Getting acquainted

I guess some sort of introduction is in order.  It certainly won’t be all encompassing and I hope this blog will evolve into much more than a list of likes and dislikes, or a linear resume, but I thought I needed to add some background information and tell you some more about me.

I was born in the United Kingdom and grew up in Essex.  In 1987 I first visited Florida with my family and fell in love with the USA.  I vividly remember just a few hours into our holiday saying “one day I will live here”, and here I am 22 years later.  I’ve always liked the American psyche and the excitement and energy of the country.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud to be British, but I have also always felt very comfortable here in the USA and it is now my 2nd home.

In 1993 I moved from Essex to study American Literature at the University of Sussex and had a wonderful student experience in the fabulous town of Brighton.  I was lucky enough to participate in a wonderful exchange program and spent my 3rd / Junior year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and returned to the UK to graduate in 1997.

After graduating I spent a wonderful summer backpacking around Australia (another amazing country), and then came back to the USA to work for Walt Disney World in Epcot.  Hands down this has to be the most fun year of my life, and probably the only year I would want to go back in time and repeat.  Unfortunately I was only on a visa for 15 months and returned to the UK at the end of 1998.

I lived and worked back in the UK for about 14 months and was persistent / fortunate enough to get a job offer with a US hotel company, Loews and moved back to Orlando permanently in February 2000, and Orlando has been home ever since.  I got my green card in 2005 and will get my US citizenship in 2010.  It has been a long journey, but something I am very excited about.  Orlando and the USA has been very good to me.  I have had the chance to work for some great companies and meet some wonderful people over the last 12 years, and look forward to sharing some of these memories as the blog goes on.

So what else?  I am an openly Gay man and in a great relationship with my partner, Fred.  We will have been together 2 years in November and recently just moved in together.  I am “out” in all aspects of my life and have a wonderful loving and accepting family (Mum, Dad and Brother, all still living in the UK).  Coming out was one of the best decisions I have made, and now I could not imagine living openly and honestly in my personal, professional and family life.

I have a really diverse group of interests which include in no particular order: Travel, Movies, Theater (especially musicals), Wine, Reading, Music (the iPod is the best invention ever), Marathon Running and most recently Triathlons.  I am also not ashamed to say I am a bit of a sci-fi geek.  I grew up with the Star Wars films and still love these as a 35 year old man.  I also love Doctor Who and Torchwood and these are definitely my guilty pleasures!

Anyone that knew me as a kid would know that I was not at all athletic. I HATED sports and PE and avoided these like the plague.  In the last few years I have really got into running and completed my first marathon in 2006.  I have a great running group and really enjoy the challenge of the sport.  I started to run Triathlons in 2009 and am slowly but surely becoming a stronger swimmer and bike rider.  As my childhood friend Sam said to me during a recent phone call, “what have you done to my friend?” Physical fitness has become increasingly important to me and while I am far from being a 6 pack Adonis, I do make the time to work out and try to keep in decent shape – an ever increasing challenge as I get older, but one I am determined to meet.

Hopefully I haven’t bored you to death, and you now know a little more about me. Thanks for reading so far and for staying awake!  More good stuff to come as you follow along as Nigel Does Life.