I’m an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher with two great passions: adventure sports (especially flying) and travel. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to enjoy both for a long time. If I die today, I’ll die a happy man.
“The key to happiness is to spend more time appreciating what you’ve got than you waste complaining about what you lack … “ —- Stephen Wodz, during an epiphany
Biography
EDUCATION
BA in English, University of British Columbia, Canada
COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCE
UK (Chester, Cheshire and Paignton, Devon) (Dec 1958 – Nov 1970)
Canada (Toronto, North Bay, Vancouver, Kelowna) (Nov 1970 – Oct 2005)(Apr 2015 — Aug 2017)
Thailand (mainly Nan Province) (Oct 2005 – Feb 2013)
Czech Republic (Prague) (Sep 2013 – Dec 2014)
Poland (Krakow) (Oct 2017 – July 2018)
Spain (Murcia) (Sep 2018 – Aug 2021)
Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) (Aug 2021 – July 2022)
Panama (Panama City) (Jan 2023 – )
Military Service
Algonquin Regiment, Canadian Armed Forces Reserves (infantry, North Bay, Ontario) (May ’75 – Aug ’77) rank: corporal
AVIATION
Aircraft Soloed (FAI classification)
Parachute (static line) 2800′ Class G
Paraglider (various) Class O
Hang Glider (various flex wing) Class O
Microlight (various) Class R
Cessna 152, 172 Class C
Piper Cherokee Class C
Aircraft Piloted
Sailplane (Schweizer SGS-2) Class D
Helicopter (Bell H47) Class E
Float Plane (C-180) Class C
Cessna Seneca Class C
Piper Warrior Class C
Parachute (Tandem) 4000 m.
Air Records
Paragliding total: 80.5 hours
Hang Gliding total: 45.7
Class C airplanes: 142.1
Other (ultralights, sailplanes, helicopter): 9.5
Total: 277.8
Gliding Records
Greatest altitude gain: 5280 ft.
Longest flight: 2.2 hours
Longest x-country: 13 km
WRITING CREDITS
Book reviews for Vancouver Sun
“Hubbard as fiction: difficult to swallow” (February 11, 1983)
“Conflict of mystiques after the Doom War” (May 20, 1983)
Movie reviews for the Daily / Kelowna Courier
March 23, 1999 – March 19, 2000 (53 articles)
Hang Gliding magazine
“Grouse Mountain ’87” (November, 1987)
Burton's Odyssey 
Hello, Stephen! I’m Mariia, we’ve met at the train in Poland, when I mixed up mine, ahah. I like how do you write. It is really interesting and inspirable..
I’ve listened Amanda Marshall and Sarah Mclachlan which you adviced me. I liked Amanda more).
I don’t know if this messenge will be publicly available, so I’m sorry if I wrote smth too openly. I’m glad we’ve met 🙂