Traveler Profile: David Miller

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Screen name:

David Miller

Age:

Gender:

Male

If you must know:

I'm happily married

Travel status:

Traveling now

Hometown:

Marietta, Georgia

Currently in:

Seattle

Expert Colorado Wilderness, United States

I moved to the Front Range area (Nederland, 20 miles west of Boulder) five years ago and quickly realized that I could spend the rest of my life just learning the the Indian Peaks right outside my door. Add on the next range of mountains (the Continental Divide), Rocky Mountain National Park, the Colorado River Basin and headwaters, and you've got truly limitless options for exploring mountains and rivers all within a few days' hike or a few hours' drive. I can help point interested visitors in various directions, whether they're looking for solo wilderness time or big group floats down the high-desert canyons. I also have connections with Boulder Valley Schools as well as a local nature center, and could potentially make recommendations to qualified individuals looking to work here. Feel free to contact me for information.

Matador Travel Writer: Articles (10)

Writer Bio: View Articles (10)

David Miller has published nonfiction, fiction, and poetry in a variety of newspapers, alternative weeklies, and literary magazines including Mountain Gazette, Boulder Weekly, 34th Parallel, and Poetica. Chief among his goals as Editor of Matador Travel is to publish stories that, while rooted in particular places and cultures, resonate with people everywhere.

Favorite places I've been:

Argentina -- Brazil -- Chile -- Costa Rica -- Ecuador -- El Salvador -- England -- France -- Israel -- Mexico -- Nicaragua

Places I want to go to:

Cuba -- Alaska -- San Sebastian, Spain

About me:

Although I've always been a writer, my background is in outdoor education. Four years ago I moved away from teaching to pursue writing professionally, and began freelancing for local Colorado newspapers, alternative weeklies, and regional magazines. As a way of supplementing my income as well as learning something new I began an apprenticeship in carpentry. I believe that building things--or just doing simple work with your hands--teaches you how to write. But then you could say that for just about anything--running rivers, showing kids how to make fire, or just listening to music.

This year Ross and Ben brought me on as Editor of Matador. It has been an incredible honor and a privilege to work with so many passionate people from around the world and I look forward to watching our community continue to unfold.

Profile URL:

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/david-miller

Read more about David Miller

I'm fired up on:

seeing my friends' progressions, realizing our ever-widening circles seem to go deeper and deeper south (Argentina, Brazil, Chile) then always seem to intersect in the least-expected places (like Encampment, Wyoming). I'm fired up on writing, sharing stories. I'm stoked to keep pushing my surfing, snowboarding, and paddling skills. I'm all about continuing my progression in producing electronic and acoustic music. Nothing fires me up more than hearing something original on the radio, or seeing someone living his / her dream.

Tunes I rock out to:

Air, Aphrodite, Aphex Twin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bebel Gilberto, Bob Marley, Buena Vista Social Club, Burning Spear, Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Celia Cruz, Charles Mingus, Cut Chemist, Danger-Mouse, Digable Planets, DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, Duke Ellington, Gogol Bordello, John Coltrane, Kid-606, King Oliver's Dixieland Jazz Band, Lee Perry, Leadbelly, Manu Chao, Miles Davis, People Under the Stairs, Q-bert, R.E.M., Stanley Brothers, Thievery Corporation, Tribe Called Quest, Underworld, Velvet Underground, Yellowman, and 10,000 other nameless musicians who serenade the streets, subways, porches, rivers, beaches, mountains, jungles, and forests of the world.

Travel style:

Always trying to find places with fewest travelers, (none at all is best) staying either with local families or camping out in their yards, jungles, storage rooms, etc. and minimizing whatever gear I have on hand except for barest necessities: books, writing materials, shelter (megamid), large cookpot for beans and rice, candle -- (make lanterns out of empty plastic bottles), and ideally, one perfect surfboard for whatever conditions might be out there. (Best ones ever: a 7'0" Ben Aipa rounded pin, a 6-6 squash-tail called the Autumn Special)

And most importantly, always trying to earn my keep. Playing music works well. Making people laugh.

