Growing up in Kenya, listening to BBC on the shortwave radio in the evenings and spending free time mountaineering and rock climbing has evolved in my later years to become an active participant in SOTA. My professional life has required international travel and I have found that travelling with an HF radio and participating in SOTA when travelling adds an amazing amount of enjoyment while visiting other countries.  Currently living in Alberta, Canada near the Canadian Rockies provides unlimited opportunities to participate in SOTA. In addition, frequent trips to the U.S., Japan and the Middle East for business have added another dimension to the enjoyment that I get from SOTA.