So I promised you the story of how we ended up here.  One day, Matthew came home from work and told me that he couldn’t take another year of the jet lag that comes with commuting between Chicago and Norway every other week, so we decided to move to Oslo for the remainder of his project.  Can’t say I was thrilled, as I’m a southern girl at heart, who thrives in warmth and sunshine.  (I originally hail from Lexington, Kentucky.  Matthew’s a Chicago native.)  But I’ve always want to live in Europe and I love traveling, so off we went.

But who were we before we became immigrants?

KIMBERLY’S BIO:  I’ve spent the last 25 years of my life working as an Exhibit Developer for museums, botanical gardens, and other institutions.  What the heck is an Exhibit Developer, you ask?  A storyteller.  My job has been to take scientific topics and translate them for the public in ways that are both entertaining and educational.  And I’m lucky enough to have collaborated with some amazing curators, scientists, and designers in the process.  Whether I’m working with images, artifacts, or words to create physical exhibits or online learning experiences, I find that there aren’t many things more rewarding than helping folks understand what a wondrous world we live in.

MATTHEW’S BIO:  He’s an architect who realized a long time ago that the profession doesn’t put food on the table or a roof over his head.  (Ironic, that last one, isn’t it?)  So to afford basic staples and exercise his personal passion for building stuff, he joined the construction industry.  As a Senior Project Manager, he’s worked for urban planning companies, developers, and AEC (architectural, engineering, and construction) firms to revitalize communities, repurpose spaces, and realize dreams.  And he’s had the great good fortune to partner with some amazing people over his 26-year career.  Breathing life into little lines on paper and watching them grow from the ground up is what makes his job a joy.

TOGETHER:  We met in a photography class back in 1990 and have been together ever since.  Here in Norway, our careers have dovetailed.  Since it’s hard to find work locally when you don’t speak the language, I’ve joined Matthew on his American construction site.  What is this mysterious project we’re building?  I’m reluctant to say, due to its somewhat controversial nature here in Norway.  And I’d like Norwegians to get to know us free of judgment over what we do to pay our bills.  Hey, we all gotta make a living.  But I’ve given you some good clues, and if you read enough of my posts, you’ll figure it out….

FOR THE GEEKS:  By the way, if you’re interested in seeing some of my online projects and learning more about the fantastic biodiversity research being done by The Field Museum, check out the Expeditions@Fieldmuseum website I developed.  Or if you’re more into games, download the Field Museum’s Specimania app, or check out a few of the online interactives I’ve created, such as Surveying and Studying Birds in the Brazilian Amazon.  Have fun!