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Interview with Michael Teshkoyan Michael Teshkoyan took his first ExperiencePlus! trip to Denmark when he won the Send A Teacher Traveling Award in 2001. Since then, Michael has taken five more trips with ExperiencePlus! Michael was kind enough to share some of his thoughts and experiences with us this month. Thank you, Michael!
Name: Michael Teshkoyan Age (be as vague as you wish!): Single 40's Where are some of the places you’ve bicycled with ExperiencePlus! or with other groups?: Experience Plus trips to date:
Where does your love of the outdoors come from?: I've always had an adventurer's soul since I was a toddler. I was told that I always wandered away on family outings either into the woods or towards other people recreating. There is nothing more powerful to me than being free to explore different countries and cultures and pushing myself to try new and challenging activities. I feel I can offer more to my students if I get outside the classroom and discover what I am teaching about first hand.
Where is your favorite travel destination?: Europe is my favorite travel destination because you can travel to so many varied regions in just a couple of hours. I like trying to get off the beaten path and find how people really live and work and to discover things that a normal tourist would not get a chance to experience. Being mostly Italian, I am partial to Italy because of their love of life and food and how they gather nightly at their local piazzas to hang out and enjoy one another. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: Most people don't know that I am a classical pianist and run marathons. What’s your favorite ride in your hometown?: My favorite ride at home includes traveling through a couple of local parks that have a few ponds and lakes. I am able to get on some trails and enjoy the peacefulness and solitude of cycling off the beaten track. What's one outdoor activity that you would like to take up?: One outdoor activity that I'm thinking about is an ultra long hike either along the Appalachian Trail or the Australian Outback. Staying basic and trying to traverse with the least amount of supplies is a challenge that appeals to me. Do you have any movie or book recommendations?: I would recommend reading Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. His will and determination to survive after getting his arm stuck behind a boulder is very inspiring. What's one outdoor activity that doesn't interest you in the least?: With that said and although I enjoyed some canyoning in Switzerland, one outdoor activity I wouldn't be too eager to try is hiking the slot canyons in Utah especially after reading the book. Describe the greatest adventure you've yet to take: The one greatest adventure that I've yet to take is cycling across America and/or climbing to the top of Mt. McKinley in Alaska.
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Describe your perfect day outdoors: A perfect day outside for me would be a morning run followed by breakfast in an outdoor cafe. A long bike ride or a hike would follow and the day would conclude with eating dinner with friends, conversing about the day, and sharing life's experiences with each other.
What question do you wish we had asked, and how would you have answered?: I wish you would have asked me about running with the bulls on my ExperiencePlus! trip to Pamplona. It's probably a good thing however for my thoughts and response while I was sprinting for my life wouldn't have been too suitable to print. :-) 