Todd

earth | roaming

UPDATE: 29 September 2006

Todd Drummond

Todd Drummond is a native of Auburn, Alabama whose interest in seeing the world was inspired by a year at boarding school in Switzerland, and grew during a three year stint with the Peace Corps in Central Asia. He holds degrees in History and International Relations from Indiana University and the University of Florida respectively. For the past decade, he has worked for the American Councils for Education on a USAID sponsored project in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan where he met his wife Natasha. Todd has been a regular contributor to earthroaming.com over the years - including pictures and stories from Tbilisi, Georgia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Samarkand and Khiva, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kabul, Afghanistan. (He's pictured here in traditional Afghan attire.) Todd and his wife Natasha now live in East Lansing, Michigan where Todd is a doctoral student at Michigan State University.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT TODD

What was the last book you read?

"The Origins of a Turkish Family". It's an autobiography of a young Turkish boy from an well-to-do Ottoman family growing up at the turn of the 20th century. His reflections cover a transition period when his family went from prosperity and happiness to war years, death, hunger, and poverty. Despite the overall tragic nature of the story, there is lots of humor and many insights into Turkish culture as it was in the pre and early republic Years.

What is your favorite book? Or favorite author?

Tough question, I love travel books, history, and political science books by Samuel Huntington. Love Russian literature too

What is your favorite movie?

Hmm... too many favorites to name just one... Dramas with historical settings are my favorites, Gone with the Wind, Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, etc. One of my favorite childhood movies was Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman.

What's the coolest place you have ever been?

Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. Nothing like swimming in a clear blue, slightly saline, mountain lake at 2000 meters above sea level, surrounded by 5000 meter snow capped peaks. The most beautiful place I have ever been.
Istanbul Turkey is a close second and Bukhara, Uzbekistan is in third place. Spain is great too!!!