Todd Wesley

I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and lived in Washington DC for about sixteen months before moving to San Francisco in 2005 with the intent of obtaining a college education. I started my studies full-time in 2007, and I am happy to say that I will graduate with a B.A. in Philosophy in July 2012!

Over the course of the last seven years, I struggled with my identity, sexuality, and trying to understand my purposes and priorities in life. In 2006, I left the North American continent for the first time to Europe, and that sparked an insatiable urge to see as much of the world as possible. In 2007, I visited Colombia and Argentina over a five week period where I acquired a decent understanding of Spanish. This trip inspired my decision to study in Madrid, Spain in 2009 at the Complutense University specifically to enhance my Spanish skills. At the end of that experience, I backpacked for eight weeks and traveled on trains between Germany, Czech Republic, and many Eastern European countries.

I returned to San Francisco later in the year and experienced intense reverse-culture shock. I did not know how to reintegrate into my native culture. All I wanted to do was leave again, so I applied to study in Mexico with the intent of perfecting my Spanish. That idea flopped when the US Department of State issued a travel restriction due to unsafe conditions for traveling, and San Francisco State University complied with the recommendation. Needless to say, that opportunity was rescinded. I was given the option to go to Madrid, but since I had already studied there, I decided against it. I ended up staying in San Francisco to solely focus on completing my degree.

I declared Philosophy as my major in Fall 2010 despite never having taken a class on the subject before. Those classes always intimidated me, but I took the leap anyway after a passionate and serendipitous encounter with the Department Chair. The following Spring semester, something profoundly clicked within. I have been intellectually on fire since! My writing skills have improved dramatically, I can articulate my values and opinions with precision, and I have better learned how to stimulate others to learn -how- to think, and not necessarily -what- to think.

In a nutshell, I am a writer, blogger, philosopher, educator, and traveler with a wide range of varied interests. I have pride in how far I've come, and confidence in where I am going!