Mark was born and raised near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He joined the military and attended the Royal Military College of Canada, securing a degree in history. He joined the Royal Canadian Regi...view moreMark was born and raised near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He joined the military and attended the Royal Military College of Canada, securing a degree in history. He joined the Royal Canadian Regiment as an officer and served on peacekeeping tours in Egypt (1991) and Bosnia (1996). After being released for post-traumatic stress disorder, Mark attended the University of New Brunswick where he studied and obtained a degree in education. He took his teaching skills on the road, and taught history (in English) in Beijing, China for three years (2007–2010). After that, Mark returned to Nova Scotia and tutored in Halifax for several years before retiring in full. He also spent a year in chef college (NSCC).Mark loves to play and watch hockey, ride his Harley motorcycle, play drums, play war games (board and computer), geocache, and travel the world—he currently sits at 58 countries visited. He has climbed Machu Picchu, walked sections of the Great Wall of China, climbed volcanoes in Indonesia, and bicycled across Canada, amongst other adventures. He completed his first Camino Frances in the summer of 2022.view less