I’m Eric. Nice to meet you.
A couple decades ago, they might have called it a midlife crisis. But let’s instead say that Looking out Loud refects my middle-aged desire to keep figuring things out. Learn more about the LoL website and follow my Looking out Loud journey here.
And who am I? I figured that best way to get to know me is to travel with me. So here we go…
Trying to box someone in with descriptions and labels hardly does justice to the complex uniqueness we all accumulate over our lifetimes. There are always so many ways you can slice a person, so many different perspectives to look from. For example, I could tell you about the places I’ve lived:
Indiana
Maastricht
Japan
Barcelona
Indiana

I was born in a small town
– Rural, country attitude
– Outdoors, nature
– Conservative politics
– Protestant Sundays, Catholic holidays
– Some wild friends

Maastricht

The world just got a whole lot bigger
An overseas exchange program opened the door to:
– Different cultures
– Lots of languages
– Great parties
– Travel around Europe

Japan

And now for something completely different
Phase 1: Tokyo
– Social time: friends, izakayas, and afterhours
– Travel time: Hello Asia
Phase 2: Nagasaki
– Alone time: who am I?
– Wake up time: meditation, studying, and learning 日本語

Barcelona

A new phase begins
– Married: a Catalan stole my heart
– Language: living in multilingual environments
– PhD: cognitive psychology and language
– Kids: I’ve got two of them
– Home: I’m still here

Or we could talk about some of the odd jobs and career swinging I’ve done:
Early jobs
Teacher
Cognitive scientist
Writer, Editor
Dad
Early jobs

I tried all kinds of things to make a few pennies:
– Newspaper delivery boy
– Babysitter
– Painter
– Lawn mower
– Officer cleaner
– Lifeguard
– Landscaper
– Beer keg changer
– Restaurant table waiter
– Restaurant cook
– Wetlands restoration worker











Teacher











Helping others learn
Japan – kids to adults
Fort Wayne, IN – tutoring
Barcelona – kids to adults
University of Barcelona – undergrad psych students











Cognitive scientist











Going in for a deeper look
– Masters: Cognitive Science & Language
– PhD: Cognitive psychology
– Research in thinking and reasoning, math learning, attention











Writer, Editor











Coming back up to the surface
– Helped start Typeform’s online magazine
– Interviews with business leaders
– Research and write business guides
– Wrote: Siri is dying, long live Susan Bennett
– Co-created and co-stared in Typeform’s first interactive video











Dad











My biggest challenge yet
– I’ve been married for 12 years.
– I have two boys, now 9 and 6 years old
– I’m getting older
– I’m busy at work
– I’m trying to stay healthy
– I’m trying to keep learning, always thinking that the best is yet to come.
– And it’s damn hard to keep it all in balance











Or we could journey through some experiences that shaped me:
I was born in a small town
April 4, 1980


Hallo Maastricht: the world just got bigger
January 8, 2001


Konnichiwa Japan. こんにちは 日本.
February 3, 2002


All aboard the Trans-Siberian Express
June 30, 2004


New life begins in Barcelona
January 1, 2007


I’m a dad of two boys
February 22, 2010


I poked at the mind
June 30, 2015


Goodbye academia. Hello startup.
January 4, 2016


I started Looking out Loud
January 1, 2020


Next adventure: a year in another country
July 1, 2021

