Since 2008, I've been a full-time travel photographer and international tour organizer, having created and led over 120 five-star-rated international tours in over 30 countries on 7 continents, plus over 100 domestic tours in the U.S. When not traveling, I can often be found in Chicago, my hometown; however, I've been location-independent (meaning I have no permanent home) for 12+ years and traditionally spend anywhere from 8 - 9 months on the road internationally scouting and leading my tours. I operate Continental DRIFTER® Experiences (https://ContinentalDRIFTER.co) and I have a YouTube channel under my Continental DRIFTER® brand (http://youtube.com/continentaldrifter), as well as a podcast called Travel Thoughts from a Continental DRIFTER®, which can be found on Apple Podcasts.

I've written several books and eBooks, including 60 AFFIRMATIONS for Travel; Travel Activity Book for Adults: GRATITUDES Edition; How to Be a Mindful Traveler (Using Your 5+ Senses); and I've bundled these 3 Books in 1 titled The Mindful & Intentional Traveler (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3YY3ZY3).

I'm a third-generation restaurateur, and although I'm no longer active in that business as an operator, I make food a big part of my tours, and I can certainly speak that language. I have an MBA in International Business from United States International University in Mexico City (I lived there for over a year) and San Diego, California (1995), and a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Small Business and Entrepreneurship from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business (1985). I used to co-host the Traveling Image Makers podcast, where we interviewed some of the top photographers in the world, and we've done over 170 episodes. I've also been a guest on dozens of other podcasts over the years (https://continentaldrifter.co/podcasts).

For the past 10+ years, I've been a featured speaker on travel and photography at the Travel and Adventure Shows throughout the U.S.; the New York Times Travel Show; TBEX (the Travel Bloggers Exchange) in Ireland, Spain, Israel, and Sweden; as well as the IOETI Media conference in Cairo, Egypt.