I am from Maine, a great but cold state. I studied psychology at the University of Maine and switched gears after going on Semester at Sea during my senior year. I then got my master's degree at LSE in Population & Development. I am now the communications manager at Population Connection in Washington, D.C. I started traveling internationally at age 13, with a trip to Japan. I then spent the summer with a host family in France when I was 16. At 19, I backpacked around Europe and Israel. I went on Semester at Sea in college and then spent 9 months in London getting my master's. Once finished, I spent three months in Senegal, seeing what life is really like in a developing country. Travel has been my passion for half my life and will continue to be.

I would provide family planning to everyone and encourage them to use it. Kids are great, but more people use more resources and contribute to environmental disasters such as climate change, desertification, and wildlife habitat loss.

I would make sure that no healthy domesticated animal is mistreated or euthanized for want of a home. Puppy mills are disgusting and everyone should adopt a rescue dog. My dogs have completely changed my life for the better.

I would for people in rich nations to stop being such resource hogs. There is no reason to live in a McMansion or to crank the air conditioning to 65 degrees and have two extra freezers in the basement. If we all lived a more European lifestyle there might actually be enough to go around.

Animals are people too.

Japan, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Israel, Vancouver, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Cuba, England, Scotland, Senegal, Quebec, Toronto, Nova Scotia, California, Kauai, Idaho, Austin, all up and down the East Coast.

Animal welfare, ecology and sustainability, green home improvement, health food, population studies, reproductive health, reading, watching movies, cooking, traveling--my favorite, even if it's just a day trip in Virginia.

Rusty French