Matt Parker has always had a passion for travel. He toured many historic points of interest in both the United States and Canada with his family. In addition to touring North America, he has traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Greece and Cypress. Matt is a graduate of Hope College, Holland, Michigan. While at Hope, he took a course on India and Indo-Chinese religions. The course culminated in a month-long trip to India. Students dressed in traditional clothing, ate regional food and visited religious shrines and locations. The trip grabbed Matt emotionally, spiritually and physically. Experiencing such contrasts -- wealth and poverty -- forever changed Matt. He called it, "The most wonderful place and the worst place I have ever seen." Throughout college, he took time to take friends camping and hiking, whether in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the Porcupine Mountains, or along the Appalachian Trail. He's always most happy when he is packing light and traveling. He enjoys seeing how others live and experiencing it with them -- not as a tourist. He would eventually like to live in Europe or another part of the world for a long period of time. Music and the arts are also another passion for Matt. He had the lead in two high school musicals, and started college as a music major. He also loves to draw and sculpt. Although the visual arts finally won out, he is a pragmatist: He likes his art to be beautiful and useful. Matt has a strong desire to help others, and in doing so, to give meaning and clarity to his own beliefs and feelings. He also likes to challenge himself to do new things. A seeker of truths and meaning, when he completes this journey, Matt wants to join the Peace Corps before entering graduate school. Matt doesn't know what his ultimate career will be. He enjoys his creature comforts and fine things, but he is not driven to achieve great material wealth necessarily. He wants experiences more than anything else, and fears the boredom of a traditional job. Ideally, he will pursue his passion for adventure by traveling and writing about his experiences.