They say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, for better or for worse. In that case, here is my introduction.
I am one part adventurer. I climb big snowy mountains. I thrive in extreme conditions, risk, and uncertain environments. I prioritize the analog world over the digital. I feel most at home when far from civilization, sitting with friends around a campfire. I start communities, and encourage others to find adventure of all forms in their own lives. I am a bit held down by my job, but I believe deeply in the venture and I get to hang out with lots of really smart scientists. I am seldom home. I’ve built my own house. I am a minimalist, and yet can’t quite rid myself of material desires. I am in debt - I took on big student loans because everyone told me I should go to the best school I could. Some days I’m ready to drop everything and sail around the world.
I am an accomplished game designer, software engineer, and illustrator. I read ravenously. I mediate complex emotional turmoil on my team. I am the peacekeeper. I seek learning and teaching moments in all my intellectual endeavors. When I take breaks, I want to suffer more than in my daily life so work by comparison seems “easy.” Closing the loop on technical details always seems to fall to me.
I am floating. It’s hard to make commitments. I want to try all the new things. I seek quality in everything I do - from cooking, to fashion, to reading, to interactions. I crave meeting new people and finding out the most unusual things about them. I do not judge people by their walk of life, I want to know them for who they are. I come across as strong and smart and stable, until I’m willing to let my guard down a little bit.
I work on cars. My life has been a succession of opposite extremes. From travel to semi-pro sports to injury to all-nighters on the craziest projects you can imagine. I care deeply about the executional details of my work and want to bring out the best work in others. I see the full truth, and the layers of irony. I am true to my word. Sometimes I gossip too much.
I say yes too easily. I overcommit myself, usually for the sake of others. Sometimes I am so deeply caught in an empathy or sympathy loop that it is hard to function like a normal human. I am willing to uproot my life when I can imagine a better future. And yet, I feel displaced from my home. I have three citizenships. I have travelled alone in parts of the world where they tell women not to go.
It’s nice to meet you. Say hi, I would love to hear your aspirations, inspirations and contemplations. Find me on instagram @kschnipp ~
Kate Schnippering
San Francisco, CA
[email protected]