About

Hello, fellow wanderer. I’m Bryan and this is my micro blog, the place where I write short status updates about what’s going on in my life, post pictures, and shout into the void.

By day, I’m an urban planner, toiling in the realm of space and place—haunted, perhaps unnecessarily, by the question of how the built environment quietly shapes our lives. My brain, for better or worse, is wired to care about things like environmental psychology, urban design, landscape architecture, and the thrilling chaos of transportation planning. I spend more time than I should staring at maps and wondering if data might one day love me back.

Growing up in poverty did a real number on how I see the world—turns out, formative experiences have a way of sticking. Because of that, I spend an arguably unhealthy amount of time thinking about housing, healthcare, and environmental justice. I try to channel that energy productively by volunteering for causes that align with my values, rather than just muttering about it to unsuspecting acquaintances.

At my core, I enjoy creating. Whether that be writing, making music, practicing photography, gardening, cooking, learning web development, or making home improvements, I like to express myself through making things. I consider myself a hobbyist in most of these areas, and a master of none.

Originally from the Great Lakes Region, I’ve called the Pacific Northwest home for going on 10 years now. I’m fiercely proud of my Midwest roots and sometimes suffer intense pangs of nostalgia and longings to return, especially after doom scrolling Zillow listings for a bit. It’s the cities, the streetcar suburbs, the cultural institutions, the people, and the lakes that I miss so much. If you know, you know.

That said, I do enjoy the climate and landscapes better here on the West Coast. I like to get outdoors with my young family, so there are a lot of photos of our adventures on this site.

I love sci-fi movies, but I have a terrible memory for titles and names, so don’t ask me which ones I’ve seen or who my favorite actors are. I also like geeking out about guitar gear and recently built my own Telecaster.

In 2020, I became an Italian citizen. What started out as a genealogy hobby turned into a decade-long education in Italian bureaucracy. My wife and I sometimes daydream about a part-time life abroad, so I’m interested in connecting with Italians and expats in Europe. I’m also always happy to discuss the process with anyone who might be interested in applying.

This site is hosted on Micro.blog and uses a modified version of the Berlin theme that I made myself. Some things might be broken from time to time.

You can reach me by email, follow my RSS feed, or subscribe to this blog.