david s forrest
what's up?
welcome!
Here we go, another year and another attempt at a web site. First, I should thank Andreas, whose template I got from Open Source Web Design. The bar for websites is a lot higher now than back when I made my first site back in 1997 (aka the dawn of time). In any case, this template is a great way to relearn the HTML I've forgotten and learn CSS at the same time.
UPDATES as of 4/30/06
4/30/06 - Lots more pictures are up on photoApe! I also did away with my Resume. The format is too formal for this site, and doesn't really fit in.
4/2/06 - Forgive me for not updating recently, I've been playing around over on Google Page Creator. I promise more content is forthcoming.
2/14/06 - The picture link is now active! I have a small sample of pics up, and many many more are forth coming. Let me know if there are any issues viewing the page. In time, I hope to customize the design to flow better with what I have here.
I continue working on getting the opinion, article and links pages filled with content. It's going to be a bit sparse for a while...
about me
If you don't know me, anything I write here will fail to convey who I think I am, much less who others think I am. On the other hand, making a personal website is an exercise in egoism, so I might as well go all out...
I grew up in central Virginia, in a tiny Greene County, just north of Charlottesville. I was blessed with a great family and great friends, and plenty of encouragement to discover and question the world. After watching the Karate Kid at age 6 I took up martial arts, which I credit with focusing my sense of personal responsibility and helping me set long term goals. After 14 years of study, I achieved the rank of 1st degree black belt. So, uh, don't mess with me... :-)
In high school I tried out a lot of different activities, including cross country, track, soccer, Boy Scouts, theater, debate, forensics (extemporaneous speaking), NHS, Beta Club, and the academic team. I also had a skiing accident, which threw a kink in my 10th grade Valentine's Day plans, as well as setting back the date for my black belt test by a few years.
After high school I went to college. As a much smaller fish than I had previously been, in a much bigger pond, I struggled. Fighting off several bouts of depression, I graduated after 5 years. In my undergrad days I was drawn to the "marching" band and technical theater (where I worked on dozens of shows), meeting some extraordinary people. As more of them become famous, I will be sure to name drop at parties, because name dropping is cool.
Having my BA in hand, I decided to postpone the career track for a couple years in order to follow the wind. 2003 saw me waiting tables in Cambridge, MA, then getting my TEFL certificate in beautiful Koh Samui, Thailand. In 2004 I returned to the greater Boston area, getting a job in customer service, fulfilling a lease obligation, and saving for my return to Thailand. After six months teaching in Ayutthaya, I returned to the US in April of 2005. Now I'm based in Washington, D.C., working in the hotel industry while I ponder my next career move (climb the Marriott ladder?). My girlfriend Courtney is working her way through law school, making waves in the legal world. I would like to return to school at some point to get a master's degree, perhaps in public policy.
site info
© 2006 David Forrest. Original Design by Andreas Viklund.