He has climbed the steps to Dracula’s Citadel Poenari in Romania, surfed Arugum Bay in Sri Lanka, walked through the Ajanta Buddhist caves in India, explored the Minoan ruins at Knossos and Malia in Greece, and gotten trapped in an underground lot in Dublin.  After many years living like a rock star without having to actually play an instrument, he settled down in exotic Lake Ridge, Virginia, married a girl from the Caribbean, and joined Costco.  

Steve McKennon was born into a military family and, thus, spent his formative years moving every two or three years.  This allowed him to experience many different people and places and, most beneficially, allowed him to start over frequently.  These periodic resets allowed him to chart new directions and goals, and ensured he was never saddled with an unflattering nickname ... at least not for long.  Being born in Germany to a Scottish family from Mississippi, made the question "where are you from?" a rather complicated one to answer.  However, being both from everywhere and nowhere has many advantages, with the primary being an ability to understand the perspective of an outsider looking in.  

After leaving home and deciding he neither wanted to be in the military nor Mississippi himself, he embarked on a meandering course that found him in Afghanistan working as a US advisor to the Minister of Finance following the attacks on 9/11 and subsequent invasion.  While there, he burned old currency, oversaw the decommissioning of ethnic militia, collected economic and cultural information, and met many fascinating people.  After nearly three years on the ground in Afghanistan, most of which embedded with local allies, he went on to work and travel in over 21 countries.  

​​​​​Background & Influences 

Steve McKennon also writes under the name TropicalSnowstorm, serves on the Council of DarkPoetry.org, and has been involved with the Northern Virginia based Poets Anonymous for many years.  He has an excursion company named Skylax Adventures through which he has many, many future exploits planned.