I grew up in a military family which certainly had its share of advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, this meant that I had to adjust to nine different schools, and ten different towns/cities in three different countries. On the other hand it proved to me that I could adjust to so much change, and I likely have fewer inhibitions than I otherwise might have about traveling to new places.
My favourite courses in high school were English and Computers, so it only follows that post-secondary, I chose the 'Media Information & Technoculture' program at the University of Western Ontario to complete my degree. This program was largely sociology of the media in combination with some technical courses as well. The horrific events of September 11, 2001 couldn't have been more relevant to my studies, and certainly offered an interesting academic perspective on the different ways that societies respond to chaos.
In 2003, just after I finished university, I seized the opportunity to get a working holiday visa for the United Kingdom. This was the experience of a lifetime and I would highly recommend the SWAP program to students interested in an adventure before joining the regular workforce. I lived on the outskirts of London for almost two years before I made my way back to Canada, landing in Toronto in 2005.
