Who am I?
I’m a guy from California who has spent more than half his life living in Finland. I love traveling and helping people to be active and to find their strengths.
Why Did I Choose to Create a Website about Dinosaurs?
In my view, dinosaurs tell a story of how other animals lived and survived on the very same planet, except it was millions of years ago. It’s amazing to think of the diversity there was and that there are dinosaur fossils in almost every corner of the world. That’s a lot of dinosaurs!
Dinosaurs are Fascinating!
Just look at how much we have learned about dinosaurs over the last 50 years! When I first learned about dinosaurs, they were basically seen as reptiles. And now they are related to birds, and some had feathers? Wow. There is so much information via books and websites that one can take a look at. However, a lot of times, it isn’t very easy to get a clear, sharp, and short answer with the latest information. Or the answer is so scientific that you get lost in the vocabulary – too challenging to understand for someone who has a fascinating interest in dinosaurs. There’s a lot of information, but sometimes it’s also hard to find the answer to some of the simple, yet nagging questions that one might have.
What’s the Coolest Thing about Dinosaurs (in My View)?
That they were so big! I remember one of the first museums with dinosaur fossils and just blown away by how tall the dinosaur was in comparison to myself. These days, now that I am reading extensively about dinosaurs, it’s the fact that there were so many different species over the millions of years. The cool thing about dinosaurs is that it can spark your imagination in a way that nothing else can.
Childhood Fascination with Dinosaurs
My curiosity about dinosaurs stems from being inspired in my youth about nature and later by the many travels I have done.
From an early age, I was fascinated with dinosaurs. I remember seeing dinosaurs first in some books and then later in Disneyland. I remember proudly stating to my parents and others that I wanted to be a paleontologist. Where others would get toy soldiers or animals, I got toy dinosaurs. My favorite was a toy plastic Iguanadon, and I remember carrying this one everywhere I went, even to school. At the elementary school library, there were only five books on dinosaurs. I knew them very well.
Places I’ve Seen Dinosaur Fossils
● Beijing China in various local museums
● Hohhot Dinosaur exhibition
● Scotland Edinburgh – Royal Museum of Scotland
● Senckenberg Nature Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
● California at La Brea Tar Pits (although mostly fossilized mammals)
● Germany Frankfurt of Museum of Natural History
Plans for the AdventureDinosaurs Website
In creating this site, my approach is to try and address some of the common questions that get asked about dinosaurs, to lay it out in a very simple yet based on all the facts that we currently have, and to have a little bit of fun compiling all of this together in one website. I’m aiming to satisfy the curiosity of people who have questions about dinosaurs and to show the cool things about them too. I will have a section for young dinosaur enthusiasts and will try to keep the website as factual as possible. It is not to discount all the great resources that are already out there, more it is a way to simplify it and to arrange it in a way that is easier to digest. Something for young and old!
A Few Other Things To Know About Me:
● What Do I Do – I’m a professional business person who has a long career in telecommunications (17 years at Nokia Mobile Phones) and digital software platforms. Although still in working industry, I have found freelancing and digital nomadism as a lifestyle change.
My LinkedIn Profile: Michael Haralson LinkedIn
● Where Do I Live – I currently live in Kirkkonummi, Finland. Places I’ve lived in my life are Washington DC, Newfoundland, San Diego, California, Edinburgh Scotland, Beijing China, and in Finland, I’ve lived in the cities of Turku and Helsinki.
● What Have I Done That I’m Proud and Happy About – I’ve traveled and met people all over the world. Having seen over 50 countries, I know that there are a lot of wonderful things in this world. Happy that I am creating websites that help people find their strengths and to understand this world a little bit better
● What I Enjoy – I enjoy the beach. Having grown up on the beach in San Diego, California, I always make a point to try and visit the beach areas wherever I travel.
● What Dinosaur Activity I Want to Do Next – when it comes to seeing dinosaur fossils, I plan to see the Natural History Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, and take a look at their collection of fossils and dinosaurs. Probably I will accomplish this during 2020. Of course, I’ll write an article about it with pictures!
If you want to contact me, you can email me at: michael@adventuredinosaurs.com