Joseph Goldes

B.S. Economics, University of Puget Sound

From the first bowl of rice noodles he slurped next to Green Lake Park, Joe has had a loving relationship with the city of Kunming and Yunnan Province. Joe became enamored with the cultural and geographic diversity of the province while studying at Yunnan Nationalities University through the School for International Training. He has since enjoyed three years of life in this beautiful corner of China. This time has provided Joe with opportunities to research migrant laborers, appreciate the myriad local dialects, and watch how China’s rapid growth has shaped both the largest cities and the smallest villages. Furthermore, he feels fortunate to live in a place with abundant natural beauty where he can pursue his hobbies of whitewater kayaking and rock climbing.

Joe has split his life between China and the wilderness of North America, where his guiding experiences have taken him from the Rockies to the far-reaching waterways of the Canadian Arctic. In both the Land of the Midnight Sun and the Middle Kingdom, Joe feels honored to have the opportunity to pass his experiences onto the next generation of world citizens.