• Hey, I’m Sam

    I build things with words

The Book

There comes a time when a person must say enough of this, it’s time for change. There is a world out there, a place where things are done differently. You can read a book or watch a movie but to really get it, to know the fever of Bangkok or the opaque water of the Pacific, you have to go there.

And why not..?

The Blog

Why I Like Living in Asia

Let's kick it off with a quote. "It is clear that with less personal freedom and a bigger and more invasive state comes less personal responsibility and greater lawlessness." Those words came from an article about the UK fudging crime numbers by deliberately using fuzzy methods to measure malfeasance. So it's sort of out of context, because I'm not going to talk about crime, but it's still a good way to begin. I want you to picture life in America in the 1800's. The Wild West. There was very little in the way of "consumer protection." You didn't…

How to Get the Most out of Bali

I've decided to settle down in Bali which is not something I thought I'd ever do. In fact I clearly remember telling family members that Bali is crowded, the traffic is nuts, it's not at all for me. That was before I discovered surfing. Now that I know this Indonesia island has some of the best waves in the world, well it changes things. Even if you don't surf it's worth coming here, but there is a way to do it right so that you get the most out of your trip. See, the thing with Bali is that there is traffic, trash and tourists, the terrible…

What You’re Meant to Do

Figuring out the thing you're meant to do, the holy trifecta of ambition, talent and personality, it takes experimentation. Some people get lucky and find it when they're young. Other people, it takes years. I'm reminded of The Moon and Sixpence, a brilliant book. The guy, I forget his name, is a banker in London and out of nowhere he feels that art is his calling. So he leaves his family and moves to Paris to paint. Fantastic, I love it. Your Thing But how do you know when you've found your thing? You keep getting better at it. In my life…

About Me

After graduating from college I moved to Russia to teach English. I soon discovered that Moscow wasn’t for me, but I thought I could find somewhere else that I’d enjoy more.

I traveled all over the world — India, Germany, Peru, you name it… — and before I knew it I’d been living abroad for a decade. I moved back to WNY in 2024 to work at Timberbuilt and spend more time with my family.

I like to read, run, surf, do yoga and do a bit of welding on the side. I also enjoy web design. I designed Green Springville’s website, this website, and about a dozen others too. For a bit more about me, and a few pictures from my time abroad, check this out.

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