where you'd find him repairing boats and boat docks on Lake Travis and Lake Austin. In addition to his mechanical hobbies, Alex spends his free time playing ultimate frisbee, pet sitting, and 3d-printing objects for people on craigslist. He is always on the lookout for a good IPA, hot springs, and policy debate partner.
Kate is interested in everything, most especially how it all connects. She particularly likes bungee jumping, listening to stories, and, of course, riding motorcycles. She never lets anyone dance alone and is always ready for an adventure.
Most recently, she was an educator at Thinkery, a hands-on, inquiry-based informal learning environment. She spent most of her time teaching (and learning from) 8 - 12 year olds in Space 8, a Maker Lab. Alongside inspiring kids, she tinkered with circuits, sewing machines, soldering irons, storytelling, and more... She is particularly motivated to learn more about maker education, electrical engineering, blacksmithing, and welding.
She grew up as the the fifth child of seven in Austin, a shoeless kid tromping around the woods, bounding off trampolines, and reading historical fiction. Her father encouraged an adventurous attitude while her mother instilled a passion for social justice and exemplified human kindness.
In 2011 Kate spent time in Uganda and Rwanda, exploring critiques of the aid industry, falling in love with her homestay families, and gaining a new worldview. Since then, she has become passionate about humanizing global interactions and connecting the control of narratives back to the voices of their subjects -- whether that is conveyed as an educator, as a maker, through radio segments, as an archivist, or through interactive art and engaging spaces.
For the year of 2014, she lived in Uganda and worked closely with teachers and students across the country - and solidified her comprehension of just how important the ability to tell a story- and the process of telling it - is to creating connections and understanding between people in the world.
She continues to listen throughout this journey.
ALEX
This is Padi Dog. She was set to be both our ring bearer and our fellow adventurer on this journey, but unfortunately passed away just months before... after fourteen beautiful years. Even with teenage-Alex as rebellious as he was, she cut right through his vanity and melted his heart. She taught him how to be a good person, how to love unconditionally, and how to care for anyone and everyone. We strive to live in a way that emanates the love Padi had for everyone she met, and every adventure.
KATE
We got married, quit our jobs, and left our home! We don't normally ascribe to the idea of having a "mission" while traveling, but if we had to summarize some of our intentions, they include:
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To change our minds
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To seek out life affirming & spirit magnifying moments
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To understand & be understood
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To be present & experience length
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To allow people to tell us who they are
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To resist cynicism & othering
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To not be passive onlookers
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To identify exactly how & in which ways we feel passionate about contributing to the world