Somewhere between political science, real estate, software, and an NGO that deserves more of my attention - you've found me! Welcome to the chaos.
Skipping to adulthood.. I graduated from my Bachelor's programs in 2013 with a double major in Political Science (public policy) and Sociology (criminology). I had started as Poli Sci and Economics, switched when law school became the plan. Life intervened: I needed to work, so I joined the federal government in 2014 and didn't go into law. While working I earned my MBA in the evenings to graduate in 2017. Still considering going back for JD.
While living in Seattle I bought my first house. Ran the math, realized I was paying more in rent than a mortgage would cost, used a WA first-time buyer program, and owned a home before I'd finished the MBA. Renovated it myself. Got promoted. Sold it. Moved back near family. That started a real love for real estate that's never gone away.
Needing additional income, I got into software on the side: HTML, CSS, JS, Ruby, Python, self-taught by breaking things. That led to AI in the early stages, and picked up a AI Product Management nanogree during the earlier era of industry automation, well before the GPTs most people think of now, but I've stayed current as a hobbyist and with contract work. I left my position as an adjudicator in the federal government in 2022 after a rewarding and heavily awarded career, but could not continue with the life direction.
Along the way: a travel agency I primarily use for my own benefit and for family (available to others case by case), an NGO focused on education acces that deserves more of my time than I've been able to give it, professional real estate work, and a few years of international travel without a permanent base. managing most of this simultaneously, always in motion.
The last six years have been dominated by things I didn't plan for. If you found me through social media, you probably know about the house in Illinois (which is a reasonable window into the chaos, but still only a fraction of it). I care deeply about the world I'm in and what I can contribute to it. Right now I'm mostly just trying to get through the challenges of my own life and of course creating whatever type of content it is that I do. My hope is that soon I can get to the part where I actually can help improve the world in some way again.
Find me around the internet →The honest version: a lot, most of it not paid (Substack paid subscribers thank you). The Illinois situation has made it harder to push things forward than I'd like. These are the areas where my time and attention actually live.
My actual focus. Political science, policy development, and economics. independent research into real problems, staying current on domestic and international affairs, looking for angles that contribute something useful.
From renovating my first house myself to professional real estate work. property is something I genuinely enjoy, not just something I've done. There's a whole chapter here.
Self-taught, genuinely interested, keeping pace with where things are going. Never used this as a career, but it is the tool I reach for when something needs building and there's no one else to do it and I don't have $10,000 to throw at something (because who are these people that do!?)
In political science, I wanted to come up with a better system than our political compass to deal with irrational ideology combinations. This accidentally mutated into some what of a structural power mapping of individuals, organizations, and nations - a massive out of scope journey. I paused both until I can sit down and reorient.
In policy, I've spent the last few months slowly working draft legislation and policy recommendations for issues relating to data privacy and enabling the citizens right to petition. Which sounds great except I'm going to have to fire those off and hope someone listens.
Most of my time right now goes to staying current on domestic and international events and going deeper on the issues beneath them. Public education is something I enjoy when the algorithim allows me to. Programming and web projects happen when they happen.
Mostly non-fiction, because I'm boring and cool. There's a backlog of fiction I'm working through — primarily cyberpunk and dystopian sci-fi, because apparently the best break from a dystopia is more dystopia.
The thing that's been eating my mind, stress level, body, and money. Back in April until it's resolved. If you found me through social media you probably know the house. One day after lawsuits I can share the full story of that piece. Also I could still really use a ferocious litigator.
Arizona after Illinois. Leaving the Pacific Northwest for good. It was
a great place to grow up.
Also actively losing my fight with ADHD
given everything, but that's an honest assessment and not a complaint.
Several years of international travel, most of it while managing everything else on this page simultaneously and without a permanent base. Some call it Digital Nomad, some call it transient. These were not luxury travels lol. There are stories attached to most of these places. The full map lives on its own page, and over time I'd love to share more about them. I gained a lot of perspective over my years of travel.
View the Map →
I read what people send me. Business inquiries, collaboration ideas, travel planning, good book recommendations, or if you happen to know a strong litigator in Illinois for a multi-party civil suit...I'm reachable!.
For anything substantive - legal, real estate, travel agency inquiries, research or writing collaboration, or just a conversation worth having email is the right move. No spam please, I can't make that easier to avoid right now.
findtrev@outlook.com →