Hello!

Me in Amsterdam, Photo by Peter McGalliard

My parents gave me the name Carl Parker Hansen. I grew up as Parker. If you're the Government or The University of Vermont, you know me as Carl. If you're one of my acquaintances, you know me as Parker. But if you're one of those guys or girls that knows me very well...Carl it is.

I spent the first ten years of my life in Bethel, Maine. Both of my parents worked at Sunday River , my father a ski patrolmen and mother in finances. Because of this, I grew up snowboarding, and this instilled a huge appreciation for the mountains and the environment in general.
We moved to Sandwich New Hampshire in 1999, and it has been my true home ever since. A town of around 1,600 people, located between Squam Lake and The White Mountain National Forest , Sandwich is home to generations of carpenters and yoga instructors, and is a very environmentally conscious area of the Granite State. After attending public high school, I chose to go to school as far away as I could, but with out having to leave New England. This school also had to be near the mountains and the area should have a little more to it than my home town of Sandwich. It didn't take too long to realize that The University of Vermont would be my new home.
(Photo: Rattlesnake Mtn. looking over Squam Lake.Photo by Aaron Simmons)

Last fall I embarked on a life-changing cross-country journey that brought a few friends and myself from Sandwich, New Hampshire to Redwood Valley, California. In between we saw the sites; Arches Nat. Park, Zion Nat. Park, The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and the entire coast of California via Route 1. After spending a month in California, we flew to London, from there we back-packed through Newcastle, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Venice, and Innsbruck. This was the most eye-opening experience of my life, and there isn't enough room on this intro to discuss it all, but next time you see me, ask about getting mugged by Gypsies in Budapest.

Photos: Pacific Coast...Venice, Italy...Innsbruck, Austria. Photos by: Parker Hansen

So here I am again, back in Burlington, Vermont and I'm ready to finish my education in Environmental Studies...five years later. My hopes for the future are nothing like I had thought they would have been when I was younger, or 5 years ago for that fact; I want to teach. College has shown me the importance of a good education, and if I can make an impact on the way young citizens view and appreciate our environment, I can justify being in debt for most of the rest of my life. If that doesn't work out, come visit our organic farm & sandwich shop in Northern California, "Psyche-deli", eventually.

Until then, you'll see me snowboarding, playing soccer, watching live music, disc-golfing, hiking, playing drums, or eating a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's, in one sitting. Drop me a line and lets share a pint!

And for your viewing pleasure...A man falling into some snow.

(Video: Gigi Ruf, courtesy of Absinthe Films)

Probably one of my favorite online videos: Gap Yea'