My bond with nature was formed growing up in Sao Paulo Brasil. My family had a little farm a 1.5 hrs drive from the city where we spent our weekends and school vacations. There, I learned to talk and listen to animals and plants alike - ok, and to the occasional person one would encounter too ;)
I went on to study and grow a semblance of roots in Austria, where I took up the career of web developer whilst raising my kids.

I first heard of permaculture as "agriculture for the lazy", which I found immensely funny.
Intrigued and looking more closely, I was delighted to see how permacultural design was very much like what I was already doing in IT: creating systems that take into account all sorts of factors and put them to optimal use for the benefit of all involved.
Basically, it's just "observe and think before you do", isn't it, something the world seems to be forgetting more and more!

After completing my PDC, I was lucky to get a plot in a small community garden in our back yard, where I have been observing, experimenting and learning about improving soil quality, about plants, pests, and how they all go together, thus gaining in hands-on experience.
When the time is right, I plan to focus increasingly on consultancy and project implementation for others.
And of course, the dream of one day living in a fully self-sustaining permacultural context of my own!