Quote:

"The sun and moon are eternal travelers." -- Basho

Sports I do:

surfing, snowboarding, kayaking

Favorite books:

Martin Eden, Leaves of Grass, Cathedral, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Light Action in the Caribean, What Matters Most is How Well You Walk through the Fire

I want to make a difference by:

Sharing stories that otherwise might not be told.

Languages spoken, other than English:

Spanish, some French and Portuguese

I felt the most immersed in a foreign culture when:

It happened here in Colorado working with an all Mexican drywall crew. After several days they opened up: they started telling their stories of crossing the border.

Why I travel:

Sometimes it's the only way to feel at home.

Ideal place to watch the sunrise:

from inside the barrel at Punta Flores, El Salvador

Before I die I'd like to:

Paddle a river from its headwaters to the ocean.

Let's collaborate:

I have skills as a writer, editor, as well as experience producing both audio and visual media.

My links:

www.alexjharvey.com, www.americanwhitewater.org, www.mountaingazette.com, www.paulferraris.com, www.writtenroad.com

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by Tim Patterson | 2008/04/13

just switching servers, TS - the notebook and nights will be back up shortly.

by theodorescott | 2008/04/13

David,

What happened to The Traveler's Notebook? The Notebook and Matador Nights both seem to be down. Their links have been erased from the other Matador sites. Maybe I missed the news somewhere. Is Matador downsizing?

Ted

by Catalin | 2008/03/08

hey David,
i have been to San Sebastian in Spain and have to say it is one of the most beautiful places in this country. i went there in may everything was bloomed and the beaches were empy.. a great place to live!

by OurManinShan... | 2008/01/19

Hey David-

Good to email the other day. I am working on the ski patrol story. Just waiting on a couple of quotes from out west to come in.

Cheers,

Pete

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by ladyn26@aol.com | 2008/01/05

I have read the bio on David Miller, and I am truly impressed with his diverse skills and his ability to impart that with his readers. I believe in Matadortravel.com. and feel that it is a magazine/idea whose time has come in the hopes of bringing peoples together from all over the world.
I am a subsciber, and hope that all my friends and all of yours will come to know this wonderful website.
Good luck and congratulations on Matadortravel.com. We can learn from it and be better and more educated citizens of the planet.

by smalldogonthego | 2007/12/24

thanks for checking out my blog! happy holidays!

by IndieTravelP... | 2007/11/18

Hey there, thanks for the early friendship request.

by Tim Patterson | 2007/10/29

Got any links to articles about the Argentine elections? I'm interested in the story, seeing as I'll be down in Santa Cruz soon.

by deva | 2007/09/08

Congratulations!!!

(I saw your name on Gmail chat so I'm pretty sure I'm not jumping the gun again this time...)

by fetish | 2007/09/01

Thanks! I'll be updating it periodically, so no worries.

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Early Morning Walk to the Elwha

By David Miller | Location: United States | 05/09/08 | Pics: 1

5 – 9 – 08 Elwha River Valley

Just after dawn and cold but baby Layla is warm and happy after her first night of camping. The frogs’ nocturnal chorus mixing in and out of the Elwha River flow.

Will she remember this? Her 8-month birthday was...

3 comments | Send to Friend |

You have to compassion

By David Miller | Location: United States | 04/12/08 | Pics: 1

It wasn’t just seeing the Dalai Lama.

Or hearing his words—“The 20th century became like the century of bloodshed. This century should be the century of dialogue.”—swirl through a stadium filled with 55,000 other people.

It wasn’t just the Salish Elders, original inhabitants...

3 comments | Send to Friend |

on certain days

By David Miller | Location: United States | 04/07/08 | Pics: 0

On certain days it’s possible to see the outline of your dreams.

It takes being tired. Not just tired from a day of work or days of work, but from weeks and months working exhaustively. Neglecting yourself and those closest to you.

Until one morning—after being up all night because the baby has...

4 comments | Send to Friend |

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Early Morning Walk to the Elwha

You have to compassion

on certain days