Hi,

My name is Tommy Nolen. I'm 32 years old and currently live in San Juan, Puerto Rico where I am a Media Director at the local office for a global advertising agency. I guess you could say that moving to Puerto Rico was one of the many exciting adventures that I have embarked on in my life.

I grew up in the quaint town of Charleston, South Carolina where life was simple and slow. As a kid growing up there, my friends and I used to dream about that freedom that we would one day have to explore the world that to us seemed so distant. Whether it was venturing to a strange neighborhood on our bikes or simply finding new routes to get from one destination to another, we continuously pushed the boundaries that our parents had set forth. It was, and is, this adventurous spirit in each of us that has enabled Geoff, Dave, John and I to stay friends to this day even though we haven't called the same town home in over 13 years.

The first opportunity I was given to leave the "small town" I took, going away to school at the University of Florida. My parents dropped me off with my belongings 300 miles away from the world I had always known. The excitement that bubbled within me was indescribable. I was in a place where I knew no one and no one knew me. The path I chose was up to me. I opted for fun and adventure!

During my four years at school I made many great friends and shared many great adventures with them. Roadtrips for football games, tubing down local rivers, and skydiving over the gulf of Mexico were just a few of the memories that stand out in my mind. While at UF, I also received a degree in Advertising.

Two weeks after graduation, I decided to move to New York where I had been offered an entry level position at one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. To me it sounded like another great adventure, so I convinced a college friend, Greg, to move up with me and that finding a job wouldn't be a problem. Within a month of moving, he was employed and the adventures in NYC began.

As a southerner moving to NYC there was a certain degree of apprehension about how I would be received. Let me take this opportunity to say that the people of New York City are some of the most friendly and helpful people around the world. There is a stereotype that people here are rude and pushy, but I can honestly say for the most part that is not the case.

A new city brings new friends and NYC was no different. Soon Greg and I were enjoying all the city had to offer; great restaurants, trendy bars, an amazing music scene and incredible sports franchises. At 22, life was good.

Then in 1999, my friend Geoff suggested that we do something memorable for the millennium. After doing some research and thinking about where the coolest place on earth would be to be on that night, we decided on the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. Four of us opted to embark on the adventure that would start an addiction that none of us could shake!

Enjoy the trips!