About me....?
Well, initially I thought that this page would be easy to write. Just copy and paste my resume in here, I thought, or something like that. Instead, I find it rather difficult to tell you about myself, other than that I have been a very VERY fortunate individual.
For many years, I have travelled, explored and seen the world. But not simply as a tourist, I was oftentimes able to live in a country for months if not years, studying or working there, learning the language, and meeting people long enough to make friends.
I grew up in a small village in Germany, called Schonungen. Since then, I have lived, studied, or worked in places like France, Italy, England, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Cyprus, Israel, Djibouti, and now for the past 14 years, in the United States. Of course, I have visited many more, the highlights of which include India, South Africa, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Mexico and South Korea. That by itself would make me one lucky person!
However, I was not only able to travel to distant destinations, but also to explore places by different means of transportation. And so I set out on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, car, airplane, and by boat, including sail and powerboats, all of which I am licensed to operate myself - and I did.
Imagine flying in a little airplane over the spectacular scenery of Yellowstone National Park, across the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, or over the glaciers of the Swiss Alps, Alpe Devero in the heart of the Italian Alps, or across Lake Wyndemere in beautiful Lake District on the northwest coast of England, along the coast off Melbourne, Australia... and the list goes on and on.
What can I say but, Thank you, Lord!
I sailed across the Mediterranean Sea, visited the antiques of the Greek islands, sailed around Corsica and Sardegna, along beautiful Cote d’Azur, across the Gulf of Cascogne, motoring through Suez Canal, sailed through stormy waters to yet another fabulous scuba-dive spot in the southern Red Sea, Bab El-Mandeb, or off the tropical shores of the Fiji Islands.
Countless spectacular sunrises and sunsets, shooting stars and rainbows, volcanoes above and below the ocean’s surface. Storms, dust storms, thunderstorms, tropical revolving storms, or cyclones. I have seen them with my own eyes, and lived through it, and loved all of it, even if there were times I was scared. I call myself a very lucky man!
And if that was not enough, I was able to spend many years in college and study with some of the finest teachers, professors and scientists from around the world, some of which took me under their wings and showed me more patience than I really deserved. I went to the University of Plymouth; University of Liverpool, Department of Science; University of Cambridge, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) where we took our lunch breaks with Prof. Steven Hawkins; University of Cadiz, Departamento de Fisica Aplicada; University of Colorado in Boulder, Department of Aerospace Engineering; University of Denver, Daniels College of Business; and I probably even forgot a few. I learned, I studied, and I even began to understand, a few of those things that I was taught.
A new professional opportunity recently opened itself and I am in the process of fulfilling another one of my personal dreams: to run my own independent consulting company in an area that I am passionate about: aviation. As owner of XelAir, Inc, I am offering consulting services to international aviation organizations. My focus is on concept development, strategy development and strategic business development in the areas of global Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Aeronautical Information Management (AIM).
Throughout all my life, I was so fortunate to meet wonderful people that showed me, gave me, shared with me, taught me and explained to me, some even forgave me. Above all, my parents and sisters, my friends, my former wife, and all the other wonderful women and men. Yes, I am a lucky man!
I know, I was barely scratching the surface, the tip of the iceberg of a life I am about to life - again - and I am so grateful for every moment of it. And I thank God!
The following are some of the milestones of my spiritual journey:
22 - 26 August 2011 Private retreat at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, NE
(http://www.stbenedictcenter.com)
27 Dec - 1 Jan 2012 Seminar “Seele der Farben, Farben meiner Seele”
Leitung: Pater Meinrad Dufner, OSB und Teresa Günther
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
(http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de)
29 Feb - 4 March 2012 Seminar “Das Enneagramm und christliche Spiritualitaet”
Leitung von Klaus Stemmler
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
5 - 7 March 2012 Einzelgast in der Abtei Muensterschwarzach
Meditatives Malen im Atelier von P. Meinrad
4 - 5 April 2012 Visit at St. Benedict monastery, Waegwan, South Korea
6 - 8 April 2012 Stay at Buddhist temple, Golgulsa, South Korea
Buddhist chanting, meditation and Sunmudo training
18 Apr - 26 Juni 2012 Quest 2.0 - Finde deine innere Stimme, mit Martin Weiss,
Coach Your Self (www.coach-your-self.tv)
21 April 2012 Webcast with Fr. Richard Rohr: Franciscan Mysticism -
Why is it unique?
http://cac.org/programs/wc-2012-series/
11 - 14 May 2012 Seminar “Schreibwerkstatt: Leidenschaft, Lust und
Liebe”
Leitung: Hanne Mausfeld
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
21 July 2012 Webcast with Fr. Richard Rohr: The Perennial Tradition
and the Living School
(http://cac.org/programs/wc-2012-series/)
5 - 10 September 2012 Private retreat at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, NE
7 - 8 September 2012 Seminar “Living Mindfully Throughout Each Day”
Leitung: Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB
(http://www.stscho.org/macrina.html)
14 - 17 Sep 2012 Private retreat at St. Benedict Monastery,
Snowmass, CO
15 September 2012 Immersion in Silence, “A morning of centering prayer”
with Sherry Dutelle
21 - 23 Sep 2012 Seminar “Befriending Small Deaths - Big Deaths”
with Dominie Cappadonna, PhD
Shambala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lake, CO
(http://www.shambhalamountain.org)
28 September 2012 Webcast with Fr. Richard Rohr: A Conversation on
Practicing Contemplation and Facing Paradox
(http://cac.org/programs/wc-2012-series/)
2 - 11 October 2012 Intensive 10-day Centering Prayer Retreat,
based on the teachings of Fr. Thomas Keating, OCSO
St. Benedict Monastery, Snowmass, CO
11 Oct - 17 Dec 2012 Online Course “Breathing Underwater”
by the Rohr Institute
(https://cac.org/rohr-institute-online-education)
26 - 30 October 2012 Conference “Franciscan Mysticism: I AM that which I am
seeking” with Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM
Center for Action and Contemplation, Santa Fe, NM
2 - 4 November 2012 Seminar “Create the work you love”
with Rick Jarow
Shambala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lake, CO
16 March 2013 Conference “The Cloud of Unknowing Revisited --
Centering Prayer and Non-Dual Consciousness”
with Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault
Contemplative Outreach of Colorado
(http://www.contemplativeoutreach-co.org)
13 - 17 April 2015 Seminar “Von der Weisheit und der Kraft des Pilgerns”
Leitung: Peter Müller
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
(http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de)
1 - 4 Dezember 2016 Kurs “Kontemplation und Körperarbeit”
Leitung: Bruder Jakobus Geiger, OSB
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
(http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de)
16 - 18 Dezember 2016 Kurs “Einführung in die Kontemplation”
Leitung: Bruder Jakobus Geiger, OSB
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
(http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de)
13 - 15 January 2017 Kurs “Sinnfrage in der 2. Lebenshälfte”
Leitung: Dr. Otto Zsok
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
(http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de)
03 - 13 January 2017 Schrothkur nach Johann Schroth und Wellness Programm
Hauber’s Alpenresort, Oberstaufen, Germany
20 - 22 January 2017 Kurs “Fenster zum Licht”
Leitung: Pr. Meinrad Dufner, OSB und Teresa Günther
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
(http://www.abtei-muensterschwarzach.de)
23 - 25 January 2017 “Zeit für Veränderung - Beruf und Berufung im Einklang”
Leitung: Pr. Anselm Grün, OSB und Stefan Müller
Abtei Münsterschwarzach, Germany
And the journey continues....
Near Lake Granby, Colorado in November 2011
