A good plan should always include a good backup. I was born and raised in Bethlehem but ventured outside the Lehigh Valley to attend an art school in Pittsburgh immediately after high school. A series of unfortunate events following the school's bankruptcy brought me back to the Lehigh Valley, the place I had always called home anyway, to go with Plan B. Plan B was to take a more traditional route -- get a job (vs. career), get married, have kids and live happily ever after.

But Plan B had some flaws as well. Jobs are not necessarily secure regardless of the number of years invested. Yet a series of very fortunate events led me back to school to finish what I started years ago. Well, not exactly where I left off. My new career choice still required creativity but encompassed so much more ... more than could have even been imagined back in the day. In May 2011, I earned a degree in Web Development.

Over the span of years working in a corporate environment, I gained knowledge of computers and various software applications. Enough to realize I had the aptitude and could thoroughly enjoy making a living working in front of them. I had also gained valuable experience developing client relationship skills. Clients are people with needs. Simply put, meet their needs, retain them as clients. Everybody happy.

Under no circumstances would I call myself an expert. But the beauty of this field is that it is ever-evolving. That will not change any time soon. I spend my days and (very late) nights researching, testing, illustrating ... ok ... playing. This stuff is fun afterall. But that is also how one learns and is the essence of my being.

These are a few activities I also enjoy when not at my computer. Walking/running, biking, reading, sudoku-ing, cryptoquote-ing, volleyball-ing, consuming chocolate in some form. But mostly, I am at my computer.