Feature Friday with Alex Sturgill

Wooooo TGIF everyone! We are SO happy it's finally the weekend. Thomas' sister and brother-in-law are coming up from GA to stay with Thomas' brother for the weekend, so it will be fun to catch up with them and show them the new house. We also have a wedding to go to and a few meetings to attend so, it's a busy weekend ahead, but man we're glad it's here.

Our 2nd Feature Friday is also originally from Cleveland, though he's since moved. We were so excited when we saw Alex's name in our email and we have loved getting to know a little bit about him. We think you'll enjoy it too. The man sure does travel a lot! #notjealous #promise #whatever. Take a look:

Where are you from? Cleveland, Tennessee

Where do you live? Orlando, Florida

What’s your Instagram handle? @AlexSturgill

Age? (optional) 32

Relationship Status? Single

What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited and why? Such a tough question! But I've got to say Germany! I absolutely fell in love with Heidelberg. Everywhere I went in Germany was beautiful, though. I'm a huge fan of German food and beer!

What is one thing you hope today’s LGBTQ youth learn? That they are loved. 

Choose a movie title for the story of your life: "Wanderlust" because I have it!

What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator? Frozen Mahi Mahi. I love seafood!

What is your favorite quote? "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." — Mark Twain

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? SCUBA dive the Great Barrier Reef!

How would you describe your home décor style? Very... "post-grad" :) It's definitely a bachelor pad with a lot of IKEA influence, some sports memorabilia, travel and family photos.

What song describes your life and why? Adventure of a Lifetime, by Coldplay. We all have people and things that influence us in life, as well as our own ambitions, that work together to shape who we are becoming. The meaning I find in the song is a reminder about my internal voice of ambition to travel, to experience new cultures and continually broaden my own worldview. So the lyric "Under this pressure, under this weight, We are diamonds taking shape" resonates with me greatly since traveling, especially abroad, isn't as glamorous as it might seem. Sometimes it can be very stressful. Far more significant than that, when you make a sincere effort to cast aside your biases and look at the world through a child-like awe and desire to learn, that process of awakening or transformation might be likened to a diamond being formed. The end result is certainly more beautiful than what you started with.

Who is the last person who inspired you and why? A former college professor and friend of mine recently wrote a beautiful and moving response to the horrible violence in Virginia. She's a champion for social justice, equality, serving others with love and compassion and so much more. She continually inspires me to be a better person.