NPR called me “a modern-day Jack Kerouac,” which is not true. I am not as published, nor as drunk. I did, however, hitchhike across the country and write about it.

After I graduated from Calvin University, I embarked on two projects. The first, Traveling on Trust, sent me hitchhiking for two months across 6,700 miles. I set two rules for my journey: no money, no interstates. I blogged about the experience, found myself on NPR, and then gave a slew of talks across the country, this time traveling on planes.

The second project was co-founding the post calvin, an online journal for Calvin University’s young alumni writers. I helped manage more two hundred writers, daily online essays, and two print anthologies. By the time I “aged out” at thirty and emailed the passwords to the next generation of writers, the post calvin had featured more than 2,500 pieces of creative nonfiction.

My professional life began in a similarly entrepreneurial style. I established a small business called Branded Look that, for eight years, provided marketing and websites to small businesses and nonprofits throughout western Washington—including my latest personal project, Paper Cairns.

In 2021, I returned to the world of writing, this time on the publishing side. I worked as the content marketing specialist for Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and have since transitioned into the role of director of marketing for HarperCollins Focus. In this position, I guide authors through the process of introducing their books to the world, and I get to work with NYT and WSJ bestselling business, leadership, and personal development titles.

When I’m not surrounded by books or maps, I spend as much time as I can in the mountains. I’m always ready to ski, climb, summit a peak, or spend a weekend in the wilderness.