el CAMINO de MARIO

(Mario’s path)

Having bet on myself for the last five years, there’s no chance in hell I could ever go back.

Kayaking the Intercoastal on the Indian River Lagoon. I am making a heart with my hands around the setting sun. Image with a filter.

I could have turned this into a post, instead of a page. I also could have written at least three books talking about who I am, where I came from, where I am going.

This page focuses on the last 5 years, though life has been shaping me since I was born. This small snippet of my memoir is where I share my path back to creativity, or in Paulo Coelho fashion, the Alchemy of my creator journey. I was (and am starting to reclaim my identity as) an inventor, a creative young boy eager to make things and discover the alchemy of design, of engineering and of life. This website and all the things within it and outside of it are the ingredients to who I am becoming.

The years from 2020 to 2023 were among of the more challenging and transformative of my life, representing both the culmination of my hopes and my fears. The COVID-19 pandemic was undoubtedly a significant catalyst in this journey. Of course, it is but a single catalyst in this journey. Let’s begin.

To start, I accepted a full-time position from Leonardo DRS as a systems engineering intern; transitioning from intern to part-time to full-time.

First day of bass pro shops work — Left: first day at Bass Pro Shops. Right: first day at Leonardo DRS.

First day of Leonardo DRS internship — Left: first day at Bass Pro Shops. Right: first day at Leonardo DRS.

Cycling the Space Coast. Just finished 60 miles! — Left: First 60 Miles, Right: 2 weeks later, first century ride (100 mi)

Cycling the Space Coast. Just finished 100 miles! My first century ride. — Left: First 60 Miles, Right: 2 weeks later, first century ride (100 mi)

More elaborate adventures were inspired by previous challenges. When you become inspired by seemingly impossible goals and yet still pursue them, something special begins to happen. I began to recognize who I am and who I am not.

Having finished my century ride without any real training or proper equipment, I found the next adventure. It was pure happenstance that my Google Maps panned a little too far to a random trail labeled “Coast to Coast” connector. I soon learned it spanned across my state and the trailhead was only 25 miles from my apartment at the time. So on Saturday, December 26, 2020, I set out with no plan to bike the C2C trail. I was greeted that morning with six strangers setting out to do the same thing I was. So that began my trip with these six wonderful people. Sometimes, you just have to dive in headfirst and trust that things will work out. More often than not, they do.

Biking across the state of Florida along the coast to coast trail which spans from Titusville to St. Petersburg. — Florida Coast to Coast Connector Trail

Biking across the state of Florida along the coast to coast trail. Group of 6 others.

Biking across the state of Florida along the coast to coast trail. I placed a quote on the front of my bike on my sleeping bag. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - Eleanor Roosevelt.

I had been grappling with the decision to pursue passion projects and my business full-time. This meant I would need to leave my “safe” and “secure” career engineering job, which I spent a long time desperately seeking out. After the C2C trip, I decided once again to bet on myself. I resigned the first week of February 2021.

happiness vs. joy vs. Joy

In May of that year, my friend and I backpacked a short section of the Appalachian Trail, from Clingmans Dome to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. As someone eager to one day thru-hike the entire trail, this was more than just a preview of a future adventure—it was a chance to truly immerse myself in the experience. But the greater gift came not from the hike itself, but from what I learned along the way. After a grueling day of freezing rain and wind as we exited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we found ourselves soaked and exhausted in a hotel room at Fontana Dam Resort. Despite the misery, I felt a deep and overwhelming sense of peace. It was in that moment I understood, in a profound way, the difference between happiness and Joy. Happiness is fleeting, dependent on circumstances, while Joy—capital ‘J’ Joy—is something far deeper, an enduring state of contentment that thrives even in discomfort.

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,

‘It is well, it is well with my soul!’

Horatio Spafford

Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Stopped at a shelter. There on the wall in Sharpie, it says "Buy the ticket, take the ride." — A week-long backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail a few months after resigning from my first, “secure career” job. This was the trip I first learned the difference between happiness and Joy (*Happiness vs. joy vs. Joy*)

Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Stopped at a shelter. Laying down taking it all in. — A week-long backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail a few months after resigning from my first, “secure career” job. This was the trip I first learned the difference between happiness and Joy (*Happiness vs. joy vs. Joy*)

In the months that followed the trip, I entered a period of deep desolation. Every day, I grappled with a host of fears—some familiar, others unknown—that surfaced incessantly. The pursuit of greatness often leads to paths of solitude; it comes with the territory. I began to understand that what Steven Pressfield calls “Resistance” frequently manifests as fear for me, especially during moments of great significance. My inner demons were quick to remind me of all the reasons I couldn’t succeed. At the time, it was incredibly difficult. Now, however, I’ve come to welcome them as companions on my journey, realizing they are simply part of the process.

Post-quitting my job, I was working on renovating houses. Here, I was painting kitchen cabinets for hours. — I was helping with a house renovation to make extra income while jobless. I also entered a phase of artistic expression in the form of photography. What a good and reflective time.

Me holding a camera in the mirror. One of my pursuits during COVID19 was to take more pictures. — I was helping with a house renovation to make extra income while jobless. I also entered a phase of artistic expression in the form of photography. What a good and reflective time.

I was toying with the idea of serving with AmeriCorps during the Spring of 2021. I yearned for an expression of my heart and my gifts. After many weeks of analyzing options, I decided to create a profile bio on the Catholic Volunteer Network website. A week later, the recruiter at Bon Secours reached out to offer me the application for their year-long Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry program.

In August 2021, I committed to the program and flew to Richmond, VA where I found myself forming a new family. A family which grew throughout my time in Richmond. My life would once again change forever.

Picture of the sunrise form a plane, cresting over the horizon as I left my hometown of many years and embarked on a new journey.

As part of our service program, we were assigned to various service sites within the Richmond, VA community. I spent my year volunteering at Cristo Rey Richmond High School, contributing to their Corporate Work Study Program. It was also during this time that I met my fiancé, who was in the same program. Here is a piece I wrote during my volunteer year.

After a year, I transitioned to teaching Physics and Engineering as a full-time educator and embraced my bowtie ⋈ persona. I had the privilege of empowering students from diverse backgrounds to explore opportunities in STEM and being empowered to do the same. Together, we honed our critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which not only broadened their horizons but also opened new avenues for my own personal and professional growth.

My first day of class as a physics teacher. I have all my demonstrations and Knick-knacks played all over the classroom. — Do I look like Isaac Newton?

I am dressed as a Isaac Newton as I discuss Newton's Laws of Motion with my students. — Do I look like Isaac Newton?

After three years, we’ve chosen to chase new dreams. New Haven, CT is now our home and the setting for our upcoming adventures.

Teaching in Richmond was the reason I strive to create courageously and it is the reason for this website, among other things. I am actively honing my creative skills as I embark on building businesses. This process involves not only developing innovative ideas and solutions but also learning to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship. By engaging in diverse projects, I am expanding my ability to create.

“Beware what you set your heart upon.

For it surely shall be yours.”

― Ralph Waldo Emmerson