Growing up in Arizona, my folks had a small Class C motorhome, and we spent school breaks traveling all over the West Coast and central states. That’s where my love of travel started — exploring new places, meeting people, and discovering that every trip had a story to tell.
Right after high school, I joined the Marines without really knowing where life would take me. What I found was the chance to see the world.
- Bermuda: My first duty station — young, 18, and ready to explore. I learned to scuba dive and spent my free time exploring every beach on the island.
- California & the Pacific: During deployments, I experienced the culture and beauty of Thailand, Okinawa, and Subic Bay in the Philippines.
- Europe: After returning from the Gulf War, I served as an embassy guard in Paris and Prague, exploring France, Austria, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands — skiing in the Austrian Alps and the Tatras, and visiting cities like Vienna, Amsterdam, and The Hague.
- The Mediterranean: Later deployments took me to Malta, Trieste, Venice, Barcelona, and Marseille — each trip adding to my growing appreciation for how travel changes you.
While serving in Prague, I met my wife, Naomi, who is from Leeds in the UK. Over the years, I’ve spent time in both northern and southern Ireland and countless trips across the UK.
After my time in the Marines, we settled in Alaska in 1999. I fell in love with the state immediately. From glaciers to mountains to wildlife, there’s nothing quite like sharing Alaska with visitors and seeing it through their eyes.
Since moving to Alaska, I’ve cruised the Caribbean and the Bahamas, explored theme parks with my family, and turned my passion for travel into my next chapter. After retiring from federal civil service, I founded GenXJarhead Travels to help others experience the same kind of meaningful, stress-free adventures that have shaped my life.
Travel isn’t just about where you go — it’s about the memories you make along the way. My goal as a travel advisor is to take the stress out of planning so you can focus on what really matters: enjoying the journey.