About

Sam Klemens

Like many teenagers I had goals that had nothing to do with the small town I grew up in. I wanted to learn how to drive a motorcycle and speak a second language, among other things. So I studied Russian in college but the classroom wasn’t doing anything for me. After two years of classes I could just barely understand my teacher when she mentioned (in Russian) to another student, “Sam can’t understand shit.” Tough, but fair.

Undeterred by my scholastic failings I moved to Moscow and it was there, in a perplexing country where people don’t smile and vodka is $3 a bottle, that I finally learned to speak a second language. This was incredibly rewarding, I’m so glad I made it happen.

After Russia I flew to Vietnam, took a train to Cambodia and a bus to Thailand and by that point I was hooked. I spent the next ten years abroad. I particularly enjoyed Berlin, Hanoi, all of Costa Rica, Prague and Kiev. In my ten years abroad I read a bunch of books, learned to surf, got into yoga, ran a marathon, got halfway decent at web design, wrote a book and adopted a dog.

I moved back to WNY in 2024 because ten years on the other side of the planet was enough. I missed my family, speaking English, Thanksgiving dinners, delicious sandwiches, good internet and driving a car. Working freelance is also stressful and I’m glad to have a full-time job again, working at Timberbuilt as their social media manager.

Life can be awfully intriguing once you start getting after it.

“Now while I had the strength I would go to the wild lands where man had deserted his post and the jungle was creeping back to its old strongholds.” – Brideshead Revisited