My name is Richard Basile. I am originally from Akron, Ohio, have lived in Michigan, Florida, California, Washington and Maryland, and settled in Columbus, Ohio, about four years ago. I have also been to Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, New York, Texas, and a few other states that slip the mind.
Two years ago, I traveled to Negril, Jamaica, on my honeymoon. It was my first experience leaving the continent. The plan was for a one-week stay at an all-inclusive resort. Accommodations, meals, drinks and entertainment were included in one price. My favorite feature of the resort was the swim-up bar - the stools were concrete pedestals submerged below the water line.
Just outside the walls of the resort was the starkest display of poverty I had ever witnessed. For all of the luxury the island has to offer, the people who live there have a standard of living that makes Oliver Twist look like a fat baron. Many of the homes were shacks made of a collection of corrugated sheet metal and two-by-fours, sheds in which I would not store my own lawn mower. I saw children selling fruit on the side of the road and begging outside of banks. This one trip dramatically changed my views on politics, immigration, free trade and foreign aid.
A quick look at my iTunes collection suggests preferences for House, Celtic and Country music. Recent additions include “What Hurts the Most” by Rascal Flats, a cover of the same song by Cascada, and the Juno soundtrack.
The one book I often recommend to people is A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It is the dramatized, humorous story and historical narrative of one man’s experience on the Appalachian Trail.
I live a fairly busy life. In my free time, I am probably wondering what I forgot to do, though I do enjoy reading, backpacking, cooking, tropical vacations, and taking my two teenagers to Chipotle. I especially enjoy the latter.
