A quick introduction to the blogosphere...

My name is Mike, and I am currently working as a civil engineer in the Appalachian mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. I spent my formative years between Naugatuck, CT, Holly Springs, NC, and West Townsend, MA, before jetting off (or sledding, to be more precise) to Syracuse University in Upstate New York for college. After earning my degree in 2005, I spent three years practicing civil engineering at a firm in Northern Virginia, just west of DC, before moving to my current abode.

Ever since my senior year of college, I have strongly considered joining the Peace Corps. After four years, I finally took the plunge and decided to apply last August. Although I am currently in the midst of the most successful and enjoyable time during my professional career, I still have that itch to have a lasting impact on a community in need, all the while experiencing a foreign culture first-hand in a way that traveling as a tourist could never provide. My only hope is that if I am chosen, I can leave as much of an imprint on their community as they are sure to leave on me.

Those who know me will know that I have not exactly been quick to the whole social networking frenzy. I finally caved to Facebook earlier this year, and this is now my attempt to enter into the blogging scene... so I guess what I'm trying to say here is, this is a bold, new frontier for me, so bare with me as I get my feet wet.

My hope is that this will become a place for me to, should I be chosen, share my experiences abroad with friends, family, and anyone else interested in the Peace Corps back home, while providing them with the ability to interact with me along the way. I will use this blog as an outlet for me to air my inner thoughts, my successes, and my frustrations along the way. Its cathartic, so I hear!