I grew up in Ohio, which gave me wide eyes for the rest of the world. After stumbling into a sushi-making apprenticeship during my university days, I caught an unshakable addiction to Japanese food. Seeing no other options, I got an English teaching job in Shizuoka Japan, and lived there for two years, teaching and learning to cook in a pub on the side. The foodie bug then invited a travel bug over for an extended stay, leading me on a three month Couch Surfing trip through Western Europe. Now I'm back in Cincinnati, teaching English and writing food stories for a local online news magazine.