Name: Damon Popiel
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Occupation: English Teacher
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance:
Likes: Traveling, culture, experiencing new things, interesting people, cupcakes, novels, languages, classical music.
Dislikes: Close-mindedness, uncivilized people, staying in one place for too long, ignorance, vegetables, freezing cold.
Personality:
Damon is an open-minded individual. Though he has his own set of morals, he is very respectful of others and their opinions, and finds the diversity among different people to be a wonderful thing. He is a free spirit who doesn't like to be bound down by too many rules, but he is mature enough to know that there are certain rules all people must follow. That said, he is a very honest individual. He doesn't like lying, whether it be a harmless lie or otherwise, and will always be as direct and forward with a person as he can, regardless of their feelings. If he has an opinion on something, he will declare it loud and clear. He welcomes any and all opposition to his beliefs so long as they make a valid argument, as he's always been interested in seeing how the other side thinks.
Damon is quite idealistic. He is a staunch advocate for free speech and self-expression, and despises it when people are kept from being who they are, himself included. He believes that people should always desire to reach their full potential, whatever that potential may be. He believes that effort is the key to success. While not everyone may have much potential, Damon feels it's good enough if they fight to achieve however much or little they may have in them. He dislikes the people who have the potential to do something with their lives, but refuse out of simple laziness or lack of willpower. Though he can understand their sentiments, he prefers not to associate with these people.
Damon always does his best to be polite and respectful towards everyone he meets, even if he may not like them much. He is fair, and listens to other people before voicing his own thoughts or opinions, while taking theirs into consideration. When the conversation truly gets interesting for him, however, he suddenly turns into a bubbly man with lots to say. Get him talking about something that he is truly passionate about, such as travelling or cupcakes, and he will break away from his usual calm, mature manner of speech and can go on for hours talking about his experiences and thoughts without end. If the person he's talking to can actually relate to him or listen to him for so long, he will be more inclined to grow fond of them.
Bio:
His whole life, Damon has never stayed in one place too long. Since his birth, his parents always traveled from country to country, living there for a couple years before moving on. They didn't have any particular reason for doing so; they were simply tired of being tied down in one particular place. They wanted to experience the world, and wanted their son to have that same chance. Damon's father came from a rich family, and inherited several millions of dollars after his mother died, so he was perfectly able to provide for the family. However, despite his upbringing, he was actually somewhat of a minimalist, and never took full advantage of the money he'd been given. As a result, in whatever country they lived, Damon grew up as a middle-class citizen.
For the most part, Damon's parents preferred to stick to developed countries, although at one point they did live in Africa for a year. Some of the countries they lived in besides the US included England, Spain, Holland, Germany, and Russia. Growing up in so many different cultures, however, had a different effect on Damon than his parents thought it would. He had trouble making friends as a child because of the various language barriers, and even if he did make a few, he never could keep them for long on account of the moving. So, eventually, he simply gave up on making friends and became a loner. Despite this, Damon was still a cheerful child around his parents. He had an immense appreciation for each country's culture and society, and as an outsider to all of them, was able to take a broader view on them. However, the concept of a 'home' was foreign to him.
Eventually, they ended up back in the US, in his mother's home town of Los Angeles. Damon's parents had decided that during his teen years, they would overlook their desire to constantly travel and give Damon the chance to make some long-term friends. However, Damon just felt bored. Having been used to travelling his whole life, growing up in L.A. for six years was incredibly dull. He eventually grew heavily judgmental of the American lifestyle, much preferring some of the other countries he had been to in the past, and wishing to return. His parents, however, were adamant that he would eventually adjust and be able to live out his life in peace. Throughout those years, Damon dreamed of returning to the outside world, and decided that he would take up whatever career might allow him to travel the world once again.
After graduating high school, Damon found what he wanted to do: teach English overseas. Many countries abroad were apparently in need of skilled English teachers in everywhere from elementary to high school, and being skilled with languages after all of his travels, Damon knew this job was perfect for him. His father was easily able to pay for the best university available in the area, and Damon spent the next six years studying for a Master's degree in teaching, alongside a Bachelors degree in English.
With his credentials, it didn't take Damon too long to find a high school in Thailand that hired him. Now, finally ready to head back into the world, Damon waits at the L.A. airport.