I was born in Houlton, Maine USA in 1964 and as a child lived in Chicago, New York, and Maine. 

I studied at the University of Colorado, and the University of Illinois before beginning my career with Marriott in Orlando, Florida in 1986. In 1990 I returned to Colorado to live and work and then moved to Seattle, Washington in 1992 where I began working for Alamo Rent a Car.  In 1994 Alamo moved me to Florida where I remained until 1995.

I came to Switzerland in 1995 and began teaching English in 1996. I lived in Zurich until 2006 when I moved to Zollikon. In addition to being an English teacher I perform professionally as a singer with a-live and The Singing Pinguins.