About Me

How This Started

I grew up in Ohio, which sounds like the most landlocked, un-adventurous origin story possible. But my mom had other plans. From Vegas at age 8 to a cross-country road trip at 13, she made sure I understood early that the world was bigger than our corner of it — and worth seeing.

The real turning point came in 2008. My sister had heard about Ek' Balam, a Mayan ruin near Chichen Itza that almost nobody visited. No tour buses. No crowds. Just jungle-swallowed stone and a rental car we probably shouldn't have trusted. Standing at the base of that pyramid, I understood something I hadn't before: the places history forgot are often the most worth finding.

What I Do

The Bearded Vagabond is my attempt to share that obsession. I travel to the ruins, the abandoned places, the historically significant corners of the world that don't always make the highlight reel — and I bring you along. The content blends personal travel storytelling with documentary-style history, because I've never been able to stand at a crumbling wall without wanting to know exactly what happened there.

• Travel vlogs to ancient ruins and archaeological sites
• Documentary-style historical deep-dives
• Local explorations across Ohio and the Midwest
• Dark and forgotten histories that deserve to be told
• Honest travel writing — the mishaps included

Artemis

I should mention Artemis — my hiking cat, frequent trail companion, and the reason my Instagram has a second account. She has strong opinions about trail conditions and a talent for photobombing otherwise serious archaeological documentation. Follow her adventures at @ArtemisHikes.

Memories Over Things

That was my mom's philosophy — and it was a deliberate one. She wasn't interested in accumulating things or leaving us with money and possessions. What she wanted to leave us with was memories. So instead of saving or investing, she put everything into travel, every year, stacking up as many experiences as possible.

The 2008 Yucatan trip was a turning point for her as much as it was for me. She had just earned her nursing license at 50 years old. A new career, a new income, and a decision about what to do with it — she chose travel. That trip kicked off what became a yearly tradition, the two of us and my sister going somewhere new, somewhere worth remembering.

It's on the logo because it's the whole reason any of this exists. She didn't just inspire the wanderlust — she funded the early years of it, and taught me what it was actually for.