Feature Friday with Evan Bossio

TGIF everyone! As promised, today is the start of our new segment, Feature Friday! Each Friday we're featuring one of y'all on here telling us more about yourself. We love the idea of you guys sharing your story, not just with us, but with everyone, so that we can all connect and feel a little closer no matter how near or far we live.

Our first Feature Friday is with Evan Bossio! We loved getting to know him and we think you will too ;) So without further ado...

Where are you from? I'm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Where do you live? I still live in Philly, but in two weeks I will be moving to Madrid, Spain where I'll be teaching English for a year! 

What’s your Instagram handle? evan.tyler

Age? (optional) 22

Relationship Status? Single

What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited and why? My favorite place I've ever visited is Patagonia, Argentina. I spent a semester studying abroad in Buenos Aires and during a mid-semester break I embarked on a journey with some friends to the southern province. There was no way we could see all of the region in such a short time, but we witnessed the most incredible landscapes, mountains, and glaciers. The Perito Moreno glacier is in El Calafate in Patagonia and it's an absolute must-see. The glacier is incredibly massive, and sits with a beautiful backdrop of snow-capped mountains. I was entirely speechless when I saw it and I didn't look away for the entirety of our visit. Pieces of ice would fall off and make a crashing sound like nothing I've heard before. I have been dying to go back.

 If money weren’t an option, what would be the first thing you would do?I have two answers here: Firstly, I would make it so that every child had access to a quality education. Our world has such a large and widening gap in both the access to, and quality of education. The ability to learn and grow alongside peers, internationally, should be a universal right. 

Also, I would spend my entire life traveling, spending each month or year in a different country getting to know the culture, meeting new people, and seeing the sites. Most importantly, I wouldn't go anywhere without food in my hands. Like... anywhere. I would literally eat my way through every country. Maybe I'd even start one of those food Instagrams that are popping up everywhere. It would have to be creative and have a theme, like Lorde's onion ring account. 

Choose a movie title for the story of your life: Catch Me if You Can

What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator? Ranch dip... yikes.

What is your favorite quote? A classic from Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." This quote means so much to me and is always in the back of my mind as I look toward a career in international education. I want to help bridge long-lasting cultural divides between peoples by way of progressive education. We are all so much more similar than we think and once we realize that, our differences will eventually seem obsolete. 

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? I have a lot still on my bucket list, but at the top is skydiving in the Swiss Alps. I'm Europe-bound, so it could happen pretty soon! This is the first time I'm writing out the words and my heart is racing just thinking about it. One time I did one of those free-fall, bungee "rides" on the boardwalk and I legitimately cried so... we'll see how it goes! 

How would you describe your home décor style? Simplicity is key. I really like neutral colors for sofas, bedding, etc., and dark furniture with harder edges. Right now my bedding is tan, brown, and a soft, light blue (it's also the softest duvet known to man). For decorations or accessories, I typically use lots of pictures of friends and family in dark frames, some flowers or succulents, and vintage lamps. I also always have a map of the world on the wall. Overall, perhaps my home décor style is a mixture of traditional and modern? 

Describe your perfect date night: Okay, the date starts in a dog park and we're surrounded by dogs, mostly pugs. They all want to play with us because we're the most fun guys in the park. After a few minutes of playing with the dogs (realistically a couple hours), we leave for dinner. Ideally we would eat at a Mexican restaurant, some place in the city where we can sit outside that has the freshest ingredients and homemade everything. We eat our tacos and sip sangria until the sun sets and then depart for, wait for it, more food. We stop to get ice cream, homemade of course, and sit on a bench overlooking the water. The sky is totally clear and we're just far away enough from the buildings and lights to be able to see the stars. We'd tell each other stories and he would laugh so hard that suddenly I feel like the funniest guy he's ever met... which is so far from the truth. Anyway, he'd walk me home and say good night and I'd go inside and watch 6 episodes of Parks and Recreation before falling asleep (preferably with him by my side). 

Totally haven't put any thought into this.

Who is the last person who inspired you and why? The last person who inspired me, and quite frankly the person who inspires me the most, is my younger brother Austin. He is constantly faced with difficult situations and tackles them with outstanding poise. I was not nearly as mature and thoughtful as he is at 18. He did the bravest thing and took a semester off from college, something I never even thought possible, regardless of how I was doing academically or mentally. Austin taught me that vulnerability makes us human, and admitting that you're struggling should be encouraged, not shamed. He returned to school with a newfound confidence and energy that I hope to also carry with me on my next adventure.