About

Me at the Great Barrier Reef

Hi! My name’s Dan and I’m the creator of UponArriving.com.

I’m a licensed California attorney with a passion for exploring and photography and also the proud author of the travel book, Hidden Gems of the Western United States – a book you definitely want to get your hands on if you’re thinking about taking a trip to the United States some time. 😉

I grew up in the Lone Star State, also known as Texas, where the people are friendly, the summers are scorching, and the Tex-Mex food is to die for. After graduating from Texas A&M, I shipped off to the west coast for a bit of a change of pace. There, I spent three years living in the hippy haven of Berkeley, California for law school. Berkeley — as crazy as it can be — exposed me to a whole new world of ideas and way of life. I fell into the hobby of photography, grew fond of the beautiful natural scenery in sunny California, and after being exposed to polar-opposite political ideologies at A&M and UC-Berkeley, I found myself developing a keen insight and appreciation for differences in opinion and outlooks that I think has been invaluable in getting the most out of my travels… and life in general.

I’ve lived for at least some time in three different countries besides the United States. I spent a summer living in Oaxaca, Mexico, a beautiful capital nestled in a mountain valley where I discovered the wonder that is mole and mezcal. I later lived in Bondi Beach, Australia, just outside of Sydney, for an Aussie winter and got in touch with my adventurous side by trying  things like skydiving over the Great Barrier Reef and swimming with sharks! Finally, just recently I spent about a year living in the United Kingdom munching on fish-n-chips, minding the gap, and doing my best to seek out as much Vitamin D as humanly possible while living there.

While I love the United States, especially its national parks, I also have a passion for international travel and affairs and currently am in the process of seeing where exactly on the globe that passion brings me.

This travel blog is dedicated to bringing you the perspective of an “well-rounded explorer.” What do I mean by that? I mean the type of traveler who truly tries to experience a little bit of everything when they go places: the outdoors and adventure, food, sports, museums, history, culture, and entertainment. Covering all these things may seem like the opposite of a traditional “niche,” but I’ve found that planning trips that consist of a little bit of everything is actually one of the hardest things to do and that others like myself could benefit from seeing how so many different experiences can be jam-packed into one awesomely efficient itinerary.

With that in mind, I try to shed light on all of these topics. You’ll see articles about things like catching an NFL game at Wembley Stadium in London, checking out famous art works in museums, finding a delicious  tapas tray, and advice on how to get from point A to point B cheaply and efficiently.

I’m sure at some point I’ll settle down in one location and focus in on that place but until then enjoy the variety you’ll find on my site!  Oh, and I also travel everywhere with my partner, Brad. So some of my articles are geared towards traveling as a pair.

Brad at the Blue Lagoon

I always do my best to include great photos of all of these sites that really will get people excited about visiting them and also to provide as much practical tips as I can to make sure your experience is a bit smoother than mine was. You’ll not only read about how great or not-so-great our experiences are but you’ll get insight into things like prices, hours, the best routes, and scheduling tips. Since those things can get a little boring, I try to mix it up every now and again and keep it interesting with a little bit of everything thrown into some articles.
I don’t profess to be an expert on everything I talk about on here (or in real life for that matter) but I do make sure to do plenty of research and do my best to accurately depict my past experiences. As of right now, I don’t receive any kind of commission or kick-back for my reviews on tours, hotels, etc. so don’t feel like you’re getting a biased report on anything. I’m an open book!

So I hope that you enjoy browsing UponArriving.com and feel free to drop any comments or suggestions if you have any!